Star.
London, England, 1802-11-06 00:00:00

OLD BAILEr.

Yefterday 23 prifoners were tried, one of whom
was capitally convicted : •
John Wil/lianu and William William: were tried
ender the charge of ftealing from the houfe of
Richard Sayer, on 'Friday the 22d a 06tober 1.!li,
•a trunk containing Leven gowns, a tea caddy, nd
other property, to the value, in all, of between 1.
and 61. fterling, the property of Hannah Wild.
Hannah Wild, the profecutrix, gave the follow-
ing account of the circumftances of her lofs, and
oithe difcovery of the thieves :—On Tuefday, the
19th of Oaoher, the arrived, by water, from Mar-
gate, at the Swan public-houfe, near Wefiminfier•
bridge. She was going into•a place as a hired fer-
vant. It was not convenient for her to take her
baggage immediately home with her, and the
therefore left it in two trunks in the care of the
landlord, Mr. Sayer, who undertook the charge
of it ; and, for the greater fecurity, depofited the
trunks in his own bed chamber. Next Friday the
returned with a carman,. to remove the trunks to
the houfe of the family into whole service fhe had
entered. They were delivered to her by Mrs.
Sayer, whole hufband happened not to be at home.
One of them was put into the carman's vehicle ;
he let off, without waiting for the other ; and the
profecutrix thought it neeeffary to attend him'clofe-
ly, left he thould convey it away for his own ufcs.
Hannah Wild and the carman had not long left
the houfe, when William Williams, one of the pri-
loners at the bar, entered the tap-room, as with a
meffage from her ; pointed to the mom in which
the other trunk ftill'remained and requctled it to
be delivered to him, that he might carry it to the
owner. It was delivered, and lie went off with it.
Mr:.. Sayer and Hannah Wild were equally fur-
prited when thereturned to claim the fecond trunk,
and learned that it bad been delivered to a man
who came with a meffage in her name.
Thefe were the particulars of the theft ; a part
of which were related by Mr. and Mrs. Sayer.—
Mr. and Mrs. Halefworth gave evidence, that John
Williams, the fecond of the prifoners, had depofit-
ed at their houfe a bundle containing the gowns of
the profecutrix ; and had Paid that it contained no-
thing but rags, which were his own property.—
Another witnefs, a young woman, related that he
wined to perfuade her to accept the trunk as a
pretent, and was greatly mortified at her refufal
of it. Halefworth and his wife had difcovered that
the bundle contained things more valuable than
rags ; and had; upon the fufpicion which this
d' covert' excited, given information at the Police
Office ; in confequence of which Mifs Wild reco-
vered her property, and the prifoners at the bar
were committed to prifon to await the prefent trial.
After this evidence the prifoners at the bar were
called on for their defence. John Williams Paid,
that he had indeed affilled his brother in difpofing
of the goods, but was entirely unconfcious of the
theft. William Williams attempted no defence for
himfelf, but folemnly exculpated his brother from
intentional guilt, in the affiftance he had given him.
The Learned Judge, in his remarks to the Jury,
obferved, that he did not think there was any evi-
dence to affect John as to the felony, for that at
moft only proved that he had received the goods
knowing them to have been ftolen, but that was an
offence for which he was not now upon his trial..
As to the other prifoner,if they believed there was
no millake as to the identity, he was afraid they mu ft
convict him of the whole charge, unlefs they could
confcientioufly reduce the value under 4os. which
he did not fee poffible, for, his having obtained
the goods by fraud, with the intent of ftealing
them, was as much a felony as if he had got them
out of the houfe by any other means.—The Jury,
after a fhort confultation, pronounced William
4i/II!, ; John Not Guilty.
Three were conviaed of mifdemeanors, viz. D.
Price, J. Eltu, and 7. Steers.
Eleven were convected of felony, viz.
John Francis and William Champnefr, for ftealing
from Michael Burke, on the r ith of Oaoher lalt,
fix feven Milling pieces, two halfguineas, and one
twenty thilling note of the Bank of England, in the
dwelling-houfe of David Angus, near Broadway,
We aminfter.

