Richard March

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D Wong on 11th March 2017

Old Bailey: RICHARD MARCH, Theft > extortion, 21st February 1828. Offence: Theft > extortion Verdict: Guilty Punishment: Transportation RICHARD MARCH was indicted for that he, on the 12th of September , unlawfully, maliciously, and feloniously, did accuse George Daniel Wilson of a crime punishble by law with transportation, (i. e.) with feloniously stealing from the person of the said Richard March a 10l. Bank note, his property, with intent to extort from the said George Daniel Wilson the sum of 10l., his monies; against the Statute PETER HARDY , ESQ. I am a Magistrate of the County of Middlesex. The prisoner came to me on the evening of the 12th of September, to make a complaint against the present prosecutor; he charged him with having stolen a 10l. note out of his pocket, at a public-house in Enfield; I understood it was on the 11th (the day before). I asked him where he got the 10l. note; he said from the auctioneer at Mr. Cook's sale, and it had been in his left hand breeches-pocket (there had been a sale a Mr. Cook's just before); I asked if he knew the number; he said he had it on a bit of paper at home, and that the auctioneer had it also in his book; I remanded the prosecutor till next morning, and then took this deposition from the prisoner - I had known him before very well - he is a labouring man, a little dealer in horses, cows, and such things; in this deposition, the nex day, he states that he had the money for a cow which he had sold. In consequence of finding that a 10l. note had not been paid to the prisoner, I discharged the prosecutor; this is his deposition - (read.) "The loose 10l. note I received on Tuesday last of a person I don't know, for a cow which I sold for 12l. 14s. I put the whole of this money loose into my pocket; this was in the afternoon." GEORGE DANIEL WILSON . I am a shoemaker, and live with my father, at Enfield. In September last I saw the prisoner in a public-house at Enfield, about half-past nine o'clock in the evening; I did not rob him of a 10l. note, nor take a 10l. note from him; he did not say any thing to me that night, nor make any charge against me; but about eight o'clock the next morning he sent for me; I asked what he wanted; he said, nothing, but to sit down and drink with him; about three o'clock that afternoon, he asked me to give him that piece of paper I took from him - I had not taken any thing from him of any sort of kind; he said I had taken a 10l. not from him; I told him I had not; some words ensued - he sent for a constable, and gave charge of me: I was taken to Mr. Hardy's. He said if I would give him 5l., he would pay half the expences, if I would pay the rest, and spend half a sovereign; I did not accede to that, and was kept in custody all night; next morning I was discharged: this proposal was made after I was in custody. I am a shoemaker; I am twenty-three years of age, and knew the prisoner; we always lived neighbours together; I never had any words or quarrel with him before - it was on Tuesday night, the 11th of September, that I was in the public-house with him, and on the morning of the 12th he sent for me; I sat down, and drank with him; he said nothing to me about the note then, but at three o'clock in the afternoon he sent for me again, and said I had taken a piece of paper. GEORGE DANIEL WILSON , SEN. I am the prosecutor's father. I met the prisoner on Wednesday evening, the 12th of September, after my son was in custody - I met him accidentally in the road, and he told me my son was in the watch-house: I said, "For what?" he said for robbing him of a 10l. note the night before; but he said he did not wish to hurt him, and if I would pay him a 10l. note he would make it up, if I would pay the expences, and spend 5s. - he did not say the 10l. note, but a 10l. note; he afterwards said he supposed I had not 10l. to give him, if I would give him 5l., he would take the other by instalments, but he still proposed that I should pay the expences, and spend 5s.: the next morning we we went to the Magistrate's - he still proposed to make it up, but I would not. COURT. Q. What were the words he used? A. He said we had better make it up, and I said, "No, I will not;" I am sure he used that expression - the talk about making it up all came from him; I had never had any dispute with him, nor had my son, to my knowledge - I do not think that I ever saw him with a 10l. note in my life. GEORGE MEAD . I am a constable of Enfield. I took up the prosecutor, on the prisoner's charge for stealing a 10l. note. CHARLES GREY . I am servant to Mr. Goats, a butcher, of Enfield. One Wednesday in September last, I saw the prisoner at the door of the Fallow Buck public-house, at Enfield; I saw him and another offering to sell a cow to two gentlemen in a chaise-cart, in the road, at the door - I saw them pay for it, it was in sovereigns, half sovereigns, and silver; the cow was sold for 12l. 14s. - I am accustomed to the sale of cattle; the gentleman gave the prisoner a shilling over, which he was to give to the drover, and he was to give him another shilling himself; this was a day or two before the prosecutor was taken up. GEORGE FIELD . I was present at the sale of the cow - it was all paid for in sovereigns, half sovereigns, and silver; there was no 10l. note at all. MARTIN NANGLE . I bought the cow of the prisoner, and paid him for it in sovereigns, half sovereigns, and silver - I am quite sure I did not pay him any 10l. note. The prisoner put in a long written defence, stating that he had been paid for the cow in coin, but had a 10l. note in his pocket which the prosecutor had seen; that as they were drinking at the Rose and Crown public-house, the prosecutor had put his hand into his pocket, and on drawing it out, the prisoner saw his 10l. note in his hand, which he demanded, and the prosecutor refused to deliver it up then, but promised to return it presently; the prisoner suffered him to leave the house with it, as they were on friendly terms; that he called on him next morning for it, and the prosecutor promised to return it if he would go and drink at the Rose and Crown, where they went; but after many excuses, as the prosecutor did not return it, he sent for a constable, and gave him in charge. COURT to PROSECUTOR. Q. Were you at any time in any public-house with him when you asked him to show you his money? A. No, nor did he ever show me any money; he never accused me of putting my hand into his breeches pocket, and taking out his money - we were only in one public-house that day, which was the Rose and Crown. GUILTY - Aged 50. Transported for Life. 1836: TOL Windsor 1/7/1843: CP

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Madeline Rees on 11th March 2017

he gained his freedom after a few years lived in New South wales continued to farm and died in 1848