William Grady

342

Maureen Withey on 5th August 2022

Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 8.0, 05 August 2022), April 1829, trial of WILLIAM GRADY (t18290409-198). WILLIAM GRADY, Theft > pocketpicking, 9th April 1829. 877. WILLIAM GRADY was indicted for stealing, on the 7th of March , 1 watch, value 16l., the goods of David Hughes , from the person of John Pollock . DAVID HUGHES . I live in Frith-street, Soho - I am a watch and clock-maker ; John Pollock is my errand-boy . On the 7th of March I sent him out with three parcels, about three o'clock in the afternoon - one parcel was a watch for Mr. Walker, of Red Lion-street, Clerkenwell JOHN POLLOCK . I shall be thirteen years of age next September - I am errand-boy to Mr. Hughes. In the afternoon of the 7th of March I received this watch to take to Mr. Walker; I got as far as Smithfield - I asked a person in the street for Greenhill's-rents, where I had to deliver a parcel: he said, "Who do you want?" - I said Mr. Willis, and somehow I mentioned my master's name, but I cannot tell why; that person then went away - a boy came up to me soon after, and said, "I have been to Mr. Hughes, and I came from Mr. Willis, I want the work;" he said he would take it to Mr. Willis, and I might go on my errands - he said, "What is for Mr. Willis?" he took the watch out of my pocket, and said,"I know this is for him" - I said, "I know it is not, if you don't give it to me I will cry thieves;" he gave me sixpence to give it to him - I threw it at him, and said, "If you know where Mr. Willis lives, tell me;" he directed me, but it was wrong - an old woman told me where it was, and I went; Mr. Willis told me to make haste home, and just as I got out of Greenhill's-rents again, I saw the boy - I said, "You thief. you only wanted to steal the things from me;" he said, "Hark at that young thief!" and then the prisoner came up and took my part - he said, "What is the matter, my little boy?" I related the circumstance to him; he said, "Come along with me, and I will see that you are not robbed" - we went on together, and then he stopped; I saw the boy come up and speak to him, and the man who had first spoken to me: they all three seemed to be talking together - the prisoner then beckoned me up to him, and said, "Is not this he?" I said Yes; he said to him, "If you don't go along I will box your ears" - the boy then went away, then the prisoner, the man and I went on a little way together; then the man went away - the prisoner and I were alone, and I asked the way to Red Lion-street, as I was going to Mr. Walker's; he went with me as far as the White Bear public-house, and he said, "Come in here, a friend of mine keeps it - the thieves will think you live here, and they will go away;" he called for a glass of gin and water, and three times he asked me to drink some - I refused, and said I was not accustomed to drink it; he asked me a fourth time, and I took it, but did not drink more than a tea-spoonful; he said, "Drink hearty" - I said I was not in the habit of it; I said, "Where is that other gentleman that you spoke to?" he said, "I expect him here presently" - he then related the circumstance to another man, who was there, and the prisoner said to me, "Let me look at the watch, won't you?" I hesitated, and he said, "Do, in your own hand" - then the other man took it, and said it was very pretty; he tried to open it, and gave it to the prisoner - the prisoner kept trying to open it, and said, "Go, and fetch your hat;" I said, "Give me the watch, if you please" - he said, "Go for your hat;" I said, "I will not go till I get the watch" - then the prisoner said he had given it me; he got up and went out, and the other man held my arm; I bit him over the knuckles, and got out - I cried Stop thief! and a gentleman ran after him; he ran up Crown-street , and a person stopped him - I came up and said, "That is the villain that has robbed me of my master's watch," and he gave it to me. MATTHIAS SHORE . I heard Stop thief! called, and saw the prisoner running very fast; I laid hold of him by the coat - he struggled a good deal; the boy came up and said, "That's the man who stole my master's watch," and I saw the prisoner give him a bit of paper - he was given to the officer. MARY SMITH . I keep the White Bear. I had a glimpse of a man who ran out, but I cannot say who it was; I do not know what became of the other person. GEORGE JAMES HAZELTON . I was standing at my shop-door, at four o'clock in the afternoon, on Saturday, the 7th of March - I saw the prisoner running; I hallooed after him, and saw him taken - he said it was a boy, or some such words as that. Prisoner's Defence. I was going by Smithfield-bars, and saw two men quarrelling with a boy; he said they wanted to rob him - I said why did he not give theminto custody; he said he was going into Smith-street, which happened to be in my way - he then said he was going to Mr. Walker's in Red Lion-street; I said I would shew him the place - he said he thought the two men were following him; I said we had better go somewhere first - we went into the White Bear; he then said that he thought he saw the two men, and he wished I would go out and take them: I ran out; they went down St. John's-lane - he went out with me; a young man stopped me. GUILTY . Aged 23. Transported for Life .