Charles Clark

343

Maureen Withey on 13th March 2023

Tasmanian Records. https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON22-1-1_0164 Per Calcutta 1804, & Ocean. Charles Clark, tried Middx Je. Dy. 16 Sept 1801, 7 years. -------------------------------------------------- Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 8.0, 13 March 2023), September 1805, trial of JOHN HIGGINS CHARLES CLARK WILLIAM DOE MARY DOE (t18050918-87). JOHN HIGGINS, CHARLES CLARK, WILLIAM DOE, MARY DOE, Theft > burglary, 18th September 1805. 608. JOHN HIGGINS , CHARLES CLARK , WILLIAM DOE , and MARY DOE , were indicted for burglariously breaking and entering the dwelling-house of John-Walker Topham , about the hour of two at night on the 11th of July , and burglariously stealing therein, 380 yards of dimity, value 28 l. 860 yards of printed cotton, value 60 l. 30 yards of nankeen, value 2 l. 160 yards of corduroy, value 18 l. 16 s. 100 yards of flannel, value 15 l. 476 yards of calico, value 20 l. 120 yards of marseilles quilting, value 30 l. and five hempen wrappers, value 5 s. the property of William Smith . Second and Third Counts. For like offence, only charging it to be the property of different persons. (The indictment was read by Mr. Gleed, and the case was stated by Mr. Gurney) JAMES SMITH sworn. - Examined by Mr. Gurney. Q. You are the brother of Mr. William Smith ? - A. I am. Q. Your brother has a warehouse situated at No. 10, Basing-lane, in the City of London ? - A. Yes. Q. Had he, Sir, on the 11th of July last? - A. He had. Q. On the 11th of July were you at that warehouse? - A. I was. Q. Were there any goods deposited at that warehouse? - A. There were. Q. Did you make any observations on them? - A. I did. Q. What time did you leave the warehouse? - - A. I accompanied Mr. Bligh there, and with Mr. Bligh I left the warehouse about half after eight in the evening. Q. How did you leave your warehouse with respect to security? - A. I locked it up myself; I gave the keys, when I locked it, to the porter, Isaac Young , and Isaac Young accompanied me to my house, and gave me the keys again; the same keys were in my possession till the next morning. Q. In consequence of some information, the next day at twelve o'clock you went to this warehouse again? - A. I did. Q. How did you find the goods of the warehouse when you arrived there? - A. The greater part of the goods that I had seen the night before I found missing; I saw them afterwards at Worship-street Police-office. Q. Pray how is this warehouse situated with respect to the dwelling-house of Mr. Topham? - A. When my brother took the warehouse, the door out of the passage was open; there is a door from the passage into the warehouse from the passage of the private house. Q. That is Mr. Topham's house? - A. Yes. Q. Do you mean inside of the outward door of the private house? - A. Yes. Q. At the front of the passage is the street-door - at the further end of the passage is there any direct communication into the house of Mr. Topham? - A. There was by this door; but after my brother took this warehouse, Mr. Topham requested he would fasten it up; there is a lock on the inside, and a bolt on the outside. Q. So that no one of the house could come into the warehouse, nor your brother could not go into Mr. Topham's house without each other's consent? - A. No, and separate doors into the street. Q. At this time your brother was absent? - A. He was not at the warehouse. Q. Was the warehouse entrusted into your care? - A. It was the request of my brother that the keys should be left at my house, and that I would call at the warehouse to see all was right; my brother was not in town when this robbery was committed. Cross-examined by Mr. Knapp. Q. Your brother had the misfortune since that time to become a bankrupt? - A. Yes. Q. At the time this happened at the warehouse, did you join in paying the rent for the warehouse? - A. I did not. Q. Had you any interest in any part of the goods that were in the warehouse? - A. My brother and I had been in partnership, but our partnership ended the last day of the year 1804. Q. Were all your goods sold previous to the dissolution of your partnership? - A. There were about four hundred pounds worth of goods left, which my brother took himself. Q. Was that expressed in your dissolution? - A. It was between my brother and me. Q. Were there any part of the goods at this time when it was broke open and robbed, that were part of the stock in partnership? - A. None. Q. Do you mean to swear positively? - A. Ibelieve there were none; I say to the best of my knowledge, because I had not the direction of his business; I believe he had none left, I believe I can safely swear it. Q. How came he to send the key to you? - A. It was a request of my brother when he went to Manchester, he asked me to take care of the goods. Q. Upon