Arizona republican., 1914-02-19
TRIAL OF ELIZABETH CANNING

One of the greatest trials for per jury in the English police courts was that of Elizabeth Canning. It was of such a peculiar character that at it's conclusion the entire town was divided between Canning ties and anti i-Canningites. Poems and songs were written regarding it, and pamphlets flooded the streets. Finally the gossip became so violent that one party began to prosecute the other
 The trial was held before the Lord Mayor, Sir Gascoyne, at Old Bailey. The mayor five judges, the recorder and two aldermen were for trans porting Elizabeth. and the other eight aldermen were for six months inn prisonment.
 On January 6, 1753, there appear ed in "The Daily Advertiser the following advertisement: Lost, a girl, about eighteen, dressed in a purple gown. with white handker- chief and apron. a black-quilted pet 1 ticoat, black shoes and a hat with green ribbons Whoever informs Mrs. Canning. at Aldermanbury, concerning her shall be handsomely rewarded
 The case at once aroused the whole village. for the girl whose whereabouts was a mystery was Elizabeth Canning, eighteen years of | the servant in the household of a carpenter calley Lyon.
 l Elizabeth had spent New Years ] day at the home of an uncle and started for home about nine in the evening She was accompanied by relatives to Houndsditch. about half way. This was the last seen of her until January 20, at ten o'clock at night. when she walked into her home, tired, hungry and poorly clad. | The story she told was that shortly after her relative left her she was met by two men, who took off her gown and hat and stuffed a hand kerchief in her mouth, threatening to kill her if she made an outcry ford Road eleven miles from Lon- don. Here she was forced to give up most of her clothing, and was locked in an upper room with only
 bread and water until she succeeded
 in making her escape. She was un-
 der the impression that the house ir
 which she was confined was that oi
 Susannah Wells or Wills.
 An effort was made at once to To-
 cate the house under the escort ot
 Elizabeth. and gypsy woman
 named Mary Squires, and Susannal Wells were arrested. The first fol the robbery of the girl and the sec ond for keeping a disorderly house It was month before the trial wa:
 started Elizabeth was the first tC give evidence Many witnesses were called who established for her goot character. The Wells woman's de- fense was simple, a total denial o
 all charges and ignorance. of all tho
 facts. Dozens of witnesses were heard who swore they had been al
 the Wells house during the time
 that Elizabeth claimed she was de-
 tained there and they had never seer
 the girl, and one man and wife tes- tified that they had slept in tho
 room for close to q week during tht
 time the Canning girl claimed sht
 was held prisoner in this room.
 The jury, however, convicted botl
 women, the Squires woman being
 sentenced to death and Mrs. Well. to have her hand branded Gascoyn' laid the whole of the evidence before
 the king. He respited the execution and referred the whole evidence tt } the law officers. who, after consid
 ering it for a while. reported that tn,
 weight of evidence was in favor O
 Mrs. Squires and she was pardonet
 and probably escaped a shameful
 death on false evidence.
 Then the tables were turned ant
 Elizabeth was arrested for perjury The trial which began on April 2!
 lasted for seven days. Elizabetf
 pleaded not guilty. Witnesses wer, again produced to prove that she hat
 not been to the Enfield House 1T January as she had sworn. The jury
 retired and after two hours de. liberation they brought in a verdic
 of guilty. A new trial was refused The court was about to pronounc,
 the sentence when Barnard arose ant pleaded clemency believing that sht
 was not alone guilty.
 } Elizabeth made a statement ir
 which she said that she had had nc
 intention of swearing the gypsy's
 life away, but what she had sait
 was to defend herself The recorder
 told her that he always thought hel story was false. and she was sen
 fenced to month at Newgate, the
 filthiest prison in England, and that
 she was to be exiled in America fol seven years.
 So the trial came to an end ant Elizabeth was banished She was
 sent on a regular passenger ship tc
 America. and she secured employ I ment in a prominent colonist's
 house. A few years later she mar. ried John Treat. land owner ir | .l,.