Richard Staite

221

D Wong on 26th July 2018

Old Bailey: RICHARD STAITE. Royal Offences: coining offences. 14th June 1841 Verdict Guilty > unknown Sentence Transportation RICHARD STAITE was indicted for feloniously and knowingly uttering, on the 3rd of June, a counterfeit half-crown to Sank Perowne, he having been previously convicted of uttering counterfeit coin. MESSRS. BODKIN and DOANE conducted the Prosecution. JOHN DEAYTON. I am the son of the keeper of St. Alban's gaol. I produce a copy of the record of the prisoner's conviction—I examined it myself. Cross-examined by MR. PAYNE. Q. Did you read it all over? A. Yes; the Clerk of the peace read it with me—I am quite certain it is a correct copy—(read)—the prisoner is the person who was convicted. MARY MOSS. I am the wife of Thomas Moss, who keeps the Royal Standard public-house, in Fleming-street, Kingsland-road. On Thursday the 3rd of June, between seven and eight o'clock, the prisoner came to the bar for a glass of gin—I served him—he tendered me a half-sove-reign—I gave him two half-crowns, four shillings, a sixpence, and 4d. in change, which he took, and went into the skittle-ground—he returned in three or four minutes, and called for a cigar, which I had not got—he took a cheroot, which came to 2d.—he paid me that in copper money, and asked me to give him change for the two half-crowns—I made no objection—he put down two on the counter, one on the other—I looked at them, and observed the under one was counterfeit before I touched it—I said, "That is not the half-crown I gave you, "after I had examined it—he made no reply, but instantly took it up, threw down a good one, and walked away from the house—I am positive the half-crown I spoke to him about was a bad one—I am a very good judge of money—I am quite certain it was not one I had given him—I had never seen him before. Cross-examined by MR. PAYNE. Q. Are you sure he is the person? A. Yes—I saw him for about five minutes altogether—only one other person came to the bar—I saw the prisoner again at Worship-street last Friday—J examined the half-crowns I gave him—I took them out of a private drawer, not out of the till—there was nothing particular in the half-crowns—there was 20l. worth of silver there—I cannot say how many half-crowns—there might be 51. worth—it was between seven and eight o'clock in the evening—our lamps were not lighted. MR. BODKIN. Q. You saw it was a bad half-crown before you touched it? A. Yes—it was very much like my counter, which is pewter—persons who are judges of money might have seen it directly. SARAH PEROWNE. I am in the service of Benjamin Poole, who keeps the Old Whitmore's Head public-house, Hoxton. On the 3rd of June, about eight o'clock, or a little after, the prisoner came to our house, which is a very little distance from the Standard—he asked for a glass of ale, which came to 2d.—he gave me a half sovereign—I went to a private till for change, not having it in the other till—I had 1l. in change in that till—it was half-a-sovereign, a crown-piece, and two half-crowns—I had seen the two half-crowns before—Mr. Poole, my master, had placed them there for me to give change—I laid the crown-piece and one half-crown down to the prisoner, and kept the other half-crown, giving him the rest of the change out of the till—I had not sufficient—he pulled out a sixpence, and bid me give him change out of that—I gave him back his half-sovereign, and gave him change for sixpence—he left immediately—after he had left the door I found 1 had got a bad half-crown in exchange for the good one I had given him—I sent Charlotte Dyer after him—he returned, and I told him he had given me a bad half-crown—I do not recollect his saying any thing—I called Mr. Poole, bit the half-crown, and gave it to him—he put it into his pocket—he told the prisoner it was a bad one, and he knew it—Mr. Poole kept his hand on the door, to keep the prisoner till he could see a policeman, but the prisoner knocked him down and ran out—Mr. Poole ran after him, and was brought back by some people in a bleeding state—next day Davis, the policeman, came to our house, and the half-crown was given to him—the prisoner had no coat on when he came to the house—he had a hat. Cross-examined. Q. Had you any other half-crowns where you placed the one he gave you? A. No, I had only two half-crowns in the private till. BENJAMIN POOLE . I keep the bouse. Perowne called my attention to this transaction, and gave me a half-crown, which was afterwards given to the officer—I found it was bad—I took it in my hand, and said to the prisoner, "You are aware this is a bad one, why did yon offer it?"