your oath, was not the key left with you to protect your property as well as your brother's? - A. No, I had no property there at all. Mr. Alley. Q. Upon the oath that you have taken, are not you and your brother in partnership now? - A. No, we have not been in partnership since we parted in any way whatever. ISAAC YOUNG sworn. - Examined by Mr. Gurney. Q. Are you the porter that was in the service of Mr. William Smith ? - A. Yes. Q. You were in July? - A. I was, at the warehouse, in Basing-lane. Q. On the night of the 11th of July, did you lock up the warehouse? - A. My master, James Smith, locked it up. Q. Did you go to the warehouse afterwards? - A. No. Q. On the next morning when did you go to the warehouse? - A. A little after nine. Q. In what condition did you find the door of the warehouse? - A. I found the door all of a litter, the door was on the single lock. Q. Was that the state in which you had left it the night before? - A. No. Q. That was not the same as it ought to be? - A. No. Q.When you opened the door, did you find any part of the property that you left there? - A. It was very near all gone, except a lot of flannels, that laid in the remaining litter of the packing up, just within the door. Q. Had you, before this time, known the prisoner at the bar, Clark? - A. Yes, I suppose I have known him for eight or nine years. Q. Did you, at any time, see the prisoner Clark at the door of your warehouse, in Basing-lane? - A. I was standing at the door, he was passing by; he stopped and talked with me. Q.Did he after that call on you again? - A. He called upon me a fortnight previous to the warehouse being robbed on the Thursday. Q.On the Tuesday prior to that Thursday, did Clark call upon you again? - A. Yes, and brought Higgins; I went and fetched a pot of porter. Q.Did you leave them in the warehouse? - A. I did; after they had drank the beer they went away. Cross examined by Mr. Knapp. - Q. I observed you to say, my master, Mr. James Smith ? - A. The reason why I called him my master, I have served him as well as my master, Mr. William Smith ; the word came inadvertently out of my mouth. Q. He had been your master? - A. Yes. Q. Was he your master at that time? - A. No, I swear that positively. Q. You knew Clark before that, you had a good opinion of him? - A. I had. Q. It was by your invitation that Clark came into the warehouse? - A. He was passing by, and I asked him in, knowing of him. Q. You drank some beer with him, and he came again as you had asked him - he worked in the neighbourhood, did not he? - A. I never knew where he worked then, at the time when I knew where he worked, it was at the printing office in Ave Maria-lane. Q. You having known Clark some time, it was nothing extraordinary his coming to you? - A. I have met him in the street; I did ask him in, to be sure, Mr. Alley. Q. When Higgins came, that was the second time? - A. That was the third time: Higgins was only once there. ROBERT BLACKWELL sworn - Examined by Mr. Gurney. I live at No. 66, Noble-street, Goswell-street. Q. Did either of the prisoners at the bar live in your street? - A. Yes, the prisoner Doe. Court. Q. How far is Noble-street from Basing-lane? - A. I cannot say, I do not know that I know it. Q. Mr. Gurney. Q. How far from your house does Doe live? - A. About eight or ten doors. Q. On the morning of the 12th of July what time were you up? - A.About a quarter after four. Q. Did you look out into the street? - A. I generally look out into the street of a morning to see what o'clock it is to go to my work; I looked out into the street that morning; I saw a coach standing at Doe's door. Q. What kind of a coach? - A. A hackney coach, the coachman was standing at the horses' heads; and then he went down to the end of the street, making answers to them, saying, go on; and some man that stood by the coach door, began to take parcels out of the coach, and chucked them into the passage. Q. I believe you do not know who that person was that was chucking them into the passage? - A. No: the parcels were in a coarse bag, and were like them. Q.What might be the size of them? - A. It might be the same size as they are (pointing to the packages that were then produced); they were large packages. Q. What became of the packages? - A. They chucked them on the house stairs. Q. Was there more than one person employed in this? - A. There was one person employed intaking them out of the coach and chucking them on the stairs. Q. Did you see or hear any more? - A. I was not near enough. Q.After the packages were taken out of the coach what became of the coachman? - A. The coachman got on the box and backed the coach towards Aldersgate-street. Q.How was Doe's street door? - A. I did not particularly notice that; I think, to the best of my knowledge, as soon as the parcels were taken in they shut the door