The Proceedings of the Old Bailey

 

827.   WILLIAM JOHNSON was indicted for a misdemeanor.

HON. MR. SCARLETT Conducted the Prosecution.

  JOHN GOODWIN . My father-in-law keeps the Blue Anchor, St. Mary-at-hill—the prisoner came there on the 9th of February, and had a pint of beer—he gave me a five-shilling piece—I gave him 4s. 10 1/2d.—I put the crown into the till—there was no other crown there—in about a minute I saw it was bad—I marked it, and put it at the back of the till, that I might know it again—I afterwards gave it to the officer—the prisoner came again on the Friday following, which was the 12th—he asked for a pint of beer. I gave it him, and he then gave me a half-crown—I saw it was bad, and I said to him, "You are the man who gave me a bad crown on Tuesday"—the half-crown was taken up by a person who was there, and bit in two—I gave the prisoner in charge, and gave the crown and the half-crown to the officer.

Prisoner. I went there on the 12th, and gave him a half-crown—he shyed it in the till—he then took it up and said, "I don't like it"—six or eight gentleman stood larking there, and one of them took the half-crown

in his hand and said it was a good one, and then he Chucked it into the till again—I never gave him the crown on the 9th—I gave him 1 1/2d.—I drank the beer at one draught. Witness. I am certain he gave me a crown-piece the first time, and I never left the bar till I opened the till again, and found it was bad—the half-crown was never out of my sight—I am sure that on the 9th of February he did not pay me 1 1/2d.

Prisoner. I was taken to Giltspur-street, and a man who was there asked me what I was there for—I said, "A bad half-crown"—he asked from what house—I told him, and he said, "What a curious thing! how people swear men's lives away innocently! for I have had my regulars from the same house; I am the man that passed the crown"—I told these words to the officer, and he told me to have two or three witnesses of this man acknowledging to the crown piece. Witness. I am satisfied the prisoner is the man who gave me the crown—I had been there only seven days when he came.

HON. MR. SCARLETT. Q. Did you take a particular observation of this man? A. I did; I am quite positive that if he had remained some time in the house I must have noticed it—I observed to the people there, that the man who had gone out had given me a bad crown piece—I should think he did not remain more than a minute—it might be two minutes—he gave me a crown, and there was no other in till—I marked it, and put it at the back part—I bad noticed him so that I knew him again.

  JOHN WOODWARD . I am a fishmonger, and live at No. 4, Love-lane. I was at the prosecutor's on the Friday, when the prisoner came and called for a pint of beer: he threw down a half-crown piece, and Mr. Goodwin asked me whether it was a good one—I said, "Give it to me and I will try it," and I bit a piece out of it—Mr. Goodwin said, "You are the man who came last Tuesday? I remember you;" and he called to Mrs. Goodwin and said, "What time was it when you went out?" she said "About four o'clock"—I believe she had taken the crown piece with her, not knowing it was bad.

  SUSAN GOODWIN . Mr. Woodward brought me the key of my husband's cash box—I opened it and took out a crown piece, wrapped in a piece of paper, and gave it to Woodward—I am sure I did not part it with any one else—on the Tuesday, the day this money was received, I went to Bland-street, in the Borough, to give an order for some goods—it was just twilight, and I rode over to Dover-street—I then wanted a little bit of print, and I went into a respectable house, and purchased a bit of the value of 5s. 6d.—on taking my money out I gave a five-shilling piece and a sixpence, and the man took it to the cashier—he came back and said he was very sorry to say it was a bad five-shilling piece—I ha taken that crown from a little back part of our till previous to my going out—I stood at the counter in the shop while the man took the crown piece to the cashier, who was in the centre of the shop—I was not observing him particularly.

COURT. Q. Suppose he had had half-a-dozen crowns might he not have changed it? A. Yes.

HON. MR. SCARLETT. Q. Where did you put the crown piece again? A. Into my pocket till I got home—I then gave it to Mr. Goodwin, he looked at it and said, "This is the one"—I had taken it out of the till after ten, between the lights, between five and six o'clock.

  JOHN GOODWIN re-examined. Q. Did you make any mark on the crown? A. Yes; on the centre, with the point of a broken pen-knife,

Which I pot in and turned round—my wife gave me this crown piece again when she came back, and found fault with me for taking bad money—I can swear it is the same.

  JOHN WOODWARD . re-examined. Q. Did you go to Mrs. Goodwin with the key of the cash-box? A. Yes; I took the key to her—she opened the till and drew out the cash--box, and took the crown-piece cut wrapped in a bit of newspaper.

  JOHN STARLING . I took the prisoner into custody—I received this half-crown piece from Mr. Goodwin at the time and at the Mansion-house I received this crown.

Prisoner. You told me that Mrs. Goodwin was detained when she took the crown. Witness. Certainly not; I said she had been accused of offering this identical crown.

  JOHN GOODWIN (re-examined.) I can undertake to swear positively that this is the same crown—I marked it with a pen-knife, and turned the point round.

  JOHN FIELD . I am inspector of coin to the Mint—these are both cousterfeit, and the same kind of metal.

Prisoner's Defence. The crown I know nothing of—the half-crown a gentleman took in his hand and said he would give change for it.

GUILTY . Aged 33.— Confined One Year.