The profecutor, Michael Burke, an Irifh tailor,
'had arrived in town cn the loth of October ; re-
ceived fome money at his agent's, and pilled the
night in. a lodging-houfe occupied by proflitutes.
He went about nine o'clock in the morning of the
lith into the houfe of Angus, who is a barber, to
be trimmed and dread. Being thirfiy, he per-
fuaded Angus's wife to procure him fome beer,
which he drank. The prifoners at the bar came
in,in the mean time, entered into converfaeion, and
drank with him. Some loofe women alfo entered ;
gin was fent for, and was put, for fome time, mer-
rily round. At length the profecutor, in the full.
nefs of big heart, difplayed his treafure. Francis
fnatched it from his hand, and conveyed it acrofs
his own back into the hand of Champnefs. The
profecutor himfelf, a boy of nine years of age, the
fon of Mrs. Angus, and Sarah Edwards, one of
the women, faw Francis take away the money, and
Champnefs receive it. The profecutor, etrndueted
by the little boy, went to call in the afftltance ref
fame police officers from Bow•fbect. Francis and
Champnefs in the mean time made Their efcape ;
but they were loon taken by the officers. They
were then committed to await the prefent trial.
The profecutor gave his evidence of the parti-
culars of this theft, with a confufion of ideas, a
deficicucy of language, an imperfect intelligence
of the que(lions put to him, an obflinacy and bur Rs
of anger arifing from a fearfulnefs of being entrap-
ped to contradi II:s own meaning, which, alto-
gether, gave infinite trouble to the Judge, Mr.
JklitiCe HEATH, as well as to Mr. KNOWLES, who
examined him for the defence; whin excited tome
ti rn merriment and fometimes indignation in thole
who n--si d him ;' and which leaned to raife fufpi-
(-ions kr which there was no real ground, againa
the veracity of his evidence. His evidence, was,
.owever, in the principal faits, fully confirmed by
John Burnet, Mrs. Angtis's fon, who, though only
nine ) ears o( age, appeared to be duly fenfible of
the obligation of an oath, and-by Sarah'Edwards,
one of the women who were in Angus's hogs_

Francis attempted no. defence.• Chatupnervilielz,
ed a very unbecoming audacity, and told a 1 mg
'Rory to exculpate himfell, which, though bold,
was utterly implaufible, and lei vet!, in I aa, n/
confirm the evidence,ofhis.guilt. They rcte 1,(411
found guilty, but of paling only. -
John Vernon, alias John Dawes, alias 7o!.::
Taws, was indkied for flealing a cloak, c! ti e
value of 161. 16s. the property of Sarah Pearce,
in a dwellinkhoufe, which was a capital ofEnic,...
The profteutrix was Called, but did nor appar,
and, therefore, the prifoner wets pronounced—Not
Guilty.
He was then tried upon an indhament 1.-,r a
fingle felony, tor Itealing a pair of gold ear-r:ms,
and a gold pin, the property of Sarah Hcatlici,
on the loth of Antal lalt. This rrifoncr i, t!,?.
(lathing Creole who lately has entummilted flunky
depredations on the lodgings of the Cyprians who
inhabit the welt end of the town.
The faEts which militated .tgainft him wcie
briefly as follow :
Mifs Sarah Heather depofcd, that upon
evening of the aoth of Auguti latt the met usi;li
the prifoner at the Haymarket 'fliea:.re. She cer-
tainly hied his appearance, which 7.•,-as complele;y
that of a gentleman, and the allowed him to ekoi!
her to her lodgings, in Clarges-ttreci,
where he remained all night. Next ntornins:.,
which was the 2111 of Augull, he got n ai:d old
the profecutrix that he had -no Mt mcy in his pot:
feflion. This rather difplealed her, as the c:4l.
ceived fuck to be very unlike the trca:inent
had been accujomcd to receive from r: a
remonarated with him upon the impirpriety of his
behaviour, when he laid that the tiwuld be e.war
rlrtrly futilfred, if the would fend her fervant alrng
with him to the Thatched This the prole-
cutrix &dined to do, and the priiuner left the
houfe. She afterwards miffed the artic','s nun.
cioned in the indklment, which the had teen the
preceding evening upon the table, betore going to
bed. She fufpeeted the prifoner having taken
them; but the had no opportunity of accuting him
until the 24th of September, when the faw him
coming out of Covent-Garden Play-houfe. Upon
that occafion the charged him with the robbery,
and having procured atlittance carried him to the
watch.houfe in Bond-ttreet.

