Frederick Land

135

C H on 9th March 2024

Old Bailey Online FREDERICK LAND. Theft; theft from a specified place. 8th May 1837 Text type Trial account Defendants FREDERICK LAND Offences Theft > Theft from place Session Date 8th May 1837 Reference Number t18370508-1376 Verdicts Guilty Punishments Transportation 1376. FREDERICK LAND was indicted for stealing, on the 3rd of April, at St. George the Martyr, Southwark, 36 watches, value 70l.; 5 seals, value 3l.; 10 watch-keys, value 3l.; 20 brooches, Value 10l.; 15 pairs of ear-rings, value 7l.; and 11 rings, value 3l.; the goods of Thomas Gotsell, his master, in his dwelling-house. THOMAS GOTSELL . I am a watch-maker and jeweller, and live in Frederick-place, Old Kent-road, in the parish of St. George the Martyr, Surrey. I occupy the house—I and my family sleep there now, but did not at the time of the robbery—we moved in the next day—at that time we slept in Coburgh-place, Old Kent-road—the prisoner was my errand-boy since October, but I had known him four years—he is nineteen years old I—I had no other man-servant—he slept in the shop to take care of tile I property—it is part of the house, and communicates with it—all my stock I in trade was moved into the house then—the house was being repaired, and I had moved my family to the other place while it was done, and meant to return the following morning to Frederick-place with my family, which I did—on the 3rd of April I left the house, about ten minutes after nine I o'clock in the evening, and the prisoner promised me that he would go to bed I within ten minutes after I left—the doors were all locked when I left, except the private door, which I came out at, and left him to secure—I sent the prisoner round the house to see that all was safe before I left, and I locked all my watches up in a box—I had a key made to toe street door I by Benn, who lives nearly opposite—he only made one key for me—I gave no orders for a second key, and did not know about it till after the robbery—I received information, about eleven o'clock that night, from two neighbours, and went to Frederick-place—I found two or three policemen with the prisoner in the shop, and several neighbours, who were questioning the prisoner how he had spent the evening—I heard him declare that I he had not been out at all—I missed all the watches which had been put I into the box, and all that had been in the window, except one, and all the valuable jewellery was taken out of the shop window, consisting of brooches rings, ear-rings, watch-keys, and seals—there were about three doses watches, worth about 2l. each, averaging one with the other—the other articles were worth at least 40l.—the prisoner said that directly after I left he considered that the men had concealed themselves in the house—that he heard men walking in the passage, and one of them came into the shop and seized him, and threw him on his back by the mat at the shop door, while the two others took away the property—he said they threatened they would make away with him if he made the least noise or resistance—that two of them had large smock-frocks on, with large pockets underneath, into which they put the property—I asked him if he had left the shop at all that night—he said he was just going to make his bed when on came and seized him, and he considered they were in the house before I left said I thought that very strange, when he had looked over the house—he said he did not look at the three pair of stairs—I never slept at that house till the day following—I occupied a house lower down, as this house was not ready for me—I took it at Christmas—the prisoner slept their daily from that time—when he mentioned about being thrown on his back, Mr. Gardiner, a neighbour, asked him to turn round to show his back—he said so, and there was no appearance of dirt on it—Mr. Gardiner then desired him to lay down, and get up, and show his back—he did so, and then it was covered with dirt—this was inside the shop, by the door—there was a mat at that door, and there is always a great deal of dirt from people's feet—the policemen then took him to the station-house—I had locked the box the watches were in, before I went away, and hung the key on a nail in the shop—I found the box still locked, but quite empty—the lock was not forced—I have not found any of my property—I paid the prisoner 7s. a week—he did not board with me, but slept there always from the, time, I took him. JOSIAH BENN . I am a blacksmith, and live opposite Mr. Gotsell I made a key for him about Christmas to lock the street door—I afterwards made another by the prisoner's order—three weeks before the robbery I was over there putting a grating down, and he said he wanted a key to the door to go in and out of an evening, just as be liked—after making it, I asked him for payment—he told me to call next day and he would pay me—I called next day, and he said his master was going to pay me—I then thought it was right, and did not call again for a week fox the money—I have since seen the key I made for the prisoner. Prisoner. Q. Which house did you make the key for master? A. For the house he lives, in now—I did not say I would make your key for an old pewter pot and some old pieces of lead—I said I would give you 3d. for the old pewter pot. Prisoner. There was only one key made to the shop door—I told master there was none and I got this one made. Witness. I made two, one for the master, and one for him. COURT. Q. Did not You. think it right to tell the master of this? A. Yea, but when he said his master would pay or it, I thought it all right. RICHARD LARTER , I am pot-boy at the Castle, public-house, which is about two hundred yards from Mr. Gotsell's. On Monday evening, the 3rd of April, about ten minutes or a quarter past nine o'clock, I saw the prisoner drinking a pint of ale at our bar with a cab man—they stopped about ten minutes or, a quarter of an hour—I did not see them go away, as I was sent out, but I saw them there for that time—I had seen the cap man once before, and the prisoner often before, but not at our house—know the time by going out with my beer. JOHN POCOCK I am a policeman. In consequence of information on the 3rd of April, I went to Mr. Gotsell's house, about eleven o'clock—the private door was open—I saw the prisoner in the shop, and several gentlemen there, with Mr. Gotsell and two or three policemen—I asked the prisoner, distinctly, who he had spoken to outside the house after his master left—he said he bad spoken to no one, nor opened the door after bolting it when his master left—he said he had bolted up all the doors and secured the house immediately that his master left—I pointed out to him the impossibility of any person going into the house without his knowledge—I observed that there were no marks of violence in any part or the house—he said they might have been concealed in the house—Mr. Gotsell heard part of this conversation, but there were a good many people about—I told him to be careful, and said, "You are not obliged to answer these questions, but you had better tell the truth"—Mr. Gotsell was asking hint how the thieves got into the house, and I wished to know, that I might detect the robbers—I did not know who the parties were—1 had-not taken him into custody then—I had not my police dress on, but he knew who I was—I came in with the sergeant—(looking at the examinations)—I know the Magistrate's handwriting to this—I saw the prisoner sign it—the Magistrate cautioned him not to say any thing to criminate himself—Mr. Wedgwood and Mr. Trail both sat as Magistrates—the prisoner's examination was taken down in writing, and read over to him before the Magistrate signed it—(read)—"The prisoner says, about ten minutes after nine o'clock last night, I double-locked my master's door and went to get some supper. I met Brooks—he asked me if I would have some ale—we went to the Castle and had a pint of ale—I did not stop more than five minutes, and Brooks said he was going down East-lane—I went with him to the Rising Sun, in East-lane, where we had another pint of ale—after stopping there some time, I said it was getting late, and I must get towards home—as we walked along, Brooks told me to stop and he went away—he came back to me in about three minutes—we parted near the Deaf and Dumb Asylum, and I went home—I found the door single-locked, the gas was burning, but it was suddenly turned of and I was seized and dragged over the counter, and was held by one of them, while the other two packed up the goods and took them away—they turned the gas on before they went—I think they remained in the house about half an hour—when they went out they locked the door after them and I remained about ten minutes before I gave the alarm. Prisoner's Defence, I know nothing about the robbery whatever—I am entirely innocent. MR. GOTSELL re-examined. Q. Did you allow, him, after your going away at night, to go to a public-house to supper? A. No—I did not allow him to go out at all after I left, and he always told me he never did go out. GUILTY . Aged 19.— Transported for Life.