William Murray

135

C H on 11th March 2024

Old Bailey Online WILLIAM MURRAY. Theft; pocketpicking. 1st December 1831. Text type Trial account Defendants WILLIAM MURRAY Offences Theft > Pocketpicking Session Date 1st December 1831 Reference Number t18311201-201 Verdicts Guilty Punishments Transportation 201. WILLIAM MURRAY was indicted for stealing, on the 3rd of October , 1 watch, value 3l.; 1 key, value 6d., and 1 watch-ribbon, value 1d., the goods of Joseph Nicholas , from his person . THOMAS TOOLE . I live at No. 20, Hatfield-street, St. Luke's, and am a shoemaker. On Monday afternoon, the 3rd of October, I was at the corner of Gracechurch-street - there was a placard there about the Lord Mayor's election; there was a crowd there, and several persons surrounded the prosecutor and rifled him about - one of them, who I think was the prisoner, took his watch - he was dressed exactly like the prisoner, and he was among those who were hustling the prosecutor; I saw the watch taken from the prosecutor by a person, who I believe to be the prisoner - he put it into his frock coat pocket, behind the party, and then separated directly; some went on one side, and some on the other - I stopped for a moment - the prosecutor missed his watch, and the beadle (Sheppard) crossed over to know what was the matter; I called him; and said, "Mr. Sheppard, there is a person gone along with a frock coat on, who has got the watch;" I followed, went up to the prisoner, and took the watch from his coat pocket behind - Mr. Sheppard collared him, several persons came up, and said, "That is not the person - let him go, and see for the person who has got the watch;" I said, "I have got the watch" - Sheppard let him go, and laid hold of me; the prisoner then got away - I gave the watch to the street-keeper; I afterwards met the prisoner in Lincoln's Inn-fields - there was a crowd, and I saw him go round it several times - he then walked in the direction in which I did; I met a Policeman, and he was taken - I had not an opportunity of seeing the prisoner's face at the moment the street-keeper took hold of him; and I took the watch - I saw his side face. COURT. Q.You said you came in front of him? A. No, my Lord, I did not. Q. Is not this your signature? A. Yes; (reads) -"I went in front of him, and looked him full in the face"- I might have said so, but I saw his side face, and I thought it was the same thing - I am not sure the prisoner is the person who took the watch; there were one or two persons dressed like him. SAMUEL SHEPPARD . I am a ward-officer of Bishopsgate. On the 3rd of October I was in Bishopsgate-street, near the Old London tavern; I saw Toole there - he pointed out a man to me; I have no doubt the prisoner is the man be pointed out - I took him by the collar - Toole was then behind me - he held up the watch, and said, "I have got the watch," and kept drawing back - a mob broke on my arm; I made a dart, caught hold of Toole, and by the assistance of another man I got him into a passage of a house, and here he gave up the watch - this is it; I am certain the prisoner is the man - I saw him in custody in about ten days afterwards. Cross-examined by MR. PHILLIPS. Q.This occurred on the 3rd? A. Yes, and I saw him in custody in about ten days afterwards; I cannot swear it was not a fortnight afterwards - I cannot swear that it was not on the 29th or 30th that I saw him in custody; I have not the summons with me - it was all in the same month; my memory is rather doubtful in that respect; I was rather anxious to take hold of Toole - I suspected him at the time he drew back with the watch - it appeared the more anxious I was to take him the more he drew back; I never saw the prisoner with the watch - I do not know whether Toole looked into the prisoner's face; there was an outcry raised about the watch at the time Toole showed it, and he appeared to be trying to get from me. WILLIAM BONSER . On the afternoon of the 3rd of October I was in Gracechurch-street, and was surrounded by a number of persons, but I cannot swear to the prisoner at all; I had my watch attempted to be taken, and then I heard Mr. Nicholas say he had lost his watch; I was standing by Sheppard, and heard Toole say, "I know the man who has got the watch;" the officer then went into Bishopsgate-street, and about five yards beyond the London tavern there is a gateway; I there saw the officer take a person by the collar - I do not know who the person was, but I saw Toole put his hand into his pocket and take out a watch; there was then a cry on', and I heard some person say, "He is one of them;" Sheppard let the person go, and he walked off very deliberately - I was surprised that he should take hold of a person walking as he did. Cross-examined. Q. You were a little shy of them? A. Yes; I had not known Toole before - it appeared that he was edging off with the watch. JOSEPH NICHOLAS . I am a merchant, and live in Church-court, Clement's-lane, Lombard-street. On the afternoon of the 3rd of October I was at the corner of Gracechurch-street, and was surrounded by a number of persons - I lost my watch, and it was returned to me, by order of the Lord Mayor, by the street-keeper. Cross-examined. Q. Did any thing remarkable occur before you missed your watch? A. No; there was a placard, and my watch was whipt away in a moment - there was nothing touching my hand or arms; no one held my arms. COURT. Q. What happened to you when the gang was about you? A Nothing, but when I got out of the crowd I missed my watch; I was hustled. SAMUEL SHEPPARD re-examined. I delivered up the watch - I said the prisoner was the man I had hold of, but I never saw the watch in his possession. MR. PHILLIPS to THOMAS TOOLE. Q.Have you sworn to day what you swore before the Magistrate? A. Yes, as near as I know - I there stated that the prisoner was the man; I was not asked to swear positively - I was asked if he was the person, and I said Yes; I was not asked if I looked into his face - I did not say I looked full in his face; I am not an officer - when Sheppard went down to the office the officers told him who I was, which removed his doubts about me, and he said, "Why did you not tell me that?" I have been several times examined in a Court of Justice - I was examined this morning; I was examined once last Session - I will not swear that I was not here the Session before that; I do not think I have been here twenty-five times - I think I first began to be a witness about five years ago, when my father and I had both been robbed; I have got about 2l., perhaps, within this last twelve months for my expences, about 6s. a Session; I never said to any one that I knew the whole set of them, and could pull them up. Q. Did you ever say so to this gentleman? A. I said I knew a good many of the parties; I did not say I knew the whole of them - I said I had seen a great many of them in the City several times; I might have said that I knew the whole of them, and could bring them up - my reason for going back with the watch was, I was afraid of having a knock down, and the people said, "That is not the man, look after the man that has got the watch," and I saw several of the gang coming towards me. MR. BONSER. I saw Toole in the watch-house; he told me he knew the whole of them, and could bring them all up. GUILTY . Aged 30. - Transported for Life .