The Proceedings of the Old Bailey

 

311.   THOMAS BAKER was indicted for burglariously breaking and entering the dwelling house of   Joseph Hudson on the 30th of December , about the hour of nine in the night, and stealing two blankets, value 2 s. a linen quilt; value 18 d. a linen counterpane, value 18 d. two stuff curtains, value 2 s. and a feather-bed, value 21 s. the property of the said Joseph in his dwelling house .

  ELEANOR HUDSON sworn.

I am the wife of   Joseph Hudson ; at the time the things were stole from us we kept a house in  Bell-alley, Goswell-street : upon the 30th of December the prisoner opened our door in the dusk of the evening and came in with another man; I was sitting by the fire; I was very ill and had been in bed almost all day; he asked if my husband was at home; I said, No, he was at the Bell; he said, he had been there and he was not there; the other man began bundling up the bedding and was going to take it away; I desired the prisoner to go for my husband, for I was afraid he was going to take the things away; he said, he would not go by himself, he would go with me; I told him I could not leave the place; they went away and my husband came home, and I told him, Baker and another man had been there, and I was afraid wanted to take the things away, and asked him if he had been to him, he said, No; he made the bed and went up to the Bell, and said, if he could see Baker he would quarrel with him; I locked the door, took the key with me, and went to the Bell to my husband, for I was afraid to stay in the house; I staid at the Bell about half an hour; my husband went home before me and caught Baker in the house bundling up the bed things; the bed was taken away; my husband came and told me the bed was gone, and Baker was bundling up the bed things that he had got from him, and he would go and search after him; we never got our bed since.

Did you own any rent? - Not to Baker.

How soon was Baker taken? - Six or eight weeks after; we could not meet with him sooner.

  JOSEPH HUDSON sworn.

I am a carpenter: when I went to the Bell to see after Baker, my wife came to me with the key in her hand and said, she was afraid to stay in the house for fear of her life, or that they would come and take the things away; I went home and found Baker tying up the bed things; the bed was gone; there was a man at the door; I laid hold of both of them; I called out for help, but in the struggle they both got from me.

PRISONER's DEFENCE.

I have known the prosecutor three or four years; we were drinking together at the Bell almost all that day; he went away in the evening; as there was some reckoning to pay, I enquired where he lived and went to his house to enquire for him; I sat down with her by the fire and two men came in; I heard a bustle in the room; she said, she believed it was thieves; I got up to see who it was and tumbled over some cloaths; she called to go for her husband; I had not been long gone before I heard Hudson had lost his bed; he came to me and said, he believed I was concerned in it; his wife and he lived very unhappy; he came to me and asked me to help him to move a large chest of things, for he was afraid his wife would break it open and carry his tools and things away; his wife and he quarrelled and she was sent to Bridewell; he took up another man first, and charged him with the robbery.

PROSECUTOR. She was not sent to Bridewell through me: I was at work at the Bell; she said I should not work there, and came and broke the windows, and was sent to Bridewell; for that I paid for the mending the windows and to get her out of Bridewell.

What did you want him to help remove your chest for? - For fear I should lose my things; it was my chest of cloaths.

FOR THE PRISONER.

  ANTHONY CRABB sworn.

The prosecutor came to my master's, took me out of bed and charged me with stealing his bed; and said, he had my hat, and that he tore my coat in the struggle; I shewed him my hat and coat; I know nothing of his bed.

The prisoner called several witnesses, who gave him a good character.

NOT GUILTY of breaking and entering the dwelling house, but GUILTY of stealing the goods .

Tried by the First Middlesex Jury before Mr.   Baron EYRE .

[Imprisonment. See summary.]