Joseph Parish

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C H on 25th March 2024

Old Bailey Online JOSEPH PARISH. Theft; pocketpicking. 17th October 1833. Text type Trial account Defendants JOSEPH PARISH Offences Theft > Pocketpicking Session Date 17th October 1833 Reference Number t18331017-18 Verdicts Guilty > With recommendation Punishments Transportation 1422. JOSEPH PARISH was indicted for stealing, on the 21st of September , 1 watch, value 6l.; 1 seal, value 3s.; 1 watch key, value 6d.; 2 split rings, value 5s.; 1 watch ribbon value 6d., and part of a watch guard, value 1d., the goods of Daniel Cookson , from his person . SAMUEL JAMES VAUGHAN . I live at No. 23, Great Leonard-street, Shoreditch. On Saturday evening, the 21st of September, a few minutes before nine o'clock, I was in Lower Thames-street , and saw the prisoner put his arms on Mr. Cookson's shoulder; he then walked up St. Mary's-hill, through Cross-lane, St. Dunstan's-alley, into Tower-street, and the superintendent took him into custody in Tower-street. Cross-examined by MR. CLARKSON. Q. Are you in any service or business? A. No; I had been over the water, and was coming home - I lived in Butcher-row, Ratcliff-highway then; that is about half a mile from Thames-street - I lived with my mother and father there; I had been at home that day - I had been to my grandmother's, and was coming home; it was ten minutes before nine o'clock at night - I never saw the prisoner before; I was before the Lord Mayor - there is a man named Barnes here; he was not with me, but he spoke to me about the robbery - I met him there; it was darkish - I saw nothing taken from the prosecutor. Q. Why not go up to the gentleman and tell him what you had seen? A. Because he was coaxing him along - there was about twenty or thirty persons there; there had been a fight; I stood and looked at it - there was a mob, perhaps about a dozen persons were round the gentlemen; the prisoner was the innermost of them; he was behind the gentleman - there were a great many about him - I was coming down Thames-street, and so were they; I overtook them; the prisoner was the nearest, and he had his arm on his shoulder - I was looking at the gentlemen; I got before them - I was in the road walking along; they were not quite sober - one was quite sober, and the other was not - the gentleman who was sober is not here; the sober gentleman was the companion of the drunken one; he was much nearer to the prosecutor than I was - he had hold of his arm; he did not see the watch taken out; he had a much better opportunity of seeing what passed than I had - he did not go to St. Mary's-hill; they stopped, and then the prisoner went away - I followed him up St. Mary's-hill; he walked, and I followed him, because I was told by Barnes that he had stolen a watch - I said, "Let us follow him," and we did; there was no constable in Thames-street; I did not see one - when he was given in charge there was another man by the side of him; he was about the same height as the prisoner - I saw him run away after the prisoner was taken into custody; I heard the prisoner call out to him to stop; I think he called Bill - I saw them both there from the beginning of the transaction. WILLIAM BARNES . I was in Thames-street, on the 21st, and saw the prisoner take the watch away from Mr. Cookson; he had hold of Mr. Cookson with his left arm, and took the watch with his right hand; then walked along Thames-street, up St. Mary's-hill, into Tower-street - I spoke to Vaughan, and we followed the prisoner; he was given into custody in Tower-street, by Vaughan - I was not in Vaughan's company, I merely fell in with him accidentally. Cross-examined. Q. Where had you been? A. I lodge almost opposite where it happened - I was not in any service at the time; I am out of service - I saw a mob in the street and went out - I think Vaughan had as good an opportunity of seeing all that passed; I have been out of service about three months, but get sixpence now and then with steam-boats, and doing little jobs - I did not get any thing for this - I have been in the service of the Earl of Litchfield - I left him a few months ago. DANIEL COOKSON . On the evening of the 21st of September, I was in Thames-street, a little before nine o'clock, in company with another gentleman - we met two porters carrying logs on their shoulders, which they would have brought in contact with our heads, had we not raised our arms, and pushed them aside - on doing that they became abusive, and a number of persons came round us - somebody at the same time crying out, "Go it, go it" - a regular attack was made on us; we were struck by various men, and I received blows both before and on the back part of my head, and so did the gentleman with me - we were both knocked down and thrown down, and had no opportunity of seeing any transaction concerning the watch; we had enough to do to take care of ourselves - I recollect somebody having hold of me, and saying, "Go along, go along;" I lost my watch, but did not miss it till I was free of the crowd - I was about leaving London; I had taken leave of some friends, and had drank freely, and it took effect on me more than I expected - I had not drank a great deal, but it had impaired my recollection - John Thompson produced my watch before the Lord Mayor; it was a silver watch, with a ribbon, seal, key, and gold ring, and a guard