The Proceedings of the Old Bailey

 

196.   JOHN WELLS was indicted for feloniously stealing on the 8th of January last, in the dwelling house of   Thomas Walter Williams , one inlaid cedar box with silver hinges, value 1 s. and nine pieces of gold coin of this realm, called guineas, value 9 l. 9 s. the goods, chattels and monies of the said Thomas; one bank note No. K 1019, dated the 16th of August, 1782, signed O Griffin, for the Governor and Company of the bank of England, value 10 l. one other bank note, No. K 154, dated the 14th of June, 1782, signed O Griffin, for the Governor and Company of the bank of England, value 20 l. one other bank note, No. B 695, dated the 26th of November, 1782, signed O Griffin for the Governor and Company of the bank of

England, value 20 l. one other bank note, No. B 10, dated the 1st of August, 1782, signed T Ormes, for the Governor and Company of the bank of England, value 100 l. one other bank note, No. B 11, dated the 1st of August, 1782, signed T. Ormes for the Governor and Company of the bank of England, value 100 l. the said bank notes, at the time of committing the felony aforesaid, being the property of the said Thomas, and the several sums of money secured thereby, then due and unsatisfied, against the form of the statute .

  THOMAS WALTER WILLIAMS sworn.

I live in  Manor-street, Chelsea , I have a house there; the prisoner at the bar, was my farther's clerk, about three months, my father and he had some words; I do not know for what, and my father turned him out of his service; and he left me to settle the account with him, and I was not satisfied, and I resolved never to have any thing more to do with him, I quitted him in a manner, by which he must think, I never would see him more: on the 6th of January, on my return from town, I found the prisoner had just entered my house, upon that I was very angry, and desired my servant maid to desire him to depart out of the house, which he did; on Wednesday the 8th Mrs. Williams and I had some business in town, and having occasion for some money, I desired her to take some down out of that box where I used to keep the cash in; it was kept in a closet, joining to the bed chamber under a chest of drawers; the door of the closet was sometimes locked and sometimes not.

Was the prisoner at all conversant in that house? - Certainly, sir, because I had given him encouragement to sleep in that house.

Had he ever had an opportunity to know where you kept the money? - Yes, sir, I believe, he has seen Mrs. Williams pull out some, of her trinkets; she brought down ten guineas, and I took seven and a half, and she kept the remainder; we returned between five or six in the evening, we never missed the box then; the next day the 9th after dinner, Mrs. Williams and I proposed going to the theatre, and we had not money sufficient about us, and she was desired to go for some money; she went up stairs where the box was usually kept, and she had not been gone long before she called to me with some astonishment, and asked me if I knew where the box was, I told her I did not; I went up stairs, alarmed and searched the house all over, and could not find it; I then concluded I must have been robbed, and if so, it must be no common housebreaker, as there was some plate just by on another chest of drawers in the same closet; I took up the two women who were in the house, and carried them to Bow-street, but no magistrate was then attending: I then went to the Bolt and Tun in Fleet-street, supposing that if the prisoner had robbed the house, he would either send the property to Cheltenham, in Glocestershire, from whence as I had been informed by himself, he came, or that he would go there himself; I enquired for the book-keeper whether any person of the name of Wells had been there that day, he found that there was no such name entered there; but when he referred to the book, in which he entered parcels which were sent down to the country, he found there was a parcel entered in the name of Wells, for Cheltenham; upon that, I ordered a chaise immediately, and pursued the prisoner; when we came to Oxford, the Glocester coach had been gone about two hours; I was much agitated, and I there employed one Barton to go after the prisoner, on a single horse; I followed in a post chaise and four; took the prisoner at Whitney, and kept him till I came; there I found the prisoner in custody very dirty with travelling; he was carried before a magistrate and examined, but the property could not than be

identified; I sent a messenger to overtake the coach; one   John Parker , and he brought back a parcel which was opened before the magistrate, and then the proparty being produced, the prisoner was committed; it was a parcel covered with brown paper, and directed for Mr.   John Wells , opposite Mr. Cox's, Cheltenham, Glocestershire, I found the whole of my property there, except four or five guineas.

What property did you lose out of the house? - I lost 250 l. in bank notes, and I I should suppose from the negociation of money which I had had occasion for, nine or ten guineas in gold; and the box in which they were.

Court. What numbers of bills? - Two notes for 100 l. payable to myself, I had them made out at the Bank myself, I can speak to one of the other Bank bills.

Court. Did you take down the numbers? Not before they were produced before the justice, but I knew the day of the month, I can swear positively to the days, and to whom they were made payable, I looked at the date at the Bank when I had them, it was the first August, 1782; I changed a 1000 l. note for these 100 l. notes; I had more notes for 100 l. the same day, but I cannot be sure how many, as I have negotiated a great deal of money in the last year, I changed one 100 l. note in Chelsea, and had a 50 l. and other notes in change, one of which was a 20 l. note, which was torn in half; the other notes of 20 l. and 10 l. I cannot swear to.

