The Proceedings of the Old Bailey

 

262.   JOHN PARKER and   GEORGE MULLINS were indicted for stealing, on the 2d of February, twenty-seven sacks of coals, value 50 s. the property of   John Townsend and   William Rendeau .

  WILLIAM RENDEAU sworn.

I only know the prisoners at the bar were employed by me and my partner to carry coals to Messrs. Pycroft and Co. on the 2d of February.

  THOMAS DAWSON sworn.

I am clerk to Messrs. Townsend and Rendeau; I received orders to send ten chaldron of coals to Messrs. Pycroft and Co. Whitechapel, sugar refiners; I sent five chaldron of coals; they were sent in two waggons, and a cart; the tickets were marked No. 1, 2, 3; and in the afternoon I sent the other five chaldron; the tickets were marked 4, 5, 6;   John Parker came home at seven in the evening, with his empty carriage.

A WITNESS sworn.

I am clerk to Messrs. Pycroft and Co. the prisoner Mullins put a paper in at the compting-house window; I was in the compting-house at the same time; when I took it up there were two tickets; after that Mullins delivered eighteen sacks of coals; I thought the twenty-seven sacks of

coals of the ticket No. 6 was to follow him directly; I waited in the compting-house till a quarter before six; and then shut the compting-house.

  John Parker . Did not I deliver my own ticket? - No, you did not; when I went out of the yard the gate was shut, therefore Parker never delivered his twenty-seven sacks of coals.

  SAMUEL ILLS sworn.

I live at Pycroft's and Co. I am boiler there; we had some coals in the afternoon, on the 2d of February, there came a waggon and cart with two chaldron; that was all that came in the afternoon; there came no more coals that afternoon; I left work at six o'clock.

Prisoner. How many coals were brought that afternoon? - There was no more than one waggon, and one cart.

  HENRY PYNE sworn.

On the 2d of this month I was housekeeper to Messrs. Pycroft and Co. from three o'clock till ten; I only saw one waggon and one cart.

Prosecutor. I was going up Broad-street Buildings; I saw Parker, and I seized him directly, and expostulated with him, and begged him to inform me what he had done with the twenty-seven sacks of coals; he persisted he knew nothing of it; on Monday I apprehended him, and took him before the Justice; and on Tuesday morning he signed the confession; I told Parker that I thought his life would be in great danger if he did not give a full discovery what he had done with the coals.

PRISONER PARKER'S DEFENCE.

I took a load of coals the next morning to the same place, none of these persons saw me; and one of the men asked me, if I had delivered my ticket, I told him, yes.

PRISONER MULLINS'S DEFENCE.

I was trusted with eighteen sacks of coals which I delivered, and the ticket; I never saw   Parker that day, nor the next, nor till I was taken up.

  THOMAS NASH sworn.

I know the prisoner Mullins ever since he has been in London; he lived with Mr. Winnells upwards of three years; he left us on account of Winnells quitting business; we had a very good character from the churchwardens of the place where he came from.

Jury, to   Thomas Dawson . When you delivered the tickets No. 5 and 6, did you deliver them together or separate? - I delivered No. 5, containing eighteen sacks to Mullins, and No. 6, to   John Parker , containing twenty-seven sacks.

Mr. Rendeau.   George Mullins has been employed by us between two and three years; I have every reason in the world to believe he was a very sober, diligent, honest man; he has been made a dupe of by the other, by being persuaded to deliver the two tickets No. 5 and 6 together; he delivered his own cargo of coals very honestly and justly.

The prisoner Parker called one witness to his character.

  JOHN PARKER , GUILTY .

Whipped .

  GEORGE MULLINS , NOT GUILTY .

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