The Proceedings of the Old Bailey

 

Before Mr. Baron Hullock.

301.   MARY ANN SULLIVAN and   MARTHA BELLAMY were indicted for feloniously assaulting   Joseph Ortega , on the 16th of December , at  St. Giles in the Fields , putting him in fear, and taking from his person and against his will, 1 ring, value 20s.,; 1 umbrella, value 9s.; 3 sixpences, and 6 halfpence , his property.

  JOSEPH ORTEGA . I live in Arthur-street, Somers-town. I am a native of Spain , and am a teacher of languages . On the 16th of December, about a quarter past six o'clock at night, I had been to a coffee-house to see the newspaper, and as I was going home, the prisoner Sullivan came up to me in Soho-square, and asked me to go with her - I said No; being a stranger, I could not find my way home if I had gone with her - she said, "Come with me, I will give you a direction to Somers-town;" I went into her house, not knowing the character of such women; I do not know what street it was in - she took me into a back room, on the first-floor; she shut the door, and then said she wanted my money - I said, "I have no money;" she said, if I would not give her my money, I should not go home that night; I said, if she would open the door I would go home - she said she wanted my money first, and after that she beat me - I said that I would give her 1s., which I did; she said I had more money than that - I said, No; she said, "Let me see your pockets;" I said I would not; she said, "If you will not, I will kill you;" I then gave her 9d. - she then said that I must let her see my pocket - I said I would not. There was then a knock at the door; Bellamy came in and said, "What is the matter?" Sullivan said, "That gentleman will not give me his money;" Bellamy said, "If he will not give you his money, take the poker, and kill him" - I said I had no money; Sullivan said, "Let us see your pockets" - I said I would not; she said, "Well, if you won't, we will kill you to-night" - I had a watch in my pocket, and did not wish them to find it - I then said, "I will show you my pockets myself" - I turned them out, and Bellamy said,"Very well, if you have no money, give me your umbrella," and she took it out of my hand herself - I had a diamond ring on my finger, and Sullivan said I must give that to her - I said I could not get it off my finger; she told me to prove that I could not get it off - I tried, and could not, and she tried, and could not - she then said that I must put my finger into her mouth; I did so, and while I was doing that, Bellamy pushed my arm against the wall, and Sullivan pulled her head away with the ring in her mouth - she had got it off my finger against my will; she took it out of her mouth, and put it on her own finger - Bellamy then said, "Let him go;" she took my umbrella, and went away - Sullivan blew the candle out, took hold of me by the coat, and went away - I went out, and met the witnesses in the next street; I told them what had happened, and they accompanied me to the place - I never saw the prisoners before, but am quite sure they are the women; they were not there when I went back.

Q. What made you go to their room? Did you know your way home? A. I did not know where I was; I went with her, as she promised me a direction home; that was my motive - I thought her a bad woman.

  JOHN TOFFT . I am beadle of St. Giles. On the 16th of December, about a quarter to seven o'clock in the evening, the prosecutor came to me in High-street, and gave me information - I went with him to these women's lodging, in Maynard-street; I was going up to the room, and I met a man at the door, who gave me some information, and we went down High-street, where we met the prisoners together - Ortega said, "Those are the two women who robbed me" - they denied it, but did not deny having seen him; we took them in charge, but found nothing on them - I never went up into the room.

  WILLIAM BELL . I am a beadle, and was with Tofft - the prosecutor said he was certainly with the women.

SULLIVAN's Defence. I never saw him till he came and took hold of this young woman, and then he said, "I don't think this is the girl" - he let her go, took hold of me, and said, "I believe this is one," and we were taken - he went up to Bellamy and said, "If you will tell me who robbed me, I will let you go" - she said she could not tell him, and he said, "I will punish you for it."

BELLAMY's Defence. He took hold of me, then let me go, and took me a second time.

TOFFT re-examined. I was with the prosecutor - he pointed them out six yards before they came up, and had no doubt about them.

SULLIVAN - GUILTY - DEATH . Aged 20.

BELLAMY - GUILTY - DEATH . Aged 15.

Recommended to Mercy .