—he made no reply—I reached it out to him again, and said, "Yon are quite aware this is an infamously bad half-crown, I shall retain is"—he made a step to snatch it out of my hand, and said, "Let me have a look at it"—I closed my hand, put it into my pocket, and said, "I shall detain it and detain you"—I had no other money in that pocket at all—I went to the door, laid hold of it, and stood a short time, looking out for a policeman—shortlyafter my attention was diverted by looking at him lighting his cigar—he saw my eye off him, and directly gave me a tremendous blow on the aide of the head, and knocked me down by the bar—I jumped up almost immediately—he was gone—I pursued him, took hold of him, and his shirt and waistcoat came off his back—he swung himself round, gave me a tremendous blow in the eye, and almost knocked my eye out—it knocked me down—I fell on a stone, and cut my head open—all I recollect afterwards was, he returned to me, and kicked me violently over the ribs and in the mouth, while I was on the ground—I then became senseless—I de-livered the half-crown next day to my sister, who gave it to the officer in my room—I had put into the private till, two or three hours before this occurred, silver for my servant to give change—it was wrapped in paper—there were half-crowns among it—they were good—I am certain the one produced by the prisoner was not one of them. Cross-examined. Q. How long were you together after you said it was an infamously bad half-crown? A. Not more than two or three minutes—I did not struggle with him till be struck me, nor did I use any violent lan-guage to him. HARRIED POOLE. I am the last witness's wife. I saw him brought into the house insensible, and was attending to him all night—next day my sister came into the bed-room, and in consequence of directions my husband gave me, I put my hand into his left-hand browsers' pocket, took out a half-crown, and gave it to my sister. ROBERT DAVIS. I am a policeman. I was called to the bar at the Whitmore's Head public-house, and found Mr. Poole lying on the ground bleeding, and apparently insensible—the prisoner was a short distance off, detained by a number of persons, without his coat—I took him into custody—he was very violent—he said he had been assaulted, and robbed of his coat, a valuable pin, and his hat—I said if he would come with me I would see him righted—I was not aware of the circumstances then, but we people called out that he had killed Mr. Poole—he then kicked, and struggled, and fought, trying to escape—the people assisted me, and Donovan. a policeman, came up—we had great difficulty in securing him—we had to tie him with cords to a stretcher—I went next day to Poole's house, and received a half-crown from Perowne—I found 6d. in copper on the prisoner—a shilling dropped in the struggle. SARAH PEROWNE re-examined. This is the half-crown I bit. JOHN FIELD. I am inspector of coin to her Majesty's Mint. This half-crown is counterfeit in all respects—there are two marks on the edge. GUILTY. Aged 32.— Transported for Fifteen Years. Richard Staite was listed as 32 years old on arrival in VDL - his native place was St. Leonards, Shoreditch and he was Protestant, 5'7½" tall, sallow complexion, dark brown hair and whiskers, grey eyes, tattoos. Previous convictions: once for a similar offence, 2 years. Occupation: Barman and Labourer. Period of Probation: 5 years Station of Gang: Fingal. 19/2/1844: Original term of Probation expired. 4/7/1848: TOL 191/2/1849: Permission to marry Mary Ann Hulse (Angelina 1844). 19/3/1849: Married Mary Ann Hulme, 21, a spinster - he was 35 and a Labourer.. Marriage registered at Hobart. Married at St. George's, Hobart. 5/2/1850: CP 4/11/1850: at Launceston - Richard 'STATE' died of Disease of the Kidneys, 43 years old, a Labourer. 13/6/1853: Mary Ann Hulse - permission to marry Samuel Whale (free) he was 44 and Mary Ann 27. 27/7/1853: Married at St. John's, Launceston. 2 children listed, 1853 and 1857. *Mary Ann also had a child, Louisa on 17/7/1847 - father's name not recorded.