John Dodson

343

Maureen Withey on 1st May 2022

Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 8.0, 01 May 2022), November 1809, trial of JOHN DODSON (t18091101-29). JOHN DODSON, Violent Theft > highway robbery, 1st November 1809. 838. JOHN DODSON was indicted for feloniously assaulting John Kendrick in the kings highway, on the 22d of October , putting him in fear and taking from his person and against his will, a watch value 4 l. and a pocket book value 1 d. his property . JOHN KENDRICK . On the 22d of October as I was coming down to the bottom of the court to come into Golden Lane , there were two persons laid hold of me the prisoner was one of them, he caught hold of me by the arm, they both laid hold of me, and while the prisoner held me in conversation, I felt a sudden jerk at my pocket, at that time the other held me, I saw the prisoner unbutton his coat, I did not see him take out my watch, I saw the chain hanging out of his waistcoat pocket when his coat was open, it is a gilt watch chain, with two keys and one seal, he put his other hand into my waistcoat, to an inside breast pocket nearly under my arm, he took my pocket book out, and put it into his pocket; I was challenging him with having my watch in the mean time Cullen came up. Q. Had you made any noise to call any body before Cullen came up A. No; I was only challenging the prisoner, Cullen told me that he saw the prisoner put the watch in his pocket, in the prisoner's presence, I had hold of the prisoner by his coat, he immediately gave me a blow which knocked me down, he ran away, and I and Cullen pursued him, he run up a court, there was no passage through the court, and as I went to the bottom of the court I saw him coming down with a knife in his hand; stop thief! was cried out by me and the witness repeatedly, and Prince the officer came up and stopped him, and took him in custody; the other man ran away immediately. The pocket book was found near the place where he was searched. Q. What time of the day was this. A. Between twelve and one. Q. Were you in liquor. A. I had been drinking, but I was sober. No other person run up the court but the prisoner when I was pursuing him. Mr. CULLEN. I live at No. 13, Great Arthur-street. Q. That is near where this robbery took place. A. Yes; I was standing looking out of my window, I saw this Kendrick between two men, towards the bottom of Great Arthur-street, they were holding him by the coat, I saw soon after a watch in the prisoner's right hand, which I saw him put into his right hand waistcoat pocket. Q. The first time you saw him the watch was not in his hand, was it. A. I did not perceive it in his hand. Q. What did he do with that watch? A. He put it into his right hand waistcoat pocket, I still kept looking at him; I saw Kendrick put his hand down to his breeches, as if to feel for something; I judged then there was something amiss, I opened the front door, I heard Kendrick say he had lost his watch, I supposed they were acquaintances, I said your friend has got your watch in his right hand waistcoat pocket. Then he made his escape and ran away, and I followed after, by my following of him and the alarm of stop thief, he ran into a court in Golden Lane, where there was no thoroughfare; he returned, and I followed him with Mr. Kenrick up Golden Lane, I saw Prince the officer standing in the middle of the street he stopped him and took him into his house and searched him, I said you will find the watch in his right hand waistcoat pocket; I came away and a man a stranger that followed him as well as myself, we went up the court to search for the watch, we could find none, I returned and went home, I heard the watch was found, that is all know of my own knowledge except what I have heard. JOSEPH PRINCE . I am an headborough of St. Luke Q. Did you see the prisoner in Golden-lane on the 22d of October - A. Yes, the prisoner was running up Golden-lane towards Old-street; I saw a great mob, I heard the cry of stop thief, as I was in Golden-lane, I went to stop him, he up with his fist, he said you b - r I will knock you down if you offer to stop me; I collared him with my left hand and seized him with my other hand, we had a bit of a scuffle, I took him into my own house and searched him, I found nothing upon him but his knife. This pocket-book was just at my back door. I stopped him a great way from Arthur-street, where he started. The watch was found by Mr. Walden. MR. WALDEN. I am a corn-chandler, 64, Golden-lane; I heard the alarm of stop thief on the 22d of October; I believe, about one o'clock, I saw the prisoner running down Turks-head court, he crossed Golden-lane, and went into Bannister-court where there was no thoroughfare, he returned in a very short time. I turned down that court to make a search, there we found nothing in the court; I afterwards went through my own house into my back yard. In Bannister court there is a wall about five feet high, and the paling about three feet; at the top of the wall the paling is not close, a person might put his hand through between the paling and the wall. I looked out of my own yard, and saw the watch lay behind the wall of Bannister-court; I went over my yard into that yard and picked it up, and went through my neighbour's house into the street again. I took the watch to Mr. Prince's house, the prosecutor Kendrick was there, I desired him to explain what kind of a watch it was, before I gave it to the officer; he described the name and the number, and the chain and seal answered to his description Q. to Prince. Have you got the watch - A. Yes, and the pocket-book. Court. Shew it to the Prosecutor. Prosecutor. This is my watch, and the chain and seal is mine, and the pocket book is mine; I believe it is in the same situation now as when I lost it. GUILTY - DEATH , aged 27. First Middlesex Jury before Lord Ellenborough. -------------------------------------------------- Sheerness Hulks – HO-9-7_1 Received 24 Jan 1810. John Dodson, age 27, Cap. Respited, Tried Middlesex, 1 Nov 1809, Life, NSW Transported 22 June 1810.