The Proceedings of the Old Bailey

 

435. (1st. M.)   EDWARD BARRY was indicted for that he on the king's high-way, on   Sarah Ingram , did make an assault, putting her in corporal fear and danger of her life, and steal-from her person one linen apron, value 1 d. one earthen dish, value 1 d. and 4 s. 6 d. in money, numbered, her property , May 30 . *

  Sarah Ingram . I am almost fourteen years old.

Q. Do you know the nature of an oath? what will become of you if you take a false oath, is it a good or a wicked thing.

Ingram. A wicked thing. I was going along in  Bow lane, near Bromley , last Saturday about five o'clock; I was walking on one side of the way, and the prisoner on the other side. He said, my dear, I have not seen you a long time; I thought I knew him at first, afterwards I found I did not; then he said again it is a long time since I saw you; I said, sir, I do not come home but once a week, I live at my master's.

Q. Where is your home?

Ingram. My parents live in Robinhood lane. He asked me to come over the hedge into the field, I did not go over; he said he would give me six-pence; I said I did not want any of his money, I wanted to go home to my grand-mother; then he said he would give me a shilling; I said I did not want his shilling, I must go home to my grandmother; he got over the hedge and stooped down, he saw me run away, and ran after me.

Q. You was in the lane?

Ingram. Yes; when he overtook me there was a boy came, and said run along my

girl, do not talk to that man; I ran away as hard as I could; when the boy was gone out of sight, he came up to me again, and said, I have a knife, I have a knife; then there were three more gentlemen came along, and they asked what the man was going to do to me, but I was so bad I could not speak to them, they talked to the man; when the gentlemen were gone he run to me, and took away a little plate, a little apron that I worked in, and a bit of a white handkerchief that had 4 s. 6 d. wrapped up in it.

Q. What was the dish?

Ingram. A penny earthen dish; I then run over the field, and saw one   William Smith in a field of Mr. Murphy's doing something to the grass; I called to him and said, for God's sake help me, I have lost my things, I am afraid I shall lose my life; he went down to the gate; the prisoner had run away, and he and another man run after him as hard as they could.   John Hill took him.

  William Smith . I was at work for Mr. Murphy; I am a labouring man; the girl cried out to me, and said she had been robbed; she said she had lost 4 s. 6 d. I asked which way the man was gone? she said along Bow lane; I went after him immediately; as I was going along, I met a gentleman that had the apron and dish, he had called to the girl, but she was afraid to go back; the gentleman said a man gave them to him, and said if they were owned, to give them to the owner; if not, he might keep them; he gave me a description of the man, and I went after him; just before I got into Bromley, I saw a man at work, and called for assistance, and we ran after him; when I came into Bromley, a man had stopped him, but let him go; I went after him, and secured him; I called the girl, and she said that was the man. When I stopped him, I asked him if he had any money; he said he had not; he put a shilling out of his pocket on the ground, and tried to cover it; a little girl stooping to buckle her shoe, saw it; he had three shillings more in his pocket; we found the rag on him; the girl knew it, because she had sewed a seam in the middle of it; he said, did I rob you, my girl? she said, you know you did.

  Michael Richards . I am a gardener; I work for Mr. Coe; the last witness came to me, and said a poor girl had been robbed in the road, and asked if I saw a man go by? I said I did; I went, by his description, after the man; I was present when he was taken; I put my right hand on his shoulder, and I saw the shilling drop; afterwards I saw the three shillings, the coarse apron, dish and rag; ( produced and deposed to.)

Prisoner's Defence.

I met this girl on the road and three young men with her; they asked me to give her five shillings; I said I did not know the girl at all, I will not give her any money; I know nothing of her; then they asked me to give her a shilling, I had but three shillings in my pocket, God Almighty knows; I did not do any thing to her, no more than the child unborn; I did not see the handkerchief at all.

- Smith. It was taken out of his pocket.

Q. to the Prisoner. How came you by the four shillings and six-pence.

Prisoner. I work in the callico-ground for five shillings a week; I had six-pence on the Wednesday night to buy some victuals, so I had but four shillings and sixpence to receive.

Guilty . Death .