The Proceedings of the Old Bailey

 

398.   MARY ANDERSON (42) and   DORCAS HEARN (14) were indicted for unlawfully uttering counterfeit coin.

MESSRS. BODKIN and SCOBELL conducted the Prosecution.

  SAMUEL ING . I keep the Green Man public house, at Wemley. On 22d Feb., the prisoners came together—Anderson ordered some beer, and they went into the tap room together and had some beer and other refreshment, which came to 8d.—Anderson paid me a 2s. piece, and I gave her 1s. 4d. change—Hearn went away first.

Cross-examined by MR. KENNEDY. Q. Had you ever seen either of them before? A. No; I do not know who Anderson is—there were five or six people in my tap room—Anderson had brushes and bowls and clothes lines with her—I was not in the tap room all the time—one man bought a bowl and some clothes line of her—he gave her 2s.—they were there from half past 12 till about 4 o'clock—Hearn left about half an hour before—I do not know whether Anderson sold any other things—I was only in there occasionally—there might be six or eight customers come in from time to time—I found that the money Anderson gave me was bad directly she went away—this is the first time I have mentioned that—I put the money I received from her into my pocket—I had some shillings there, but nothing else—it is nearly a mile and three-quarters from my house to the Mitre.

MR. BODKIN. Q. How was it you did not mention this before the Magistrate? A. Because I was merely called to identify the prisoners as having been at my house—they passed money at other places, and as my time was precious I did not wish to be a witness—I threw away the 2s. piece that she gave me.

  MARY SUMPTON . My husband lives at Harrow, and keeps a public home. On 22d Feb., Anderson came, about 6 o'clock in the evening—she called for half a pint of warm beer; I served her—she stopped about a quarter of an hour, and then came to the bar and paid me a bad shilling—I gave her two 4d. pieces and 3d. in halfpence—I put the shilling in the till, where I had no other shilling—she went away—I found, about ten minutes afterwards, that the shilling was bad—I marked it, and gave it to the policeman about 8 o'clock the same evening.

  SARAH SHARPE . I am the wife of John Sharpe, who keeps a shop at Sudbury. Anderson came to my shop on 22d Feb., between 6 and 7 o'clock in the evening—she bought some things, which came to 1s. 3 3/4 d.—she gave me one shilling, and the rest in halfpence—I put the shilling into the till, when I had only two sixpences beside—she afterwards purchased of me two rashers of bacon, which came to 7 1/4 d.—she gave me another shilling, which I noticed being bad—I told her so, and she said, "I don't believe it is a bad one; I believe it is a very good one; I wish I had a sack full of them"—she afterwards paid me with other money—Mr. Bigley came in while Anderson was there—I had to pay him some money, and after Anderson had gone I took the shilling out of the till to pay him—I laid down the shilling, and he said it was bad—it was the shilling that Anderson gave me; I marked it, and gave it to the policeman.

Cross-examined. Q. How long before had you looked in the till? A. I cannot say; I looked in it when I opened it to give her the money, and there was no other shilling in it—Anderson came into my shop about three weeks before, hawking goods.

  JAMES WHITE (Policeman, T 164). On 22d Feb., I went to Mrs. Sharpe, and she gave me a counterfeit shilling—I got into a cart, and went on to the

Swan public house at Sudbury; I then walked on about 100 yards, and overtook the prisoners going towards London; they were in company, and walking and talking—I told Anderson I believed she was the person who had passed a bad shilling at Mrs. Sharpens shop—she said, "If I have it is more than I know; I will go back with you"—I took both the prisoners into custody, and called a young man to assist me—after they had come some distance I heard a sound as of money; it proceeded from Hearn—it fell from her—I called to the young man to look out—he was walking behind, and as the prisoners moved on I saw five counterfeit shillings and two pieces of rag lying by the side of them; the shillings were spread out as if they had fallen from the rag—I desired the young man to put them in his pocket, and he did so—after I had gone a little further I saw Anderson raise her hand to her mouth, and put in something—I heard something jink, and told her to spit it out; she said nothing, but kept her teeth closed—I pot my finger in her mouth, and felt the edge of a coin between her teeth—I asked her to spit it out—she was very violent, and threw herself down—I did not succeed in getting anything out of her month; I believe she swallowed it—she said afterwards, "It is no use; it is gone"—she was very violent; I called another constable, and was obliged to tie her hands—I got them both to the station.

