John Adams

TRIAL: Old Bailey... 12 June, 1843: 1724. JOHN ADAMS was indicted for stealing, on the 1st of June, 1 handkerchief, value 1s.; the goods of a man whose name is unknown, from his person. ARNOLD WILLIAMS. I am in the employ of Mr. Jones, a bookseller, No. 65, St. Paul's Churchyard. On the 1st of June, about half-past eleven o'clock, I was standing at the window, and saw the prisoner take a handkerchief out of a gentleman's pocket—he held it behind him as I thought for somebody to take—no one took it—he then put it into his own pocket, and went away—the gentleman was a stranger—I have never been able to find him—I saw the colour of the handkerchief—the one produced resembles it—I am positive the prisoner is the person—he had his arm in a sling. Prisoner. I had fallen down and sprained my shoulder—he said he was up three stories high when he saw this. Witness. I was—he had his left arm in the sling then, and took the handkerchief with his right—when I saw him next day his right arm was in a sling. JOHN DEAR. I am a City policeman. I received information from Williams, and about a dozen yards from the Tract Society found the prisoner—I searched him and found two handkerchiefs in his pocket—I asked him if either of them were marked—he said, "No" but one is marked—before Williams saw the handkerchief, I asked if he knew what colour it was—he said, "Yes, a whitish one"—I was in private clothes, and had watched the prisoner for about half an hour previously, and he changed his sling twice in that time in Cannon-alley. Prisoner's Defence. I was standing to see the children go into St. Paul's; the policeman came up, and said, "Where is the gentleman's watch?" I put my hand into my pocket, and said, "Here are my two handkerchiefs which I bought;" this is the one I wipe my nose with. JOHN DEAR re-examined. They are both nearly new, and were scented at the time. GUILTY . ** Aged 19.— Transported for Ten Years. (https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/) --00--

DEATH: 14 October, 1850: John Adams, aged 26, a Ticket of Leave man, died in the Colonial Hospital at Hobart; no cause of death given on this record (Tasmania, Australia, Convict Court and Selected Records, 1800-1899; Register; Registers of convict deaths, 1845-1874). BURIAL: 15 October, 1850: He was buried in the Parish of the Holy Trinity, Co Buckingham (https://stors.tas.gov.au/RGD34-1-2p121j2k). --00--