directly, and the coach, within a few minutes afterwards, went away; when the coach was gone away, two persons came out of Doe's and went towards Aldersgate-street. Q. After you observed two men come out of Doe's house where did you go to? - A. Then I went out and knocked at my mother's door; I saw, when I went past Doe's door, somebody come out of Doe's, and they asked him how long he should be; he made answer about an hour. Q. I believe you are not able to speak to the person, whether it was a man or a woman? - A. I cannot tell; in a few minutes afterwards I saw Doe come out of his own house, and walk towards Old-street; he had not been gone many minutes before I followed him; I met him returning from the corner of Gee-street; he then went up stairs again at his own house; I then watched him, and he came down stairs again with a bottle in his hand. Q. You watched him from Gee-street to his own house - when he went up stairs how long was it before he came down again? - A. About five or ten minutes; then I saw him come out of his own house, and I watched him out; he had not been gone ten minutes, time enough to get to his dye-house, when he came back again; I saw then, some time afterwards (it might be half an hour), Higgins and another man at the end of the street, who had on a blue coat and a swansdown waistcoat. Q. What time was that? - A. About six o'clock, or nigh upon it; Higgins walked several times by me. Q. What persons did you see next? - A. I saw two men come out of Mr. Doe's place, one of them had on a brown great coat; they walked towards Old-street; the other had on a blue coat; they crossed over each other before they got to Old-street, this was Higgins and the other man, one turned down Old-street, and the other kept down Aldersgate-street; I followed him as far as I work, which is at No. 101; I then went to my work, I saw no more of them till I came back to breakfast, which was about a quarter or twenty minutes after eight; then I saw Higgins walking up the other side of the way to Mr. Doe's house. Q. When you were returning home, where did you see Higgins first, in what street? - A. He was in Goswell-street, about two or three doors from Doe's house, but he was of the other side of the way, he walked on towards Compton-street. Q. What became of you? - A. I went and told Mr. Armstrong, and Mr. Armstrong called after him, and stopped him. Q. You immediately gave information to Armstrong? - A. Yes, he followed him, and called out stop thief. Q. Did you hear Armstrong call out stop thief A. Yes. Q. What became of Higgins then? - A. He ran away up Compton-street. Q. Are you sure that the person that ran away was the prisoner Higgins - did you see him? - A. Yes, I saw him so many times passing before that I took notice of him. Cross-examined by Mr. Alley. Q. You say this was about six o'clock? - A. Yes, I saw him before that, about two hours before he was apprehended. Mr. Gleed. Q. When was the first time in the morning that you first saw Higgins? - A. I cannot pretend to say which, it was in the morning that he went down Old-street or Aldersgate-street, I saw him then. Court. Q. You saw Higgins at six o'clock, was that the same man you had seen before walking backwards and forwards? - A. It was. Mr. Reynolds. Q. The first time that you saw Doe was when you saw him come out of his own house? - A. Yes, going towards Old-street. Q. He had time enough to go to Old street once, you said he had a bottle in his hand, and you thought he was going to his work? - A. Yes. Q. He is an early man? - A. Yes. Q. Do you know whereabouts this house of Doe's is situated - is it in Middlesex or London? - A. In Middlesex. Mr. Gleed Q. When you first saw Doe, it was about half after four? - A. Yes. Q. What was his usual time of getting up? - A.About six o'clock. JOSEPH BLACKWELL sworn. Examined by Mr. Gurney Q. On the morning of the 11th of July, did you watch Doe's house? - A. Yes. Q.Did you see any person go into that house? - A. Yes, just before eight o'clock I saw a person go in. Q. Who was that person? - A. The prisoner Clark; he went into Doe's house with an empty bag. Q. How long did he remain in Doe's house? - A. No longer than they filled the bag; two women brought it down full, and he came out of the house with it full. Q. Did you watch him to see where he carried that full bag to - to what place did he carry it to?