The Proceedings of the Old Bailey

 

516. (M.)   James Felton was indicted for stealing a bank note, value 25 l. and a bank post bill,

value 10 l. the property of   James Eversdale , in the dwelling house of   Aaron Eaton , June 14 . *

  James Eversdale . On the 14th of June last, I inclosed a bank bill of 25 l. and a bank post bill in a letter, and carried the letter to Mr.   Aaron Eaton 's; in  Chancery-lane , and put it in with my own hands; the bank note was No H. 243, payable to Mr.   Henry Hoare and Co. dated May 22, 1766; I saw two young fellows at work in the shop when I delivered it; the letter was directed to Mr. Western; I paid 8 d. for it; I not receiving a letter from the country of the receiving it, as I desired for a post or two, I sent another letter giving an account of this of the 14th; Mr. Western informed me he had not received it; I then went to Mr. Eaton's, and told him I had put a letter in such a day, and paid for it, and it had not been received; he advertised the letter, and shewed me the paper; he asked me the value of the notes; I told him one was 25 l. the other 10 l. he said there was a note of 25 l. found, and shewed me the prisoner; I desired him to take care of him till I had been at the Post-office, to know how to proceed; I went, and had orders to go and bring the prisoner there; I went to Mr. Eaton's, and told him what a commission I had from the office; I was going out with him, turning round I heard something of a whimpering; Mr. Eaton desired me to come back; I did; then the boy at the bar said, I acknowledge the thing, I had the letter and the two notes, that was one of them; I changed it at Newport-Pagnel, and the other of 10 l. I lost out of my pocket coming from Newport-Pagnel to London; when I searched at the Bank, I found the letter H. No 243, May 22, 1766, payable to Hoare and Co. signed by G. Tomlison, the description of my note; when the prisoner was at the office, he confessed the taking it several times to Mr. Secretary   Potts .

  Aaron Eaton . I keep a house in Chancery-lane, and receive letters for the General Post-office; I remember being in the shop on the 14th of June last; the prisoner was at work in the shop that evening, and on the 15th, being Sunday, he went out, and returned the Monday se'nnight following, being the 23d; I received a letter from Newport-Pagnel, on Friday the 20th, that he was there; I went and found him; he had bought cloth for a suit of cloaths, a watch, and a pair of sleeve buttons, and changed the bank note for 25 l. to pay for them, and he had ten guineas about him; I confined him as a run-away apprentice, and brought him to town. On the 3d of July, being Thursday, Mr. Eversdale came to enquire about this letter with the notes; I shewed him the advertisement which I had put in the papers and shewed him the prisoner; the prisoner said he found the note of 25 l. when Mr. Eversdale said he must go to the Post-office; then as we were going out of the shop, the prisoner desired him to come back and he would tell the truth; then he confessed he took the two notes out of a double post letter, which was put in in my shop, and at the Post-office he confessed the same.

Mr. Potts. I am secretary to the Post-office; the prisoner was brought to the office, charged with taking two notes out of a letter, put in at Mr. Eaton's; he confessed he took them both out of a letter; Mr. Eaton and Mr. Eversdale were by at the time; he said one was 25 l. and the other 10 l. the 25 l. he had changed, and the other he had.

The prisoner said nothing in his defence.

Q. to Eaton. How old is the prisoner?

Eaton. He is about 18 years of age.

Guilty , Death .