Are you sure at the time that the box was stolen that you had notes in it, to the amount of 250 l? - Yes, the Cedar box is in court.

(The bank notes produced.)

Court. What wages had the prisoner from your father? - Twenty guineas a year besides board and lodging.

Court. Was there much money coming on the settling of the account? - I believe there was about 2 l. 16 s. coming.

  ELIZABETH TILCOCK sworn.

I know the prisoner, I was servant to the prosecutor in January last; I sent for the prisoner, we had a hare brought out of the country, I sold the hareskin for 2 d. and I put three halfpence more to it, and I said to Mrs. Ward we will send for Mr. Wells, if it is agreeable to you; my master and mistress were not at home; on the Friday after they were gone after their property, I found the box behind the door going up the stairs to the two pair of stairs room; there was an etwee case and locket, and a pair of silver buckles, and some bills, that were of no account.

(The box shewn to this witness.)

That is the box I found.

(The box deposed to by Mr. Williams.)

Court. Did you know that your master or his father had quarreled with this prisoner? - Yes.

How came you to send for the prisoner then? - I did not know that my master had forbid him the house.

Were you in the house when the prisoner came in? - Yes.

And when he went out? - Yes, the prisoner went out to fetch the clothes in, that was up one pair of stairs; he took a basket of clothes, and brought them down by himself and came up directly, he was not gone above a minute; I found that basket of clothes afterwards in the kitchen.

How often did he go up and down? - Only once by himself.

How often did you go up and down? - Only once.

Where was this box? - In a closet adjoining to the landing place.

Is it near the door that goes into the garden? - It is one pair of stairs higher, the kitchen is underground.

You all went down together the second time? - Yes.

Did he go out of the kitchen at all afterwards? - Only when he went out of the house, and I never saw him from that time to this.

You are are sure that from the time you all came down together, he never went out of the kitchen till he went out of the house? - No, Sir, he did not.

Prisoner to Tilcock. Who brought the box to me? -   William Jordan told me he brought it to the prisoner.

Court to Mr. Williams. Upon your oath have you or not sent Jordan out of the way? - He is gone into the country, where I know not; the prisoner charged Jordan, and he declaring his innocence fully, when I carried him to Bow-street, the magistrate would not commit him.

  EDWARD HARRIS sworn.

Was that parcel booked to go by the Glocester stage? - Yes.

Produce your book. - It is valued at 5 l. 5 s. it is dated the 9th of January.

Look at the direction on the parcel? - To Mr.   John Wells , opposite Mr. Cox's, Cheltenham, Glocestershire.

Who entered that parcel at your warehouse? - I do not remember the person of the man.

  JOHN BARTON sworn.

I am a housekeeper at the Mitre inn, recollect the prisoner, I saw him at the 10th of January, he challanged by name, and asked me to drink a glass of wine, and said he wanted to catch the coach at Frog-hall as he had a parcel in the coach of great consequence to him if he did not overtake it; he said, I wish you would go and assist the hostler, I did so: he had not been gone long from the door, before Mr. and Mrs. Williams arrived in a post chaise, and enquired after the prisoner, and Mr. Williams offered me five guineas to go after him on horseback, which I did, and I overtook him at Whitney, and kept him in custody till Mr. Williams came.

  JOHN PARKER sworn.

I overtook the coach, but I would not stop it it came to the inn, and I took a out of the coach; that is the paper, there is my own seal on it, I brought it back to Whitney.

Did you see the book taken out, a little pocket back of bank notes? - I cannot say I did.

Court to Mr. Williams. You took it out yourself? - Yes, Sir, I did.

The Remainder of this Trial in the Fourth Part, which will be published in a few Days.

 

HODGSON's SHORT-HAND TREATISE, Price 2 s. 6 d. with an Explanatory Copper-plate, to be had of J. WALMSLAY, and S. BLADON.

Trials at Law, &c. taken with great Accuracy by E. HODGSON, Writer of these PROCEEDINGS, No. 35, Chancery-lane.

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PRISONER's DEFENCE.

Mrs. Williams sent for me by Mr.   John Please from the Chambers, No. 5, Clement's Inn, for me to come over by all means in the world to she; and in the morning before Mrs. Williams was up, the servant girl came up and told me to come to her mistress directly, which I did; when I went down we talked a good while, there had been some difference between Mr. Williams's mother and Mrs. Williams, and Mrs. Williams said, says she, I have a great deal of property (she had shewed it me before) says she, Mr. Williams shall never have my property, he is a dirty scoundrel, and has used me very ill; says she, you and I will be sure to take care of the property, I said it will be a very good way; she mentioned going along with me, and it was agreed upon; Mrs. Ward came up stairs, and we talked about the difference, says Mrs. Williams, I will take care of it as soon as I am up: when Mrs. Ward was coming up stairs, she thought it was Mr. Williams, for Mr. Williams was jealous of me, that was what his first cousin told me, and he ordered me out of the house, I saw her no more; I mentioned it to the servant girl.

