- Transcript from The Old Bailey:
JAMES TRUMAN , breaking and entering the counting-house of Alfred Blake and another and stealing 1 box, value 1s.;30 sovereigns, 30 shillings, and 4 5l. notes; their property.
MESSRS. BODKIN and DAWSON conducted the Prosecution.
GEORGE AUGUSTUS HATCHETT . I am in partnership with Mr. Blake, as brewers, at Baker-street, Enfield—there is an entrance-gate in Baker-street, and it was possible for a person acquainted with the premises to enter them from a field at the back—there is a counting-house in the yard with a large counting-house desk in it, with a lock and key, in which was kept a cash-box and some papers and memorandums—on Sunday, about four o'clock or half-past four I went to the desk and locked the cash-box, which contained four 5l. notes, thirty-five sovereigns, and some silver, up in the desk, locked the counting-house door and took the key with me—about ten at night I went to the counting-house again, and found the door and the desk broken open and the box and money gone—I had placed the notes there on Friday, Nov. 1—I had received them from Mr. Finch, Jun.—there were marks on the door and desk—the prisoner had been in my employ as groom for two years and six months; he left on 17th Aug.—I had occasionally paid him his wages in the counting-house, and taken the money out of the cash-box in that desk.
Cross-examined by MR. BALLANTINE. Q. I believe he gave you notice to quit? A. Yes; I considered it was in the heat of passion—he said he could get his bread any day, and I told him he had better leave me—he lived 300 yards from me at the utmost—I believe it is his house, and that his mother lives there—he has a wife and I believe two children—his wife washed at my house up to the time of the robbery, but does not now—the front of my house abuts on the road and the back on a field, which has a footpath across it, about 200 yards from my house—I returned from chapel about eight o'clock; the robbery may have happened after that—a night watchman comes to the brewery at seven, he goes close to the counting-house, but the place is very extensive—I saw him close to the place at ten, but not in the early part of the evening—he is not here—he did not communicate anything about the robbery; I found it out myself—the door from the counting-house to the yard was half-open; the watchman was fifteen or twenty yards from it; I got there before him; any person going by could see it if he had a light with him.
HOLMSBY HILL . I am a cashier of the Drawing-office in the Bank of England. I cashed this check for 200l. for Mr. Bentley—I paid 100 sovereigns and twenty 5l. notes, Nos. 88707 to 88726 inclusive, dated 2nd Aug., 1850—these two notes, 88722 and 88723 are two of them—these have been since paid into the Bank.
JAMES BENTLEY . I am treasurer of St. Bartholomew's Hospital; I reside at Cheshunt. On 28th Sept. 1 gave my bailiff, Robert Finch, four 5l. notes—I cannot swear that they were the notes I received from the Bank, but I believe they were; I did not take the numbers—on 21st Oct. I gave him seven 5l. notes, which formed part of the notes I received for the check on 25th Sept.; I did not take the numbers—I cannot state positively that I gave them consecutively; they were crumpled up—I should take them from the top or the bottom—I gave them as I received them.
ROBERT FINCH , Sen. I received seven 5l. notes from Mr. Bentley on 21st Oct.—I kept them in a drawer, and to the best of my knowledge in
the same order—I afterwards gave two of them to my son—I examined the number of the notes that remained in the drawer; they were all following numbers—I paid the rest away.
MR. BALLANTINE objected to evidence of the numbers being given, unless the notes were produced. MR. DAWSON contended that there was no authority to support the objection. The RECORDER having consulted MR. JUSTICE WIGHTMAN and MR. BARON PLATT, decided that the notes ought to be produced before evidence respecting them could be admitted.
ROBERT FINCH , Jun. On 1st Nov. my father gave me three 5l.-notes, I took them to Mr. Hatchett, left them with him, and got cash for them.
HENRY BAYFIELD . I am a clerk, in the Bank of England. In the month of Nov. I received a packet of Bank of England notes from Messrs. Glyn, amounting to 2200l.; this note, 88722, Aug. 2nd, 1850, was one of them—on 15th Nov. this note, 88723, was paid in by the Commercial Bank.
GEORGE HILL . I am one of the firm of Hill and Sons, bankers, Smithfield. About 11th Nov. I received this 5l.-note, 88722, from Mr. Vardy, butcher, of Somers'-town—on 12th Nov. we made up a parcel of 2,200l., and sent it into Glyu's; in the course of business that note would go with the parcel.
