The Proceedings of the Old Bailey

 

402. (L.)   William Baldwin , was indicted for stealing one silver candlestic, val. 5 s. and one pint earthen mug , the goods of   Hutcherson Mure , April 19 . ++

  Thomas Hunt . I am servant to Mr. Mure, he lives in  Pork-lane . On the 19th of April about 9 o'clock in the evening, the prisoner was in our yard; I asked him what he wanted there; he said to see a Ammab we had there, called a Racoon, I turned him out; the next morning, which was Saturday, we missed a silver candlestick; on the Monday morning following, I carried the fellow candlestic to get one made by it. The second time going to the silversmith, he told me his brother had read an Advertisement of a candlestic, which had a crest, which answered to that I lost. I went and read the paper myself, and found it the same; seeing the man described at the bottom, and where the candlestic was lodg'd, I carried the other there; it answered exactly; it was at the sign of the Wallnut-tree, in Wallnut-tree Court, without Bishopsgate; the man's name that keeps it is Watson. The prisoner was sent to the Compter. We took him before the alderman.

Q. Did you ever see the prisoner before that time you say he was in your yard?

Hunt. I never saw him in the yard before that time; he used to sit near our house to beg (he is a cripple) I have seen him at the door before, and relieved him.

  Philip Harrison . On Friday the 19th of April, between nine and ten o'clock in the evening, the prisoner came along blasting his eyes and limbs, laying he would fight any coachman in the rank. He challeng'd me (I was at the corner of Walnut-tree-yard, Bishop's gate) I got down seeing him lame and desired him to go along about his business; then he swore he would fight a woman there for a pint, or half a pint of gin. As he was going over a kennel I saw this silver candlestick fall from under his left arm, I took hold on it, then he swore, he would swear a robbery against me for taking it away. I thought he could not come by such a thing honestly, so I led him into Mr. Watson's house, sent for a constable and charged him with the prisoner. I was charged to aid and assist. Under the table there he drop'd this white stone pint mug. It was produced in court.

Q. Did he say how he came by the candlestick ?

Harrison. He said, he bought it of an old cloaths woman for sixpence, which was all he had in the world.

Mr. Watson. I live in Walnut-tree-yard, Bishop's-gate street : The candlestick was deliver'd into my hands by   Philip Harrison to take care of, upon suspicion of being stolen by the prisoner, who was brought into my house.

Prisoner's defence.

I was begging at the gentleman's gate, there was a coachman came, he and I were looking at the creature in the yard; said the coachman, you are almost drunk, I would have you get home ; so I will, said I, and went out at the door. He said, stay hopp, (I being a lame man) fetch me a pint of beer and change for sixpence; it was the coachman that drives the gentleman's sister; I fetched the beer, and went home directly. About 9 o'clock I saw an old basket woman by the church, she ask'd me to buy the candlestick; said I, what do you ask for it? said she, sixpence; I bid her a groat; she said, you are a poor man, take it for a groat, so I took it and paid her. Coming on my way I fell down in Bishop's-gate-street, said the witness, what have you got in your hand? Said I, it is a pewter candlestick; he threw me down and took it out of my hand, so I was sent to the Compter.

Guilty .

[Branding. See summary.]

[Imprisonment. See summary.]