- A. He carried it to a tobacconist's in Golden-lane. Q. Was that Cable's? - A. I believe that was the name. Q. How long did he stay in Cable's house? - A. About a minute or two; when he came out, he had no bag, as I saw then, at all, and in about ten minutes he returned to Doe's house; then I saw he had a bag in his hand when he came to Doe's house. Q. Did you hear him say any thing when he came to Doe's house? - A. He said, I have brought your bag, Mrs. Doe, and when he came out again he had a large parcel; I watched him; he took that to Golden-lane to the same place. Q. In his way to Golden-lane did he meet with any body? - A. When you go from Noble-street to Golden-lane you have to cross Old-street, and when he came as far as Golden-lane, Higgins came to the side of him, and said something to him, which I could not hear. Q. What did Clark do immediately after Higgins said something that you could not hear? - A. He went on, and Higgins went alongside of him till they came to the tobacconist's shop; Higgins crossed over, and Clark took that into Cable's likewise; then Armstrong came sometime after that. Q. Armstrong was fetched by the order of your mother? - A.Yes. first of all to Noble-street; he went into Mr. Doe's house. Q. Did you go in with him? - A. No; I saw him come out, and then I went with him to the tobacconist's shop. Q. Did you see him take Higgins? - A. No. Q. Was that the shop in which you had seen Clark take the parcels? - A. Yes; we went into the shop; we asked if any thing had been left in the shop, and while we were there Clark came in, and I pointed out Clark to Mr. Armstrong; Clark said he came in for half an ounce of tobacco; Mr. Armstrong took him. Cross-examined by Mr. Knapp. Q. What you have been speaking of now, relates to the 12th of July? - A. Yes. Q. With respect to what passed on the 11th of July, you know nothing at all of? - A. No. Q. Therefore all that you saw pass was at Doe's house, which is in the country of Middlesex? - A. Yes. Q. When you saw Clark go into the house, he had an empty bag - you saw him bring things out, but did not see him take any thing in the bag? - A. No, only an empty bag. Q. Had you ever seen Clark before this time in your life? - A. Never in my life. Q. Do you mean to swear positively to the person of a man that you had never seen before? - A. I saw him walk up and down; I knew him again, I can swear to him. Q. Have you had any conversation upon this business with Mr. Armstrong? - A. No. Q. You never heard that there is a forty pounds reward? - A. Never in my life. SUSANNAH BLACKWELL sworn. - Examined by Mr. Gurney. Q.You are the wife of Robert Blackwell , the first witness? - A. Yes. Q. On the morning of the 12th of July, did you look into the street? - A. Yes, as soon as I had dressed myself. Q. When you looked into the street, what did you observe? - A. I saw nothing extraordinary at Mrs. Doe's door then, but some straw at the door. Q. Did you afterwards see Mrs. or Mr. Doe? - A. I saw Mr. Doe come out with some bread and butter and a bottle in his hand; he was eating, and after Mr. Doe went out, Mrs. Doe came down stairs and swept the door; she swept it into the kennel. Q. What became of the straw? - A. The remains of the straw laid in the kennel; she swept it from her door a good way down the street; I saw Clark come up about five o'clock, or after, he was alone with Mrs. Doe; they came out of Doe's house together, and went to the wine-vaults at the corner, and returned together, and they stood in the street talking together as they came out of the door; I was as close to them, and closer, than I am to you: I heard Clark say he would see her husband at breakfast time, at nine o'clock; I saw Clark come back again with a man very much like a Jew about half an hour afterwards; he went up stairs. I went and told Mr. Geary, and when I came back I saw Mr. Higgins and another man standing at the bottom of Noble-street; Higgins kept looking up the street; I passed him, and looked him full in the face, I am positive it was him; I went up to my own door; I saw Clark go up stairs; I did not see him come down at that time. After that, in about half an hour, Higgins returned home; after that I saw Clark turning out of Noble-street with a bag at his back full of something, and go up Gee-street. Q. Is that the way to Golden-lane? - A. Yes, you can turn down there to Golden-lane, and I saw a man with him, and when he saw me he drew his head back. Q. Who was that man? - A. Higgins; I saw no more of Higgins till I saw Mr. Armstrong. - ARMSTRONG sworn. - Examined by Mr. Gurney. Q. In consequence of information on the 12th of July, in the morning, did you go to Doe's house in Noble-street? - A. About eight o'clock, or a quarter after, when I went to Doe's house, Mrs. Doe was sitting at the bottom of the stairs (that goes up from the one pair of stairs to the twopair) with a child in her arms. I then asked her if she had any goods brought in there that morning; she said she did not know; I said, do you let any place out; she said she let a room out to a decent man, and I believe his name is Brown; I then passed her, and I went up two pair of stairs, and these goods that are here now were all lying on the floor with the packages open, and the padlock of that door was lying in the window, and no person in that