Cross-examined. Q. Was it very dark? A. No, it was moonlight—the prisoners were walking when I came near them—Greenhill was with me—Iwalked between the prisoners, holding each by one arm—no communication took place between them to my knowledge while I was walking between them—I had not such a firm hold of their arms as to prevent their using them; I held their arms between the elbow and the shoulder; they could make use of their arms and their hands too—Anderson raised her right hand to her mouth while I had hold of her right arm—she had not used her hand before that time, to my knowledge—I had Hearn by the left arm—Greenhill was close behind, within about two yards—I loosed Hearn to take hold of Anderson—I put my arm round her neck and took hold of her jaw—I put my finger in her month; I felt her teeth and a shilling—she bit me a little, and I took my finger out; she did not hnrt me much—I felt the milled edge of a coin between her teeth—I had not the opportunity to pull it out, she kept her teeth closed—I saw her make a motion like swallowing several times—when I took her to the station, I told the sergeant I believed she had swallowed some money—I did not put my knee against her breast—she did not say "I am gone," she said, "It is gone"—I do not recollect having seen her before—I have seen the van with the name of Anderson on it—I know she was living with a man of the name of Hearn—I believe the prisoner Hearn is her daughter, but I do not know.

  EDWARD GREENHILL . I live at Sudbury. On 22d Feb., I was in Mrs. Sharpe's shop—she called ray attention to a bad shilling, and I was sent for a policeman—I saw the prisoners together at the Swan about twenty minutes or half an hour afterwards; I went with White after them—I walked behind, and he told me to look out—I did not see Hearn do anything, but I looked and found on the ground three counterfeit shillings between the Swan and the Mitre, just where Hearn had been walking—I took them to the station, marked them, and gave them to Sergeant Cooper—after they fell, White told me to take Hearn in charge—I heard White tell Anderson to spit it out—she never spoke—I saw a straggle between her and White; she then said, "It is no use, it is gone."

Cross-examined. Q. Was it not very light? Yes, it was moonlight—I

am sure she did not say "I am done"—she straggled—I did not see White put his knee to her breast; it was too dark to see that—my attention was not called to anything till White called to me to look on the ground—he held one prisoner by one arm and the other by the other—Anderson did not complain of the manner in which the policeman had treated her—I went to the station—Anderson said that what she said was, "I am done;" meaning that she was severely hurt—when the policeman desired me to look on the ground, he was going on in the same direction.

  JAMES THOMAS COOPER (Police sergeant, T). I was on duty at Harrow Police Station, on 22d Feb., when the prisoners were brought in—I received this shilling from Sumpton, these five shillings and two pieces of rag from Greenhill, and this shilling from Castle.

  HARRIET CASTLE . I am the wife of John Castle. I searched the prisoners at Harrow station—I found on Anderson two shillings, two sixpences, and two 4d. pieces, and 8d. in copper, all good; and on Hearn this bad shilling, wrapped in a piece of paper, and a piece of rag.

  WILLIAM WEBSTER . These two shillings, uttered by Anderson, are bad, and from the same mould—these five shillings, that were thrown away by Hearn, are all bad, and four of them are from the same mould as those uttered by Anderson.—this shilling found on Hearn is counterfeit, and from the same mould as the two uttered by Anderson.

(Anderson received a good character.)

ANDERSON— GUILTY .— Confined Nine Months.

HEARN— GUILTY .—Recommended to mercy by the Jury— Confined Three Months.