Sarah Clark

343

Maureen Withey on 22nd March 2022

Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 8.0, 22 March 2022), September 1832, trial of MARY ANN CURLE SARAH CLARK (t18320906-119). MARY ANN CURLE, SARAH CLARK, Theft > simple larceny, 6th September 1832. 1844. MARY ANN CURLE and SARAH CLARK were indicted for stealing, on the 16th of July , 1 watch, value 2l.; 1 sovereign, 1 half-sovereign, and 1 half-crown , the property of Samuel Hart . SAMUEL HART. I live in Princes-court, Drury-lane, and am a labourer . On the night of the 16th of July I was with Simon Drewitt , in Drury-lane; we met the prisoners - we went to some public-houses, and all four of us drank; I afterwards went with Curle to a house in Charles-street, Drury-lane - I went to bed, but she did not; I had my watch in my pocket, with one sovereign, one half-sovereign, and one half-crown; the money was in a purse; as I laid on the bed, I heard a knock at the door - Clark appeared at the door, and asked for a light; in a minute or two there was another knock, and Clark asked for an- other light; in a minute or two there came a third knock - the light was then put out in the room I was in; the door opened, and the chair was moved from the head of the bed, which had my clothes on, and they both ran down stairs -I got up, and missed my breeches; I called to Drewitt, who was in the room above, and he came running down -I told him - he went down and found my breeches on the stairs, and the purse, which was then empty. Cross-examined by MR. PHILLIPS. Q. I take it for granted you were both pretty far gone in liquor? A. No; it was about half-past twelve o'clock - the first public-house we went to was Wilson's, where we had half a pint of gin amongst five of us - there was a third girl with the prisoners then; I had been with Drewitt to the Crown and Anchor, and had two pots of halfand-half with two or three friends; I cannot say how many - I suppose eight or nine; we had no gin there - we did not leave till twelve o'clock, and then went to Drury-lane - we then went to the public-house in Little Russell-street, and had a pot of half-and-half among the five of us; I was sober - it was Curle put the light out in my room; I had not been in bed more than two minutes - I saw Curle move the chair; the other woman had gone up stairs with Drewitt - I know Clark came twice to the room for a light, but I cannot tell who came when the candle was out. SIMON DREWITT . I live in Drury-lane. I was with Hart; I saw both the prisoners; I went to the room over that in which Hart was; he gave an alarm - I went down stairs, and found his breeches and the purse on the stairs - his purse was empty, and there was no watch in his breeches. Cross-examined. Q. Was not the prosecutor a little tipsy? A. No, he was sober, and so was I - I had been with him to the Crown and Anchor; that was near nine o'clock - there were a great many more persons there - we had a glass of rum and water there, and some halfand-half; we then met the prisoners, and went to the Constitution, where we had half a pint of gin among the five - we then went to another public-house; we had a pot of half-and-half there, and the girls had something short - the prisoners told us the lodging we went to was theirs - the other woman was taken up because I lost some keys out of my pocket, and my purse, but was discharged; I found no other females in the house, but one in the second floor back room - the other woman was with me in the second floor; when I went out of the officer the street door was open, and I met the two prisoners going up stairs. THOMAS PERRING (Police-constable F 1). I took the prisoners between three and four o'clock in the morning on the 16th of July at No. 43, the house adjoining the one described - they were in the garret, and concealed in a dark place - I could not find them till I turned my light on; I found nothing on them, but in the house the prosecutor went to, I found a number of duplicates. Cross-examined. Q. What kind of houses are they? A. They are houses of ill-fame. Curle's Defence. We went to a house in Drury-lane, and the prosecutor sent Smith, the other woman in - they asked 2s. for the room for the night; he said he had not money enough for that, and he would go home with us- the prosecutor went to bed, and I was in a chair, drunk and asleep; I did not awake till the prosecutor called out. CURLE - GUILTY . Aged 19. CLARK - GUILTY . Aged 17. Transported for Seven Years .