Court to Prisoner. What day was this? I cannot say what day it was, I cannot mention the day. On the 8th of January they sent for me from the White Horse to come there, they asked me to help them in with their clothes, we drank three pots of beer and I went up the area steps to the White Horse again; from there I proceeded to the Three Crowns at Chelsea; there I stopped, and was there till about four that afternoon; I had been there some time, and Jordan came to me, and brought this property to me in a pocket book; says he, Wells I have so and so, says he, you must take care of it; I said, you had better send it yourself; says he, neither I nor Mrs. Williams can read or write, and he said, you had better direct it, and they will have it all one.

Court to Tillcock. You have heard what the prisoner has said, do you remember any time when the prisoner slept at your house? I cannot say when he did sleep there.

Was you directed any morning when he did sleep there to call him to your mistress?

I was ordered to tell him to come up into my mistress's bed chamber, but I cannot say the day.

How long was it before the clothes were taken in out of the garden? - I cannot tell.

Can you tell whether it was a week or more, or less? - I believe it was more than a fortnight.

Court to Tillcock. Did your master and mistress live together on good terms? - Yes, Sir.

Mrs. WILLIAMS sworn.

Court. Remember you are upon your oath, therefore whatever may be the consequence, or however disagreeable to yourself, you are bound to tell the whole truth: you have heard the story which the prisoner has said, is it a true one? - No, my Lord; it is all false except my sending for him into the bed chamber, which I will tell you: Mr. Williams's mother and I had had a few words, as the prisoner at the bar says, and in my laying in I sent for him; I sent Mr. Please which was in my house to the chambers to know whether Wells had heard that Mr. Williams's mother was there to persuade him any thing about me, he came on the over night to our house, on the morrow morning I sent my servant to tell him, to come into my bedchamber, to tell me what had been said, which the nurse was there and heard every word; he told me my husband had agreed to run away with all my property, and that his mother had persuaded him to do it; which I found to be very false; enquiring of Mr. Please, which I sent to this Mr. Wells, to know what had been said, he informed me that she had said every thing that was bad of me; and that he would not live with me; and being confined to my bed-chamber at that time, we had a few words about it; I was afraid it was true.

Court. What passed more between you and the prisoner? - Nothing more.

Did you shew him any part of your property? - I was not able to get out of my bed.

Was any of your property ever produced to him? - None of my property was ever touched.

Did you propose ever going off with the prisoner? - Never said any such thing, never in my life; how could I propose such a thing.

Court. Do not reason, but remember, you are upon your oath; Did any of that conversation, ever pass between you and the prisoner? - None at all my Lord.

Court. Did you in any way deliver this box, or property, either to the prisoner, or to this other man, whose name is Jordan, or to any other person? - Never.

Did the prisoner ever see where your property was? - He has, Mr. Williams sent one of my servants to me for a guinea, five weeks before I was brought to bed; we were putting up a bed; I was very big; I sent my servant to get this little small box out, the servant brought the box to me, that was the time he saw the box.

Court. Is the nurse here? - No, I did not think it necessary to bring her.

Prisoner to Mrs. Williams. You took out your rings and shewed me, and gave me a pair of sleeve buttons at the same time.

Mrs. Williams. I took out a pair of buttons, of silver, glass buttons, and said I have three pair up stairs, and I will give you a pair; I took out a pair before Tillcock, and said I will give them to you.

Prisoner. Madam, you pulled out the rings, as you and I sat down on the bed together?

Prisoner. My Lord, I am destitute of a friend here, my friends are at Cheltenham, which is the way I know that lady there that stands at the bar.

Mrs. Williams to Prisoner. And I gave you the best of characters to Mr. Williams, or else he would never have hired you.

Prisoner. You never had any other occasion, madam.

Mrs. Williams to Prisoner. No, that I had not.

Prisoner. She gave the girl a pair of pearl ear-rings, that was the time she shewed me the whole property, she shewed me diamond rings out of the box.

NOT GUILTY .

Tried by the second Middlesex Jury before Mr. Justice BULLER.

 

HODGSON's SHORT-HAND TREATISE, Price 2 s. 6 d. with an Explanatory Copper-plate, to be had of J. WALMSLAY, and S. BLADON.

Trials at Law, &c. taken with great Accuracy by E. HODGSON, Writer of these PROCEEDINGS, No. 35, Chancery-lane.

N. B. SHORT-HAND taught on an improved Plan.