By a duplicate, which was found in the prifo-
ner's lodgings, the ear-rings and pin were found at
a pawn-broker's, where the prifoner pawned them
between ten and twelve o'clock on the 2 tft of Au.
gulf, for ss.
Both the profecutrix and the pawn•broker fwore
they had not the leatt doubt of the identity of the
prifoner.
The fervant of the profecutrix fwore alto, that
the faw him at her miltrefs's lodgings on the night
of the soth of Auguit, and to his afking her to
follow him to his lodgings, and sheen to the Thatch-
ed Houfe Tavern, which her miarcfs refufcd.

In his defence the prifoner gave in a written
paper, admitting that he went home with the pro-
fecuttiz to her lodgings on the zoth of Augult.—
}-Ie denied, however, having tiolen the ear-rings
and gold pin, which, on th,: contrary, bad been
gsven to him by Mifs Heather as a mark of her
ay/intim andlirong regard. He wilhed to return, the
cololiment, and theretore folicitrd the attendance ot
her fervant to his lodgings, by velivin he might
remit a token equally demonarative of his invi,ab:e
regard. He then left the houfe and walked tj'-
wards his own lodgings. When at th•!door,he was
wry much furprifid to find that he wa., unattemied
by the fervant; and in order to fet things to riBiit,
he endeavoured to regain the lad's lodsin?;s ; but
being ignorant of the town and an emit e anger;
'he was unable to do Lb. He had (lly z“,entiy
arrived in this country from the Welt Indies, and
had no trier d to come forward in his behalf but
one, whom he was afraid illnels would detain.

The COMMON SENJEANT summed up the cafe,
and obferved, that it the Jury believed the evi-
dence, they would find the prifoner—Guilty by
their yerdiEt. The Jury prennunced
The COMMON SERJEANT laid to the prifoner,
you have had gteat good Icrtune, in not being
tried on the tint indictment, which is for a capital
offence. I than not try hint on the other india-
ments, alluding to others with which he Hands
charged, which are for pilfering a number of arti-
cles from unfortunate women, with whom he had
been in company.—The safe bn which-he is con.
vied 'is a tranfportable offence.

• 7. johnfon and J. Shke.r,'for ftealing a filver
waiter and other articles the property of J. Jennings..
Mr. KNowLEs opened the cafe for the prole-
cution with his ufual clearncfs and. ability.
Mr. William Jennings, who had been left in
charge of all the property in the houfe, as well as
the adjoining premifes, depoffd, that on the morn-
ing fated in the indiament, he was alarmed about
two o'clock by a very extraordinary -kind of
noife. His fufpicions were immediately excited,
and he refolved to go down (lairs to examine wh,•-
ther every thing was fafe. He accordingly got up
and went down ftairs very fatly, liftening to hear
any noife which might take place. • He overlie.a.l
the voice of two perfons, who app:ared then to
be in the parlour, and on going to the bottom of
the ftairs he found the outer door open. 1..1,z • b.i.l
himfelf that it on the preceding evel:;ng, li..at irg
it on the fining lock. Beiug thu; certain that
thieves were in tlic ltotife he lialened to t:;r pl.ice
where the private watchn:an was told
hint that thieves had got into the !wale,
him to arm hintiell arid to go with !inn for the
purpofe of aflifling in their appreienfion. The
watchman, who throughout the 1%11.)le
conduced hitnielf exactly as :in aceouplice N‘ 4.1!:
have done, paid no iitt-craion to tins ()Act, but
contejiteil hiinfeif with tlillowing .dr.
unarmed. 1.4.1 r. JonninT. t.,
from Which he took a poke; from Ii c
and, thus armed, he proceeded witi; the gie.ity!!
coolnel's and intropiditv to l::,•11.• f...arch
the orifoners. min were on en-
tering tit; hall, at a small diilanee fiorn the par-
lour, and lenniegs without wore ado en.:ca-
voured to tecure them. A lentil,: ea cued, and the
prifoner Jchnion was iu ice t.iiliy knocked down
.by the poker, which, :1:r. jeitnins applied to Li::

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