Cross-examined. Q. How do you know it? A. By "Vardy" being on it, in my writing—I cannot swear I did not take it on 3rd Aug.—we send our notes in twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays, and I assume we sent this in.
WILLIAM VARDY . I am a butcher, of Brewer-street, Somers'-town. On 9th Nov. I received a 5l.-note from Mr. Howland—I took it to Messrs. Hill's on the following Monday—one of the clerks wrote my name on it—this note 88722 is it.
Cross-examined. Q. The clerk always wrote your name on notes? A. Yes—I cannot tell that it might not have been paid in at any time after August.
MR. BODKIN. Q. Did you receive only one 5l.-note of Mr. Howland? A. Yes; I am sure I paid that note into Hill's, and distinctly remember seeing the clerk write "Vardy" on it.
THOMAS CLARIDGE HOWLAND . I am a licensed victualler, of 24, Brewer-street, Somers'-town. I received a 5l.-note from Mrs. Edmunds' servant, about 9th Nov.—I saw Mrs. Edmunds' name put upon it—I produced it to Mr. Vardy.
Cross-examined. Q. Who made the endorsement? A. Miss Davis.
SARAH AMESBURY . I am servant to Mrs. Emma Edmunds, of 42, Brill-row. The prisoner came there on 9th Nov.—I saw him give my mistress a 5l.-note—he asked if she could change it—she sent me out for change—I got it at Mr. Howland's, and gave him the note.
EMMA EDMUNDS . I am a widow, of Brill-row, Somers'-town; I am the prisoner's sister-in-law. On 9th Nov. he brought me this 5l.-note to change—I sent my servant for it—she brought me five sovereigns, which I gave to the prisoner.
Cross-examined. Q. Did you make any mark on the note? A. No; he produced it openly in the presence of my servant—after it was cashed, he told me he had found it—I was called away to the bar, and took no further notice—I keep a beer-shop—the prisoner lives with my mother,
Ann Martin; he did not owe me any money—this chisel belongs to my mother; she has had it as long as I can remember—I am twenty-seven years old; it belonged to her husband—she used it for breaking coals, and the prisoner for planting cabbages.
NATHANIEL WHISSON . I am a licensed victualler, of Judd-place, Somers'-town. On 12th Nov. I received this 5l.-note, No. 88723, from Jane Bell my servant—I saw her make this endorsement on it.
JANE BELL . I am Mr. Whisson's bar-maid. I received this note from George Chater, on 12th Nov.—I wrote on it, "Mr. Chater, 46, West-street," and the date, but part has been cut out by the stamp; the "ter" and the address is left.
GEORGE CHATER . I am a horse-hair curler, of West-street, New-road. On 12th Nov., I was at Mrs. Edmunds' beer-shop, and saw the prisoner there—I knew him, and got change for him for a 5l.-note at Mr. Whisson's—after I had given him the change, he said he had found it, and if I heard anything of it I knew where he lived, and was to refer to him—I have known him for the last three years.
WILLIAM PARNELL BARRETT . I am a tobacco-maker, of 36, Middlesex-street, Somers'-town. On 9th Nov., I saw the prisoner at Mrs. Edmunds'—he gave me a 5l.-note.
JOHN COLLINS (police-sergeant, N 24). I am stationed at Enfield. On the day of the robbery, I went to the premises between ten and eleven o'clock at night, and examined the marks—on 18th Nov. I went to the prisoner's house, and found him there, and his wife and two children—I told him he must consider himself in my custody, on suspicion of committing the robbery at Mr. Blake's—he said he was innocent of it, he could prove where he was on the night of the robbery; he and his wife went to Hedges, on Clay-hill, and he never was out of Hedges' sight till twelve at night, and Hedges could prove he had never left him—Hedges is a gardener; I know him by sight—I found on the prisoner this purse containing 4l. 10s. in gold, 11s. 10d. in silver, and 3d. in copper—in a drawer up-stairs I found another purse containing 6l. in gold, and 10s. 6d. in silver; also 5s. 6d. in a work-box—I found this watch and chain in his pocket.
