Sarah Slater

343

Maureen Withey on 12th February 2020

Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 8.0, 12 February 2020), September 1805, trial of SARAH SLATER , alias MORGAN (t18050918-52). SARAH SLATER, Violent Theft > robbery, 18th September 1805. 573. SARAH SLATER , alias MORGAN , was indicted for feloniously making an assault upon Elizabeth Cummings, on the 21st of August , putting her in fear, and feloniously taking from her person, two waistcoats, value 20 s. two shirts, value 20 s. four pair of stockings, value 4 s. five neck handkerchiefs, value 10 s. and one pocket handkerchief, value 1 s. the property of James Cummings . Second Count. For the same offence, only laying part of the goods to be the property of James Bayley , and the other part to be the property of William Ingle . ELIZABETH CUMMINGS sworn. - Q. How old are you? - A. I was nine years old last January. Q. Have you learned your catechism? - A. Some of it. Q. Have you learned any prayers? - A. Yes. Q. Do you know that it is a wrong thing to tell a lie? - A. Yes. Q. Suppose you were to tell a lie is that a bad thing? - A. Yes. Q. What do you think will happen to you if you are sworn, and say that which is not true? - A. Go to hell. Q. Were you carrying any thing near Shoreditch a little while ago? - A. I was taking two bundles home from a gentleman in Shoreditch, on a Wednesday, about a month ago as nigh as I can guess, about four o'clock. Q. You did not know what were in the bundles, did you? - A. No. Q. Did any body say any thing to you as you were going along? - A. Yes, Sir; she that stands at the bar took them out of my hand. (Pointing to the prisoner.) Q. Was she meeting you, or did she overtake you? - A. I met her by Shoreditch-church ; she took the two bundles out of my hand, and then gave them to a man. Q. Did the man go away with them? - A. Yes; she took me up a nasty place. Q. That was after the bundles were taken away from you, and given to the man? - A. Yes, and she said if I did not hold my tongue, she would chuck me in the ditch. Q. The man was gone with the bundles then, was not he? - A. Yes. Q. Did any body come by at the time? - A. Yes, Mr. Durmaine came by. Q. You were crying, I suppose? - A. Yes. Q.Are you sure that it was the woman that is at the bar? - A. Yes. Q. Did Mr. Durmaine stop her? - A. Yes. Q. Were the bundles brought back? - A. No. Prisoner. I never saw the child, I was never near Shoreditch-church. - DURMAINE sworn. - The woman had followed the child from Shoreditch-church to the City-road; she took the bundles from the child in the City-road; I saw the child crying as she was coming and running out of a passage in the City-road ; I enquired what was the matter; she pointed to a woman in the City-road, and gave me information near by the gate-house; I called out to the woman, and she turned down the first turning which turns down to Peerless-pool; I ran after her, and desired the child to follow; I overtook her, and asked her what she had done with the child's clothes; she replied she had never seen the child; I asked her what she did down the passage with the child, and the child said she had taken the clothes; she then said she had seen the child down the passage, she took her there to stand before her while she made water. WILLIAM BAYLEY sworn. - Q. Do you know any thing of that little girl? - A. Yes: On the 21st of August I gave her one bundle of clothes to take home to her mother to be washed; the things have never been found. WILLIAM INGLE sworn. Q. Had you given any bundle to that child? - A. Yes, I had given my things to her to take home to her mother; she washed for me. Q.(To the child.) Are these the two persons from whom you received the bundles? - A. Yes. Q. And they were the same bundles that you received from these men, that the woman at the bar took away from you? - A. Yes. Q. Are you sure that is the woman who took the bundle out of your hand? - A. Yes, it was that woman. Prisoner's defence. I never saw the child; I was coming along the City-road, and that gentleman called to me; I heard him say to the child, you say that is the woman that stopped you; he said so, and the Magistrate reprimanded him for it; I had never been near Shoreditch-church at that time; what that gentleman says, is as false as God is true. GUILTY, aged 36, Of stealing, but not violently from the person . Transported for seven years . Second Middlesex Jury, before Mr. Justice Le Blanc.