- Trial Transcript from the Old Bailey:
EDWARD COOTE , stealing, whilst employed in the Post-office, a letter containing a half-sovereign; the moneys of her Majesty's PostmasterGeneral.
MESSRS. CLARKSON and BODKIN conducted the Prosecution.
WALTER ROBERTSON SCULTHORPE . I am one of the presidents of the London district offices of the General Post-office. On Saturday, 28th Sept., for reasons I had, I made up this letter (produced), and put into it a half-sovereign—I sealed it as it is sealed now, and saw it addressed to "Miss Mary Ann Ingram, Cliff-terrace, near Clifton-bars, Margate, Kent"—I then gave it to Peak, the officer, and directed him to post it at the Tottenham North-office on Monday morning—if it was posted at half-past seven on Monday morning, it would be forwarded by the mail-cart to the principal office at Tottenham, where it would arrive about ten o'clock—it would then be placed in the London bag, and forwarded to the chief office in London—on Monday morning, 30th, I proceeded to Stamford-hill—I got there about ten o'clock—I there met the mail-cart that was bringing the bag from Tottenham—I took possession of the bag, and opened it—it did not contain this letter—I then went with Peak and Mr. Cole, one of the inspectors of letter-carriers, to the principal office at Tottenham, at which the prisoner was employed as a letter-carrier—I arrived there about half-past ten—I saw the prisoner leave the office, and when he had got about fifty yards I stopped him, and asked whether he bad cut open the Tottenham North-office bag that morning—I meant merely opened it in the usual course—he said, "No, Bowers did"—(he is another letter-carrier employed in the same office)—I asked whether he had sorted any of the letters—he said he had—I told him there was a money-letter missing—he made no answer—I then directed Peak to search him, and I saw him take this letter out of the inner pocket of his coat—it was in the same state as it is now, unopened—I then said to the prisoner, "How do you account for having this letter in your pocket?"—he said, "I did not know it was there"—I then gave him into custody—the letter bears the stamp of the North Tottenham-office—there is no date to it—(the witness here opened the letter, and it contained a half-sovereign)—this is my half-sovereign—I put some mark on it—the prisoner would in sorting the letters have the opportunity of seeing the letter, and taking it if so minded—it has not been opened till the present moment.
Cross-examined by MR. WOOLLETT. Q. Is there such a person at Miss Ingram, of Cliff-terrace? A. There is not; it was a fictitious name—I cannot say whether Peak knew there had been any irregularities—I merely gave him the letter, with instructions to put it into the post—he could form a very good idea for what object it was—I did not tell him anything; I told him to post that letter at such a time—I had many times instructed him to post letters for me—after the letter was posted by Peak, it would be taken out of the letter-box, by the receiver at Tottenham North-office, and tied up in a bundle—it would then come into the hands of Bowers and the prisoner—there are four letter-carriers employed there—I cannot say which of the four it would come to—when I got to Tottenham I entered the office in company with Peak and Mr. Cole—Peak was in plain clothes—I cannot say whether the men would know that Peak was an officer; he has been an officer twenty years, and a great many years belonging to the Post-office—when I entered there was only one person in the room, Ellis, an old letter-carrier—the four letter-carriers would be the only persons who would enter that room from the time the letter reached the office to the time I went there—their names are Ellis, Bowers, the prisoner, and Cates—they would all have access to the letters—the letter was found in the inner tail-pocket of the prisoner's official coat—he has been thirteen years in the service, of the Post-office.
MR. BODKIN. Q. On finding the bag did not contain the letter you looked for, you went to the chief office at Tottenham? A. I did; I waited outside till the prisoner came out—the persons in the office had no opportunity of seeing me waiting outside—two other letter-carriers came out, within two or three minutes of each other—the prisoner was the second—he was under my sight from the moment he came out till I went up to him—Peak was at the other side of the office—Mr. Cole was standing with me—the persons in the office would not have an opportunity of seeing Peak—I saw no communication whatever take place between either of the other letter-carriers that came out and the prisoner.
MATTHEW PEAK . On Saturday, 28th Sept., I received this letter from Mr. Sculthorpe—in consequence of directions from him, I retained it till Monday morning, and then, about twenty minutes past seven, I dropped it into the letter-box-at the North-office, Tottenham—I was afterwards, on the same morning, at the principal office at Tottenham—in consequence of directions from Mr. Sculthorpe I searched the prisoner, and found this letter, with the seal unbroken, in his left inside coat-pocket—I then took him into custody.
Cross-examined. Q. There was no outside pocket was there? A. Not that I am aware of—when we first went to the office at Tottenham, I remained about 100 yards off, behind a wall—the sorting-room is in the shop—there are windows to it—I should think any person in the room could see any person moving outside—Mr. Cole has been in the Post-office twenty-five years—I should think he would be well known.
DIANA BENISON . I live with my son, who keeps the North Post-office at Tottenham. I attend to the post-office business—this letter bears the mark of our office—on Monday morning, 30th Sept., I made up the bag—I always begin at half-past nine o'clock, and between that and a little before ten the bag is done—the mail-cart comes for it a little before ten—I delivered the bag to the driver of the mail-cart in the ordinary way—the bag contained all the letters that had been posted at our office that morning.
WILLIAM ELLIS . I am principal letter-carrier and charge-taker at the chief office at Tottenham, and have been so forty years—the prisoner is one
of the letter-carriers at the same office—he was on duty on the morning of 30th Sept.—I saw him assist in sorting the letters which arrived in the mailbag from the North-office at Tottenham—the local letters are separated from those that are to go to London—a letter for Margate in that bag might come into the prisoner's hands in sorting—if it did, it would be his duty to tie it up and put it into the bag going to London by the mail-cart—the cart leaves the principal office about five minutes past ten, and goes over by Stamford-hill.
Cross-examined. Q. You were not before the Magistrate, I believe? A. No.
—BOWERS. I am one of the assistant letter-carriers at the principal office at Tottenham. On Monday, 30th Sept., I cut the string of the bag that came from the North-office that morning—the prisoner and Cates were there—all three of us were assisting.
GUILTY.—Recommended to mercy by the Jury on account of his previous
good character.— Transported for Ten Tears.
Before Mr. Justice Erle.
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Australian Convict Ship Project
Abt 1811 - Yes, date unknown