which was broken; part of it had been left, part was gone - the ring of the chain remained. Cross-examined. Q. Then the watch must have been taken from you with some degree of violence? A. The guard was very slender, and very little force would break it - I recollect the attack that was made, and I felt the blows severely next day - my friend is not here; he was not called on to give evidence; he knows nothing about it; he had enough to do to take care of himself in the row- the attack was made on us in Lower Thames-street. Q. Was your recollection so impaired that your being knocked down might be all imagination? A. I could not have my clothes soiled as they were, without being in the dirt - I was knocked down and recollect it perfectly - it was directly I got up that I heard a man cry "Go it" - I do not know whether the watch was taken before I was down or after; I did not miss it till I searched to see if I had lost any thing; as soon as we got clear of the crowd - we went into a house there; I do not recollect whether it was a very large crowd - there were more likely ten than one hundred persons - the gentleman who was with me accidentally heard a man was taken, and he went to the station-house and identified the watch. JOHN BLOW . I am an officer. On the night of the 21st of September, I was in Tower-street about ten minutes before nine o'clock; Vaughan and Barnes came to me and asked if I was on duty; I said Yes, he pointed to the prisoner, and said he had robbed a gentleman of his watch - I asked if he was certain he had done it; he said, "I am certain, and he has got the property on him" - I directly stepped behind him collared him, and said, "I want you;" he said, "What do you want of me, I have done nothing;" he directly called to somebody across the road twice, who was dressed in a fustian jacket, and I think fustian trousers, and that person made his escape directly - I took the prisoner towards the watch-house, and about ten yards from the watch-house I knew him, and thought he was going to strike me in the face; I saw his hand rise, and he thrust it into his side pocket; I seized his hand and kept it in his pocket, and took him to the watch-house; and there Thompson said, "Joe, what are you here for?" he said,"I don't know what it is for, unless it is for this," handing this watch forwards - this is the watch. Cross-examined. Q. Did he point out a man? A. Yes; he called to him twice - he did not describe the man's dress; I saw it myself - he did not say to me, or in my hearing, that that man had handed him the watch a minute or two before to look at, to see if he would buy it - I have known him as a waterman three or four years; I cannot speak to his character one way or the other. COURT. Q. In what manner did he call out to the man who went away? A. I think he called "Jem," twice, but I am not quite certain that was the name, he was on one side of the way, and the man on the other, and the second time he called to him he made his escape as quick as he could - I think he said, "Jem, here Jem, stop." JOHN THOMPSON. I am constable of the night of Tower-ward watch-house. I produce the watch which the prisoner gave into my hands - I questioned him, knowing him personally - I said, "Halloo Joe, what are you brought here for?" he said, "I don't know, without it is for this;" he put his hand into his jacket pocket, and pulled out a watch and put it into my hand - I asked how he came by it; he said he had met a man on St. Maryat-hill, who asked him to purchase the watch - I asked if he knew who the man was, or how he came in possession of it; he said he knew the man slightly, but could not describe him to me; but he had no doubt he should be able to find out who it was - I detained him; and about ten o'clock a gentleman, a friend of Cookson's, came to the watch-house - I saw Cookson the following morning, and he claimed the watch. Cross-examined. Q. Have not you known him about twelve years? A. Yes; I never knew or heard anything wrong of him before; he has lived about the neighbourhood for the last ten or twelve years - Blow the inspector had hold of him by the hand, holding his hand in his jacket pocket. DANIEL COOKSON. This is my watch, and seal, and key. Prisoner's Defence. I have nothing more to say - I leave myself entirely in the hands of the gentlemen; they have told the truth as far as I know. Alexander Mitchell , surveyor of the Thames police; George Heath , an owner of boats, 7, Strand-lane; Thomas Wright , Martin's-lane, Cannon-street; Edward King , Swan-lane; Benjamin Lewis , waterman and lighterman, Bermondsey; and George Warwick , waterman and lighterman, Minories; gave the prisoner a good character. JURY to VAUGHAN. Q. You followed the prisoner with Barnes, from Thames-street, to Tower-street; on the way did you see the prisoner converse with anybody? A. When he got to Tower-street, I heard him say to the man, "I wish they may go home safe" - I had not seen that man in Thames-street that I recollect - he was not near enough to the man to receive anything from him; he walked before him, and not near enough to hand the watch to him. WILLIAM BARNES . I saw him speak to the man, but did not hear what he said - he was not near enough to the man to receive anything from him. GUILTY. Aged 47. - Transported for Seven Years . Strongly recommended to Mercy by the Prosecutor and Jury on account of his good character .