The Proceedings of the Old Bailey

 

275.   LUCY WARD otherwise WOOD was indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 3d day of April last, four guineas, and one half guinea, the goods, chattles, and monies of   John Lodge , privily from his person .

  JOHN LODGE sworn.

As I was going home, on the 3d of April at night, the prisoner met me in East Smithfield, it was between ten and eleven; she asked me to go to her house, I went with her, and there was another woman in the room, and she went out directly; then the prisoner called her, and gave her some money to fetch some gin, while she was gone for gin, I felt the money in my right hand-breeches pocket; I had four guineas and an half, I am sure of that, and I had 4 s. 6 d. in my left hand pocket which was left.

Court. Were you quite sober? - As sober as I am this minute; then the woman came back with the gin, and we drank it between us three, after we had drank it, we went to bed together, she and I did; the other went out of the room directly, as soon as we had drank the gin; then we come down stairs together, I went to go out of the passage, and the door was locked, I was not half an hour with her in all, and she went away directly, says she, I will go and fetch the key, and I put my hand in my pocket, and missed my money, and immediately ran after her, but she went into some corner or another, I could not find her, then I returned to the house, and the other woman, that was in the room whose name is   Elizabeth Bennet , desired to know what the prisoner had done to me, I told her, she had robbed me of four guineas and a half, then we went down to see for the prisoner, and I charged the watch with   Elizabeth Bennet , and the next evening she told where the prisoner could be found.

Court. Was the other woman searched? Yes, Sir, we searched the bed where we was on, and nothing was found upon that woman, one of Mr. Green's runners was with me.

How long was that after? - Not five minutes.

Had you your cloaths on or off? - On.

Where had you sat in the room, while

you was drinking the gin? - In the room by the bed, the other woman stood up and emptied it out, and never was in the room while I came in only to bring the gin.

Did you search the bed thoroughly? - Yes.

Examine every thing? - Examined every thing all round the room.

The money could easily have dropped from your pocket in the situation you was? - If it had fell out, I should have found it on the bed.

That is another matter, but you was in such a situation, that it might easily have fallen out? - I do not think it could have fallen out of my pocket.

Do not you? - No, I think it could not.

What did you search the bed for then? To be at a certainty.

Why certainly might not it very easily have fallen out of your pocket? - My pocket is very deep, I do not think it could very easily have fallen out.

Was not your breeches unbuttoned, Sir? Yes.

When did you find the prisoner? - On the Friday night, and she had some silver in her pocket, but she had new things on; she gave the man half-a-crown to speak to the Justice for her, she had new shoes on; she said, she was in the room with me, but she never had any of the money.

PRISONER's DEFENCE.

I met the man, and he had like to have stumbled up against me; says I, master, do not stumble over me; he said, where are you going, can I go with you, he went with me, and I went into the young woman's room, that was on the same floor with me, and he gave her sixpence to get a quartern of gin, I said, I am a misfortunate woman, what are you going to do says he, I do not want to do any thing; he stretched himself out backwards upon the bed; says he, I want to sleep with you all night, says I, I have let my bed out all night; says he, I will go with you, and pay for a bed; we came down stairs, there was some music, some organ, and a parcel of young girls, he went into the room among them, several of them come, and twisted their hands round him: Indeed, Sir, I have nobody in the world in London; my father and mother live in Tunbridge in Kent; so please God Almighty, that created me in the Kingdom of Heaven to bless you.

Court. Is this true of this dancing? - I heard music, but it was not in the same house.

NOT GUILTY .

Tried by the first Middlesex Jury before Mr. RECORDER.