room. Q. Did you ask her how these goods came? - A. I asked her if they were her own; she said, no, she knew nothing about them; I then sent for a coach, and we were putting a number of packages in the coach, leaving an officer up stairs, another with Mrs. Doe, and another with the coach; I received information from Blackwell. Q. In consequence of what Blackwell told you, did you go towards Goswell-street? - A. Yes, I was crossing it, when I saw a person standing at the end of Compton-street; I was not near enough to know the face of that man at that time. Q. The end of Compton-street is opposite to Noble-street? - A. It is not opposite, it is in that direction; that person, as I crossed over the road, saw I was walking fast towards him; I could perceive his eye caught me; he turned round, and began a fast trot at first; I called out, stop thief; then he ran, and I ran after him. When I turned into Compton-street, I saw Higgins walking, I dare say he was twenty-five yards before me down the street; I said, Higgins, I want you. Q. And you took him? - A. I did. Q. Are you able to say whether that person that ran from the corner was Higgins or not? - A. I should believe that it was, it had every appearance of him except the face, which I did not see at that time. Then I brought Higgins to where the coach was and the other officers, and I turned him round and said, look at the back of this man's coat; the back of his coat was covered all over with flew; his coat had that sort of flew on it which would have come on a coat if a person had been carrying parcels of that kind; I put him in the coach with Mrs. Doe and the officers, and the coachman drove the coach, I walking by the side of that coach to the end of Golden-lane. Q. Did you then, in consequence of information that you received from Joseph Blackwell , go to Cable's? - A. Joseph Blackwell , Mason, and I, went to the house of Cable, in Golden-lane; he is an headborough of St. Luke's, we went in there. Q. Did you find there any other goods? - A. I did, I produce them; these were under the counter in the shop, (shewing them,) and these were up one pair of stairs; I found two parcels at Cable's, they are Manchester goods, cottons, and corduroys. While I was there, the prisoner Clark came in; I said to Mason, secure him; I turned him round, and shewed his coat to Mason, his coat was just like Higgins's; then I took them and the goods to the Office; I have had the care of them ever since, they have been under my lock and key. Q. When was Doe taken up? - A. He was taken up the next day. Cross-examined by Mr. Knapp. Q. I understood you that Cable was headborough, and Clark came there, did he not come in for some tobacco; Cable keeps a tobacconist's shop? - A. He did come in, and I believe he might say something about tobacco. Mr. Reynolds. Q. Mrs. Doe told you that a man lived there of the name of Brown, did not she tell you that was his apartment where the goods were found? - A. She told me that she knew nothing about them. Q. You have every reason to think that this apartment was Brown's? - Court. Q. You know nothing but what she said? - A. Nothing else. Jury. Q. Was there any thing in the room that appeared like furniture? - A. Yes, very poor furniture; there was a chain or two, and a bedstead shut up, and a bed that no person could lie on. JOHN RAY sworn. - Examined by Mr. Gleed. Q. You are an officer? - A. I am. Q. Did you search the house of Doe? - A. I did, on Saturday, the 30th of July, between two and three o'clock, in company with Armstrong, Mason, and the prisoner Doe. Q. Doe at that time was in custody? - A. He was; we went up into his apartment. Q. Into what part of the house did you go to? - A. The one pair of stairs; we went into the room where they lived, we were searching the drawers, Doe standing by, and this print, which I produce, was in the drawers, one gown piece; Doe wanted to secrete something that was on the side of it, another gown piece; here are two gown pieces that were found in the drawer in that room; the prisoner Doe seemed very much alarmed, he wanted to go towards a chest that was in that room; I went to the chest, I found it locked; I asked where the key was, Doe looked round, took it off a nail, and gave it me; in the chest I found this quilting; when I took it out, I was proceeding to search further; he said, you have no occasion to give yourself further trouble, you have got all; he begged to take some money out of the chest. Q. What was contained in the chest besides? - A.Wearing apparel; and when the box was going to be shut down, he said, there is some money at the bottom, he might as well take that with him. PETER MASON sworn. - Examined by Mr. Gurney. Q. Do you know any thing more than Armstrong? - A. No, I was present all the time of the search. JOHN RICHARDS sworn. - Examined by Mr.Gurney. Q. Are you