The Proceedings of the Old Bailey

 

180. (L.)   William Sheele was indicted, together with   William Martin not in custody, for stealing a silk cloak called a cardinal, value 12 s. the property of   Timothy James , Jan. 29 . ++

  Timothy James . I am a shoemaker , and live in  Barbican ; my wife is a milliner; we carry on our business in the same house; she missed cardinal on the 29 th of January, I was not at home at the time; after it was taken, one   John Clark came the very night and asked me if I had no lost such a thing. I went with him to Clerkenwell, there we searched a room where was two girls;   Mary Parsons the evidence was one of them, we found a bundle; I untied it, and in it found the cardinal; we asked Parsons where she had it; she said she did not know any thing about it; at last she said one   William Skeele brought it there; that his partner,   William Martin and he, set it at 4 s. and she gave 2 s. for it; I went home and fetched the young woman that made the croak. she said it was my property; after that we took the prisoner, the other ran down stairs, but was stopt and brought back; the prisoner said he found the cardinal in Barbican, or something like it; we took them both to Bridewell that night, and before the Justice the next day, there they both said they found it.

  Mary Baldwin . This cardinal (holding one in her hand) is Mr. James's property, I made it; I was setting in the parlour with Mrs. James, at the time a pane of glass was broke in the shop window, on the 29th of January; we went out to see what was the matter, but could see nobody; then we went to see if any thing was lost, and missed nothing; but the next morning the uncle to one of the boys came, he asked if we had lost any thing; we said no; then he asked if we had lost a black silk cardinal; then we looked and missed it; then he said to Mr. James, if you will promise to prosecute, I can help you to it; he said, he had just saved his kinsman from being concerned with the other two; Mr. James went with him, and he came back about twelve, and said, I must go and look at a cloak that they had found, and see if I kn ew it. I went with him to Red-bull-yard, St. John's-street, there were two girls that they kept; one of them is called Martin's wife; I saw the cardinal, and proved it to be Mr. James's property: while we were talking about it, we heard somebody coming up stairs; Mr. Clark said they are coming, put the door too; they came up, the prisoner was first apprehended; Martin ran down stairs, but was soon apprehended and brought up: they were taken before Justice Girdler, he admitted the girl an evidence.

  Mary Parsons . I lodge with   William Skeele and   William Martin : they brought a black silk cardinal in one night, tied up in a red handkerchief,

and said they found it; Martin gave Skeele 2 s for his part, and gave the cardinal to me.

  William Dickerson . I was with Martin and Skeele on the 29th of January; I was to have broke the window, only my aunt came by and catched me; we were all of us together in a room after that, and I asked them if they had got the cardinal, and they said they had.

Prisoner's defence.

We found the cardinal in Barbican; Martin gave me 2 s. for it, and gave it to   Mary Parsons .

Q. to Baldwin. Where was the cardinal taken from?

Mary Baldwin. It was taken from off a line on the inside the window, just by the broken pans.

To his character.

Mrs. Cooper. I live at the Peacock in Whitecross-street; I have known the prisoner from his birth, I never heard a bad character of him till now.

  John Dosset . I am a shoemaker, and live in Seacoal-lane; I have known him ever since he was born, he is an industrious honest lad as ever I knew, and can get a great deal of money at his business, he works with his father.

Q. How old is he?

Dosset. He is eighteen years of age.

  Roger Tippet . I have known him about nine years, he was always a very careful lad, and behaved very honest and civil.

  Elizabeth Cox . I go out a ironing; I have known the prisoner seven or eight years or upwards, I never heard no ill of him in my life.

  Mary Cook . I have known him seven or eight years, I never knew any thing amiss of him.

Guilty . T .

See Dickerson (or properly Dickson) an evidence against Martin, No 146. in the first part.