Robert Jones

342

Maureen Withey on 31st August 2025

Tried at the Old Bailey, 18 Sep 1816. 841. ROBERT JONES was indicted for feloniously breaking and entering the dwelling-house of William Griffin , about the hour of four in the forenoon, on the 26th of July , (William Griffin, and other persons in the same dwelling house then being,) and stealing therein, eight sheets, value 38s. five waistcoats, value 1l. three pairs of drawers, 12s. four pillow-cases, value 10s. three petticoats, value 8s. two frocks, value 5s. twelve shifts, value 2l. seven night gowns, value 1l. twelve night caps, value 1l. twelve handkerchiefs, value 2l. and four pairs of stockings, value 10s. his property . WILLIAM GRIFFIN. I remember being called up a few minutes before four o'clock on the morning of the 26th of July, by John Smith, he is a next door neighbour of mine; I am a labourer in the East India House; this here was my property that was stolen. Q.What did you discover when he called you up - A. I heard the alarm by a knocking at the door, and I went backwards, and saw John Smith outside of the garden pales. When I opened the window, he told me something; I observed from the window, some linen lying in the garden; it was on the ground in the garden. I found a window open, the kitchen window where the basket of clothes had stood facing; that kitchen looks into the garden; the basket of linen was in that kitchen the night before, and that linen which I found in the garden, had been with the rest. The basket was half out of the window, and part of the linen was in the garden. Some of the linen was in the garden, and the remainder was in the basket. I went to bed the night before at half past ten; I left that window fastened with a screw then. The window was open, and the screw appeared to have been broken; the window was thrown up, and it appeared to me to have been broken by violence; it had been wrenched with something; the basket stood near to the window the night before, on a dresser facing the window; it could be reached by an arm. Nobody could get to that window without getting over the garden pales. The whole basket was removed from the spot where it was the night before; that was my dwelling-house, and the linen was my property. I did not see the prisoner in my garden; I saw him when he was taken. I did not see him until I took him; we took him in the next garden to my own; I found him in the privy, and we took him to Worship-street. I asked him what business he had there, and he said, he got over to ease himself. I told him there was no necessity for that as there was a large field at the back of the garden. I did not find any linen no any thing about him. JOHN SMITH. I am a neighbour of Mr. Griffin's. I very well remember looking out of my window on the morning in question, it was the 26th of July, the morning that the last witness has been speaking of, it was about a quarter before four, or somewhere there about; I had occasion to get up, and I was standing against my window, and I saw the prisoner plainly; I saw him jump over Mr. Griffin's pales. When I saw him first, he jumped into Mr. Griffin's garden; then I ran down stairs as quick as I could. He had then got the window open. All I can say is it was open when I got there; my house does not adjoin Griffin's; there is a little road between; this was my back window that I was looking out of; my back window looks into his garden; I ran down by his garden pales; the prisoner was in Griffin garden when I got down. He was standing by the window getting the basket out; he was standing still when I came, and was looking about him; he had got the basket half way out of the window; I saw him at the window with the basket half way out; that was after I returned from calling Griffin; I am sure he had hold of the basket; he got out of that garden and went into the next garden; I saw him go over the paces; those were the pales of the garden in which the privy was that he was taken in. I assisted in taking him; Griffin and I were together when he was taken. The basket was left there. William Griffin . Re-examined. I have a few of the things here that were found in the garden; some of them are marked. The whole of the things were of the respective values stated in the indictment; the sheets were very good; they might be worth one pound a pair. Prisoner's Defence. I got up early in the morning of the 26th of July, and I was going along the fields, and had occasion for a private conveniency, and I perceived that there was a milk-woman in the field, and I did not like to expose myself, and I went into that privy, where the gentleman came and found me, and they charged me with this business, and I am very innocent of it. GUILTY - DEATH , aged 19. Second Middlesex Jury, before Mr. Justice Holroyd.