The Proceedings of the Old Bailey

 

564. (M.).   John Sharwell was indicted for stealing a cloth coat and waistcoat, value 30 s. and a crown piece , the property of   Abraham Clark , October 13 . *

  Abraham Claak . I asked the prisoner to help me draw beer, and assist in the house. On the 13th of October I asked him to lend a hand in making the beds, and clean the room out; my clothes were in my box; he went out in the afternoon unknown to us, I did not see him till about eight in the evening; then he had his regimentals on; I said, John, you look very fresh in the face, you have been drinking; he swore he had not; a little after we heard somebody up stairs; then my mistress called to me, and said, there was somebody up stairs; I went up and found him in his own room, laid down; he had pulled off his regimentals, and put on a blue coat; I found my best blue coat under his bed; I told him I had been a good friend to him, and he had requited me very badly for it; I left the clothes as they were, and went and called my mistress up.

Q. Where were your clothes before?

Clark. They were all in a box, except one coat; I went and examined my box, and found it was broke open; I had in it a crown piece, half a guinea, and some halfpence; I tried to open another drawer, and the lock was broke all to pieces.

Q. Did you find your money?

Clark. No, it was all gone, except one farthing; the prisoner before he came in, met Mr. Green, he keeps company with his daughter; he went from this up in the Strand; when we took him he would not confess any thing; lifting up his arm, four shillings dropt out of his sleeve; then he confessed the fact; he offered me these four shillings, and he told a gentleman that was in the kitchen, that he would give me 4 s. and a note of hand to receive 3 s. a week, till all the money was paid that I had lost.

  John Dye . The prisoner was in liquor; he disowned having any money about him, but putting his hand up the four shillings dropt out of his sleeve; he acknowledged he had the crown piece, and had changed it, and that he was willing to make satisfaction, by giving him a note, to take his wages of the paymaster serjeant.

Q. How did he say he got the money?

Dye. He did not confess he broke open the box, but he said he had robbed him, and that he was drunk, and did not know what he did.

Q. Was it the same day he took it?

Dye. Yes.

Q. Was he drunk?

Dye. Yes, but not so far but he understood things very well, he knew what he was about.

Prisoner's defence.

I did not take any waistcoat out of the room, not did I own taking the waistcoat nor the coat; I had no crown piece, that four shillings, I received of a serjeant the Saturday before; I was in liquor, and do not know that I said any thing about it.

Guilty . T .