The Proceedings of the Old Bailey

 

1506.   WILLIAM FACEY was again indicted for stealing, on the 15th of October , sixteen half-crowns; forty shillings, and forty sixpences, the monies of   Philip Humphreys , in his dwelling-house .

  PHILIP HUMPHREYS . I am a pawnbroker , and live at  Isleworth . On the 15th of October, I had some silver in my shop, about ten o'clock that morning; I had brought it from down stairs. There was 5 l. or 6 l. or more - I cannot tell the exact amount; there were half-crowns, shillings, and sixpences. In about half an hour I went to the till, and found the whole of it gone - it was in a small box. I had not seen the prisoner in the shop. I am certain there was above four half-crowns. There was no lid to the box.

  JOHN FISHER . On the 15th of October; Humphreys came to me - about half an hour before that, (about ten o'clock) I had seen the prisoner come out of the shop with something in his hand - I cannot tell what it was; he was carrying it openly. It seemed to be covered with something white. I knew him before.

  THOMAS LAMBERT . I live at Brentford. On the 15th of October, the prisoner came into my brother's shop, at Brentford, about twelve o'clock, and bought a pair of shoes - he paid 11 s. 6 d. for them in silver, and had more silver in his hand, counting it; there was not 1 l. worth.

  WILLIAM BRABY . I live at Brentford. On the 15th of October, between eleven and twelve o'clock, the prisoner came to my shop, and asked for a pair of breeches, which he paid me 13 s. for - he went out, and returned in about twenty minutes, and bought a blue jacket, some pearl buttons, and stockings, which came to 2 l. 2 s. 4 d.; he paid my mistress all in silver - there were two half-crowns, and the rest in shillings and sixpences. Her shop is a mile and a half from Humphreys'.

  ROBERT BALMAINE . I live at Twickenham. On the morning of the 15th of October, I was near Humphreys' house a little after ten o'clock, and saw the prisoner come out of his shop with something in his hands, covered up. I was about ten yards behind him, and said nothing to him. He went towards Brentford.

  CHRISTOPHER CAMPBELL . I live at Isleworth. On the 15th of October, about a quarter past ten o'clock, I saw the prisoner there passing my shop near the fields; he walked by very quick; I saw nobody with him. Mr. Humphreys' daughter came to me in about an hour, and in consequence of what she said, I went after him, and took him at Brentford between twelve and one o'clock, with the clothes under his arm. I said,

"Have you been through Isleworth?" He said,

"Yes." I asked if he called at Mr. Humphreys'; he said,

"No." I took him.

  THOMAS WEBB . I am a constable. I have the clothes; I found only 1 s. on him.

  THOMAS WISE . I live at Twickenham. I was going to Brentford with the prisoner; and in going through Isleworth, he went into Humphreys', and said he was going in there to pawn a pair of stockings, to get a pot of beer, and asked me to wait for him, which I did, about twenty yards from the door. I did not see him come out, but after he came out I saw him with a pair of white stockings in his hands; I cannot say whether he had any thing under them; he walked on about twenty yards, then told me to walk on and he would overtake me, which I did, and he overtook me in Zion-fields, where I met a friend, and there we separated. I overtook him again at Brentford Bridge. I saw no money with him.

  MARY WESTON . I live at Isleworth. I was going to Brentford market with a woman; the prisoner passed me; the woman said, that was one of the Twickenham swells; he turned round and spoke to her, and said he was going to a badger baiting. He was taken between the prosecutor's house and Brentford; when he got a little farther, I saw four small pieces of wood in his hand, of a pale brown colour, rather longer than his hand.

  SOPHIA WHITE . I live at Isleworth. I found the box in Mr. Stanbury's barn, just by Isleworth church, between four and five o'clock in the afternoon of the 15th of October. Webb has it.

  THOMAS WEBB . I produce the box; it is broken in four pieces.

  MARY WESTON . It is of the same colour and size as the pieces of wood he had when I saw him near the church-yard.

  PHILIP HUMPHREYS . This is the wood which formed the box. I did not see the prisoner in the shop; it had been left a short time without any body in it. I cannot recollect how many of each coin there was.

Prisoner's Defence. I had saved up 3 l. 9 s. to buy clothes, and swore I would not spend a halfpenny of it except for clothes. I wanted to pawn the stockings, to make up 3 l. 10 s. I called out in the shop - nobody answered, and I came out. Most of my money was in half-crowns.

  THOMAS WEBB . He told me he sold a bull-dog to one Smith of Richmond, for 16 s., by which he got the silver; and that Kirby of Brentford paid him 1 l. I found he had sold a dog in the Spring.

GUILTY. Aged 19.

Of stealing to the value of 39 s. only .

Transported for Seven Years .

First Middlesex Jury, before Mr. Justice Bailey.