Jeremiah Dacey

135

C H on 17th February 2024

Old Bailey Online HENRY HOWE. JEREMIAH DACEY. Theft; pocketpicking. 2nd March 1840. Text type Trial account Defendants HENRY HOWE, JEREMIAH DACEY Offences Theft > Pocketpicking Session Date 2nd March 1840 Reference Number t18400302-859 Verdicts Guilty, Guilty Punishments Transportation 859. HENRY HOWE and JEREMIAH DACEY were indicted for stealing, on the 1st of February, 1 handkerchief, the goods of a man unknown, from his person. JOSEPH DAVIES LEATHART . I am a house-decorator. On the 1st of February, about four o'clock in the afternoon, I saw the two prisoners together between Crown-street and Charles-street—I thought all was not right—I watched, and saw an old gentleman walking along—he stopped at one or two shops—the two prisoners passed on behind him—he stopped and they stopped—he went on, and they followed—the gentleman stopped at a tailor's shop, then went on again, and Dacey took the bottom of his coat pocket with his left hand, and put his other hand in, he pulled the handkerchief nearly out—Howe then went up and pulled it out, and passed it to Dacey, who put it into his pocket—Howe passed ahead of the gentleman, and Dacey kept behind—I then crossed, went up to Dacey, and caught him, and Howe crossed the road then—I said to Dacey, "What have you got?"—he said, "Nothing"—I said, "Yes, you have"—he then pulled out an old handkerchief—I said, "Not that; what have you else?"—he would not take his other hand out of his pocket—I took it out, and this handkerchief was in it—he said, "Don't, don't, you may have it"—I took him across the road, and missed the gentleman; and as I got near Meux's brewhouse I saw Howe coming, running very fast, to run to the rookery—I called out, "Stop him"—I gave Dacey to an officer, and pursued Howe to Bedford-square, and on through Percy-street, where he was stopped—I said, "You have given me a pretty good run"—he looked up and said, "Should you have known me if I had not come after you?"—I said, "Yes"—I then went to see for the gentleman, but could not find him—I do not know his name. Cross-examined by MR. THOMPSON. Q. Have you tried to get into the police? A. I could have done it long ago—I could not get to the gentleman, because Dacey would not go very quietly, when I was first going towards the gentleman, but when I came the other way he came more quietly—when I saw Howe at the end of Tottenham-court-road I turned round, and he cut off, and I ran after him—I hallooed, "Stop thief," and there was a man very near him then—I had seen Howe before. Dacey. I did not say, "You may have it." Witness. You did, and then said the handkerchief was yours. GEORGE JOHN RESTIEAUX . I am a policeman. I heard the cry of "Stop thief," and took Dacey from Mr. Leathart—while taking him to the station-house he said he did not take it out of the gentleman's pocket, it was down by his feet, and, pointing to Leathart, he said, "He took it out of my pocket"—I found 3s. 4d. on him. JAMES PORTER . (police-sergeant E 1.) About four o'clock in the afternoon I took Howe from Leathart—he asked me what punishment he was liable to—I said, "From ten to fifteen years, transportation"—he said if he got over this he would be careful of himself, and had he known that Leathart had not been one of us he would have given him something for himself. (John Wright, of Fetter-lane, gave Howe a good character. Edward Miers, King's Arms-court; Mary Johnson, New Inn-yard; Ellen Brady, Crown-street; and Mary King, Tottenham Court-road; gave Dacey a good character.) HOWE*— GUILTY . Aged 18. DACEY*— GUILTY . Aged 16. Transported for Ten Years.