RICHARD WATKINS (police-sergeant, N 30). I took charge of the prisoner while Collins searched—I searched a shed at the back of the house next day, a few yards from the back-door, and found this iron crow-bar(produced)—I compared it with the marks on Mr. Blake's door, and have no doubt they were made with it, and also those on the desk, where the impression was stronger—I returned to the station, and told the prisoner I had found an iron chisel in his shed, and it corresponded with the marks on the desk and door—he said it belonged to his mother-in-law—I said there were two 5l.-notes found, and, I think I said, traced to his sister-in-law—he said, "I changed those two notes at Mrs. Edmunds' beer-shop, and I found them in Mr. Edinboro's field—that was on the 19th—Mr. Edinboro's field is about 200 yards from Mr. Blake's; it joins the road which passes in front of the prisoner's house—as you leave Mr. Blake's to go to the fields, you pass the prisoner's house first—he did not say which field; Mr. Edinboro has two or three—the fields at the back of Mr. Blake's are in a different direction, at the back of another road.
Cross-examined. Q. Did he beg you to make inquiry of Hedges?
A. Yes; he repeated a great many times that he was innocent of the robbery, and that Hedges would prove he was in his company from four to ten—I heard Hedges examined before the Magistrate.
MR. BODKIN. Q. Had you told him how the notes were traced? A. No; he declared he was innocent, and I said that two of the notes had been found at Mrs. Edmunds', and he said he had changed two 5l. notes at his sister-in-law's—I believe I did not mention Mrs. Edmunds' name to him first, I am not sure—I compared the marks by gently laying the chisel on them; they were not very deep, it was very hard wood; the edges were the deepest—a carpenter was present—the robbery became known about Enfield. JAMES SMITH. I am a carpenter. I examined the marks on the counting-house door and desk—to the best of my belief they were made by this instrument, the point of it is a little turned, which makes a mark in the centre—I found that mark on the door and on the desk.
Cross-examined. Q. Have you ever seen a chisel that has been used a great number of times that is not a little turned at the point? A. I have often seen them so—this is a ripping chisel, I never saw such a one before—I have not got such a thing—the mark in it does not appear recent.
THOMAS SCOTT . I found this cash-box in a field adjoining Mr. Blake's, at the back, on 4th Nov., about half-past two o'clock.
MR. HATCHETT re-examined. This is the box in which the money was kept—I did not issue handbills or make the robbery public—I told Mr. Scott and the police—I went to chapel that night, from six o'clock to a quarter-past; that is my usual time—I came back about eight—it is a large fixed desk.
DANIEL HEDGES . I am a gardener of Clay-hill, Enfield, and am a friend of the prisoner—I have known him about twelve months. On Sunday, 3rd Nov., I went home about five o'clock, to the best of my belief, and found the prisoner there, and his wife and children—he went out between six and seven, to the best of my belief—I went down to his house with his wife and children and my wife, about half an hour after he was gone—when we got there he came down the garden with a candle, that is where the shed is—I staid there a very few minutes, and then went for a walk with him to Chase-side about half-a-crown that was allowed to his wife's mother—we called at the Holly-bush, and had a quartern' of gin, and then called at a woman's at Chase-side—I parted with him at his house about nine, or a few minutes after, went home, and saw no more of him that night.
Cross-examined. Q. Was there a fire lighted when you got to his house? A. Yes; I did not notice whether it had been recently lighted—it takes about twenty minutes to walk from my house to his.
JOSEPH MARSH . I was employed as private watchman by the prosecutors—I went on duty at seven o'clock on 3rd Nov.—I went to the top of the premises to get a bit of straw to make a fire—I then stationed myself in the brewhouse—that is the place where I am usually stationed—I only go in and out of the yard to get the casks—on that night I did not go further than just against the door—I was in the brewhouse the whole night—one door of the counting-house opens to the yard, the other into the brewhouse—while I was in the brewhouse I could not see the door that leads from the counting-house to the yard—I did not hear anybody break open the place—I don't think any person could have broken open that door or the desk without my hearing it.
JURY. Q. Did you roll in any casks that evening? A. I only moved them from the door outside—I suppose that was between seven and eight o'clock—there were not above two or three casks there; they were not moved more than a yard or two; it would make very little noise—it was my duty when I went at seven o'clock, to light the fires and attend to the beer, and go in and out—I did not see the counting-house door till ten o'clock, when Mr. Hatchett showed it me—it was rather a dark night.
(William Fern, shoemaker; William Bibbs, tailor; Elizabeth Hedges and Joseph Darnboro, servant, all of Enfield, gave the prisoner a good character.)
GUILTY . Aged 35.—Recommended to mercy by the Jury on account of his character.
Transported for Ten Years.
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Australian Convict Ship Project
Abt 1815 - Yes, date unknown
