Thomas King

135

C H on 17th February 2024

Old Bailey Online THOMAS KING. Theft; theft from a specified place. 21st February 1828. Text type Trial account Defendants THOMAS KING Offences Theft > Theft from place Session Date 21st February 1828 Reference Number t18280221-135 Verdicts Guilty > Theft under 100s Punishments Transportation 616. THOMAS KING was indicted for stealing, on the 13th of February , 6 table-cloths, value 2l.; 1 apron, value 2s.; 1 spencer, value 2s.; 1 jacket, value 10s.; 1 swordscabbard, value 5s.; 1 breast-plate, value 2l., and 2 labels value 1l., the goods of John Briggs , his master, and his dwelling-house . JOHN BRIGGS. I live in Montague-street, Montague-square . The prisoner was in my service - I gave him warning to quit on the 13th of February, in consequence of his staying out without permission, the night before; he had only been in my service four days - I intended to have supplied myself with another servant, and to have got rid of him - these articles are all my property; I do not know what the value of this breast-plate is - it is silver, and so are these labels - I do not know whether any one article is worth 40s. - I saw some of them taken from a bundle, and this label was taken from his pocket. HENRY FREED . I am a constable. Colonel Briggs came for me between five and six o'clock that day, and gave charge of a servant whom he said he wanted to to get out of his house - I went to his house, and when I got in, the maid-servant had hold of the prisoner at the top of the kitchen stairs, and said he was stealing the tablecloths - I took charge of him, and found his own clothes, and these articles tied up in a bundle - I took off his hat, and this sword-scabbard fell out of it - I found this label in his trousers pocket - he had his livery trousers and waistcoat on - I had them pulled off, and he took 2s. out of the trousers pocket. Prisoner's Defence. I was intoxicated - it was not my intention to take the things from the house - I had asked my master's leave to go out the night before, and I would not leave till he had paid me my month's wages. COLONEL BRIGGS. He asked me to go out till eight o'clock, and I sat up till nearly twelve, and he did not come; I had refused to pay him a month's wages because he had been out all night, and was in a state of intoxication; the next day I wished to get rid of him - I had paid him 6s. 4d. for his wages for five days: he brought me a written character, and referred to a Mr. Robinson of Oxford, to whom I wrote; but had no answer for near a fortnight - I saw a Mr. Farley with whose father he had lived many years before. GUILTY. Aged 37. Of stealing to the value of 99s. only , and not being a servant. - Transported for Seven Years .