The Proceedings of the Old Bailey

 

718.   ROBERT EVANS was indicted for feloniously stealing on the 1st of July , 70 sheets of paper, value 8 s. 6 d. ten bank notes, value 10 l. each, a bank note, value 2 l. and two bank notes, value 1 l. each, the property of the   Royal Exchange Assurance from fire , and five other counts for like offence, only varying the manner of charging them.

The indictment was read by Mr. Pooley and the case was stated by Mr. Knapp.

  JOHN BURFORD . Q. I believe you are cashier of the Royal Exchange Assurance office of goods and houses from fire - A. I am.

Q. They are called by three names, the one I have mentioned, and the Royal Exchange assurance for goods, and the other the Royal Exchange Assurance of annuities. Do they insure lives under that denomination - A. Yes.

Q. On the 23d of June last were you acquainted with the prisoner - A. Yes, he was a porter belonging to the Assurance. In June last, I had an order for the purpose of giving him 103 l. 8 s. 6 d. the 103 l. was composed in the shortest way I could. I do not know the numbers.

Q. Could you make up the number of the notes without a one pound note or a two - A. There were a one and a two undoubtedly.

Q. Did you, Sir, in pursuance of an order take to Mr. Bowra 103 pounds, 8 shillings and 6 pence - A. I did, I took this money from the place where I had the money in custody for the Royal Exchange assurance company, the money belonged to them, I am answerable for it.

Mr. Alley. The complaint against the man at the bar is for obtaining a sum of money and converting it to his own use, which belonged to the office for assurance for lives - A. Yes, they are incorporated by Charter, the Charter is here.

Q. Are you the officer belonging to that incorporated society which insures for lives - A. Yes.

Q. What situation did this man hold in this office - A. What they call a messenger.

Q. You tell us, and no doubt you tell us very true, that you gave him 103 l. in notes and money - A. My deputy gave it him, 103 l. 8 s. 6 d.

  HENRY BOWRA . Q. You are the deputy of the last witness - A. I am.

Q. Did you on the 23d of June last receive any sum of money from Mr. Burford to give to the prisoner. - A. I received 103 l. 8 s. 6 d. in bank notes, the eight shillings and sixpence was in cash. When I received it, I paid it to the prisoner in the Cashier's office. I desired him to count it, he did and there was 103 l. 8 s. 6 d.

  JOHN GRAY . I am clerk in the life assurance office. I am answerable to the company for the policies. On the 23d of June I delivered 70 blank policies to the prisoner to take them to the stamp office to be stamped. They are bound until they are used, and then they are torn off. In a week or ten days, I enquired if he had left them at the stationer's to be bound he replied he had left them. After they are stamped they are left at the stationer's to be bound.

Q. I believe you afterwards did not receive them - A. I did not.

Q. Did he after he said he had left them at the Stationer's absent himself - A. He did absent himself one day after I had discovered that he had not left the stamps.

Q. to Mr. Burford. Were you present at any time when any question was put to the prisoner as to what had been done by him with the policies - A. Yes it was on a Wednesday, he then positively said that they were at the stamp office.

  WILLIAM LEWIS . I am a porter applying at Fleet Market.

Q. Do you remember being applied to about two months ago by any person, to take any policies a small parcel - A. I took a small parcel to Mr. Dunn

a stationer in Fleet Street. The prisoner resembles the person that gave me the parcel, I believe him to be the man, but I do not know, I took that parcel as he directed, and gave it to a man in the shop; I waited till it was opened, the contents were policies, I believe the prisoner is the man; he said, will you drink, where shall we go; I said, there is a shop at the corner of Fleet market, he went there, changed half a crown, gave me a shilling, he told me to give it to them, and for them to bind it, and send it home, they would know where.

  FRANCIS GALPIN . Q. I believe you are a person employed by Messrs. Coles and Dunn, in their business - A. I am, they are stationers to the Royal Exchange assurance.

Q. Do you recollect receiving a parcel of policies - A. I do, from the last witness, I opened the parcel in his presence, I said there were no stamps to them, in a low voice, because I did not want to inform him they were such as these.

Q. After they are delivered to you they are put in books - A. Yes, but these not having the stamps, were not put in books, they were returned to the office.

MR. PORTER. On the 19th of July, I received a warrant to apprehend the prisoner, I could not find him, his wife said, she had not seen him; I went again in the same evening, and watched till a late hour, and on the day after, I went again, I could not find him.

Mr. Alley. Q. The short fact is on the 25th, he surrendered at the Mansion house, and came here for trial - A. Yes.

Mr. HOBLER. Q. I believe you are clerk to the Lord Mayor - A. Yes, I attended at the examination of the prisoner, before the Lord Mayor, on the 27th of July.

Q. Before you read that, which was taken down by you, what the prisoner said, was any promise or threat made use of - A. No. He said that he made use of a part, and was robbed of the other part, that is all that he said to the charge that was made by Mr. Bowra. He said he paid him 103 l. 8 s. 6 d. for stamps at the stamp office.

Mr. Alley. Q. Are you sure he did not say, it is very true, I was robbed of a part, and for the recovery of it I spent the other part, that would make all the difference - A. If he had said so, I should have taken it down.

GUILTY , aged 41.

Transported for seven years .

London jury, before Mr. Recorder.