the warehouseman in the service of Mr. Smith? - A. I was at that time. Q. In the first place, look at that gown piece, and the other pieces, and the quilting? - A. These are the same patterns that were in Mr. Smith's warehouse. Q. Do you know them at all to be taken from Mr. Smith's warehouse? - A. We compared them at the Public Office, they had been torn at Mr. Smith's warehouse, they were in whole pieces. Q. Then all you know they were whole pieces at the time they were taken away from the warehouse? - A. Yes, and they were found part in one place and part in another; there was no marks on any of the goods except the dimities. Q. Did you lose goods corresponding to all the goods that are produced here? - A. We did; I had taken an inventory a few days before. Q. When you looked over the goods, did you find them to be all that were taken from there? - A. They took about twenty-four pounds more. Court. Q. Have these dimities your mark on them? - A.They have my marks, No. 1, 2, and 3; they were lost from our warehouse that night. Armstrong. They were all found at Doe's. Mr. Gurney. (To Richards.) Independant of these you had marked, you lost all these articles? - A. Yes. Q. Had any of them been purchased of Mr. Pritchard? - A. Yes, the goods found at Doe's, they were part of the invoice. Mr. Knapp. (To Richards.) Q. Did you attend the Commissioners of Bankrupts at the time the assignees were examined - do you remember Mr. James Smith laying claim to the goods before the Commissioners? - A. I was not before the Commissioners with Mr. Smith, I was below stairs in the coffee-room. Q. What has become of Mr. William Smith ? - A. I cannot say; he is gone abroad, I believe. Court. Q. He became a bankrupt, and has not appeared to his commission? - A. No. Q. How long before he absconded? - A. I cannot say; Mr. James Smith , the brother, was continually backwards and forwards at this warehouse. Q. Do you know that they were concerned together at this warehouse? - A. Never, in my hearing. CHARLES BLYTH sworn. - Examined by Mr. Gleed. Q. On the evening of the 11th, you were at this warehouse? - A. I was. Q. Did you look over the goods in the warehouse? - A. Not particularly on that evening; I observed the marseilles quilting was in that warehouse, they were my goods; I sold them to Mr. Smith, here is my mark upon it. Q.(To Mr. James Smith .) Is there any of this property you can speak to as having seen in your brother's warehouse the night before the robbery? - A. I saw the wrapper, which contains part of the goods, in my brother's warehouse; I can swear to it, it has W. S. L. there was part of the wrapper taken and the other part left, they had cut it. Mr. Knapp. Q. Upon your oath, did not you say before the Magistrate that you were interested, and claimed a part of these goods? - A. I did not. Armstrong. That marseilles quilting was found at Cable's. JOHN PRITCHARD sworn. - Examined by Mr. Gurney. Q. Had you sold any goods to Mr. William Smith shortly before this robbery? - A. I had; I can speak to the printed calicoes, they have got my name on them; I had frequently seen them at his warehouse after I had sold them. Armstrong. They were all found at Doe's. Q.(To Mr. James Smith .) You are the person who locked the warehouse door? - A. Yes, I double-locked it; it had a catch besides, which fastened of itself. Q.(To Young.) In the morning in what state did you find the catch? - A.The catch was fastened up with a piece of wood. Q.(To Richards.) Were these goods in the warehouse the night before the robbery? - A. They were, I am sure of it, because I had taken an inventory of them; they were not there the morning after the robbery. Mr. Reynolds. There is not sufficient evidence to go to the Jury with respect to Doe and his wife. Court. With respect to Doe, it will be evidence to go to the Jury; and respecting the wife, how far she is implicated in any thing without the presence of her husband, we shall see; probably that may be the result upon looking over the evidence. Clark's defence. I am conscious of my innocency, I have been always honestly employed; I have called upon Young, the porter, several times; he knew me, and that I was in a respectable situation; I called on him out of friendship, I work for Messrs. Wynne and Ayres. There is no proof whatever that I committed the robbery, I was going to work when I called into Mr. Cable's, and asked for half an ounce of tobacco. Higgins's defence. As to what Mr. Armstrong has been saying about my coat, it was a coat that I used to wear of a morning, and used to go up and down there in that street two or three times of a day. Doe left his defence to his Counsel. Higgins, GUILTY, aged 34 Clark, GUILTY, aged 32, William Doe , GUILTY, aged 35, Of stealing only . Transported for seven years . Mary Doe , NOT GUILTY . London Jury, before Mr. Justice Le Blanc.