Henry Watson

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C H on 19th April 2024

Old Bailey Online SAMUEL CLEWES. HENRY WATSON. Theft; shoplifting. 8th December 1790 Text type Trial account Defendants SAMUEL CLEWES, HENRY WATSON Offences Theft > Shoplifting Session Date 8th December 1790 Reference Number t17901208-10 Verdicts Guilty > Theft under 5s Punishments Transportation 10. SAMUEL CLEWES and HENRY WATSON were indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 2d day of November , last, 24 yards of silk ribbon, value 10 s. the property of Francis Thompson , privily in his shop . HENRY WATSON sworn. I am shopman to Mr. Francis Thompson. On Tuesday, the 2d of November, between 10 and 11 in the morning, a constable brought a boy to Mr. Thompson's shop, who is an evidence; the constable put some ribbons on the compter, and asked me if they were mine; I looked at them, and one of the pieces had my mark, D. E. and T. underneath it: we went to the justice, and found the two prisoners there; and I swore to one of the pieces, and one other piece, which Mr. Cummins produced, which he had in his possession, which I also knew, and which was marked: I know nothing more about it; I never saw either of the prisoners in our shop. JOHN CUMMINS sworn. I am a coachman: I was going to my stable the 2d of November, and I saw the two prisoners and the accomplice cross the street; it was on a Tuesday; they run down Little Russel-street, towards the Pied-Bull yard, where there is no thoroughfare; in Russell-street I saw them partly concealed in a stair-case that leads to a coachman's room in Little Russel-street; I bid them come down; they made no answer; I went with Mr. Davis and the witness, and took them in the stair-case; we took them up stairs to search them, and going up stairs I saw 6 rolls of ribbon on the side of the stairs where the prisoners had been; I took the ribbon, and put into a basket, which I had in my hand; and, with the assistance of Mr. Davis, I took the prisoners to the justice: I gave 5 pieces of the ribbon to Edward Treadway ; he is not here; he had them about 9 hours; Davis kept one piece till that evening, then I called for it: the pieces I received from Treadway are the same in number, but I did not mark them before I gave them to him; I did when he brought them back; I believe them to be the same; I produce them: I took the ribbon to the prosecutor's, and Watson said he could swear to it; the prisoners said they found the ribbon among some bricks, in a square. WILLIAM DAVIS sworn. I am a linen-draper: on the 2d of November I was going down Russel-street; I perceived the two prisoners, and the evidence, running on the opposite side of the way; under Clewes's coat I saw a large lump; I suspected them; they occasionally looked back; I immediately ran after them, and with the assistance of this coachman we took them in a stable-yard, and carried them to the justice: Mr. Thompson's shop is in Oxford-street, nearly opposite Bond-street: when I saw them running, they were in Russel-street, Bloomsbury, half a mile off: I saw the coachman take up these six pieces of ribbon; I took one of the pieces, and gave it to my servant, to find out the owner; and in the evening I gave it back to the coachman: my servant's is not here: I have no doubt of my servant's fidelity, and believe he returned me the same ribbon again; I have not a doubt but it is the same; but I could not positively swear to it, having been out of my custody: the accomplice is not here; he is in some prison. JANE SWEETING sworn. I am servant to the prosecutor: I was in the shop; two persons came into Mr. Thompson's shop, and asked to look at some narrow ribbon; it was about half past eight in the morning of Tuesday the 2d of November; nobody was in the shop besides myself: they desired to see some narrow ribbon; I shewed them some; they came in together; but did not talk together; the evidence was one that came in, and the prisoner Watson; Clewes did not come into the shop; the evidence desired to see the ribbon, and then to see some broader; I asked him 4 d. and he offered me 2 d.; I did not miss any ribbon, only from information; the boys were both within the reach of the drawer; I put it on the counter; I did not suspect them. Court to Henry Watson . Did you see these people in the shop? - No. How did you know any ribbon was missing? - I looked in the box when the constable came back, and found some pieces missing; it is a box that shuts into the counter; there is only one box of black on that side of the shop where the young lady serves; and these ribbons were black. (The piece of ribbon produced by the coachman, and deposed to by Watson; and another piece, marked U. T. and T. underneath.) I have sold ribbon with such marks; the mark of the others is rubbed out. WILLIAM ALLEN , otherwise EVANS. How old are you? - I want three months of thirteen. Did you ever take an oath in your life? - Yes, I believe I was sworn before the justice; I did not know what I was saying, but they gave me a pen and ink just to put my cross. Do you know the nature of an oath? - No. Do you know what will become of boys that tell stories? - Yes. What? - Go to hell; is not it? WILLIAM ALLEN , otherwise EVANS, sworn. The prisoner, Samuel Clewes , asked me to take a walk, and where I was going; and he told me to go into a ribbon-shop, and if I could steal any thing, to do it; and Clewes was to stay on the outside, and receive it: I went in, and the little one (Watson) followed me; and when the lady turned her back, the little one bid me take something, and I took some ribbon; the big one told him what I was to do: the lady asked 3 d. a yard, and the little one bid her 2 d. and she said she could not take it, and we went out of the shop; the little one took three pieces of ribbon; he told me to take one: when the lady turned her back, he said, take some, and I took one piece: that was all that was taken, I am sure of that: we three went to another shop, and the little one took two pieces at another place, but the lady would not swear to them; the big one was ready to take the four pieces when we came out of the shop; the big one took them of us, and ran as hard as he could; it was about half after nine; we were running towards Shoreditch, to Bishopsgate-street; a coachman was going by, and said we were thieves, and he and another ran after us; we ran up into some stairs; we were taken there; Clewes put the property by the side of the staircase. Prisoner Clewes. Allen, or Evans, what is your name; did ever I send you into any shop to steal any thing? - Yes. Prisoner Watson. Did I take any thing? - Yes. Court to Jane Sweeting . Did the conversation pass between the accomplice and you, or the other boy? - With the accomplice, that I can say with certainty; they came in at one time, I am sure of that. PRISONER CLEWES' DEFENCE. I was going an errand, and coming back I met these two boys, and the two gentlemen ran after us, and I went up stairs with them, and he threw down the ribbon on the stairs; I did not know he had any such thing about him, and I never was in the shop; I lived seven years with my master. PRISONER WATSON's DEFENCE. I was sitting at my mother's door, and Evans asked me to go with him to buy a hatband; he went into this shop; I thought he bought one; he came out, and I saw him chuck the ribbons down in the staircase; I did not see him take any thing. Court to Watson the Witness. What is the value of that piece of ribbon that is identified, which Cummins produced? - There are about 16 yards, at 9 d. a yard. The prisoner Clewes called four witnesses, and the prisoner Watson called three witnesses, who gave them a good character; and the last witness, Elizabeth Barnes, said she knew the prisoner Watson before he was born. BOTH GUILTY, 4 s. 10 d. Each transported for seven years . Tried by the first Middlesex Jury, before Mr. RECORDER.