William Stanley

Level 135

C H on 29th March 2024

Old Bailey Online JOHN BROWN. WILLIAM STANLEY. Theft; pocketpicking. 2nd March 1840. Text type Trial account Defendants JOHN BROWN, WILLIAM STANLEY Offences Theft > Pocketpicking Session Date 2nd March 1840 Reference Number t18400302-932 Verdicts Guilty, Guilty Punishments Transportation 932. JOHN BROWN and WILLIAM STANLEY were indicted for stealing, on the 24th of February, 1 purse, value 2s. 6d.; 2 sovereigns, 1 half-crown, 7 shillings, and 7 sixpences; the property of John Benjamin Nevill, from the person of Jane Sarah Nevill. MR. CHAMBERS conducted the Prosecution. JAKE SARAH NEVILL . I am the wife of John Benjamin Nevill. On the 24th of February I got into a Holloway omnibus at Moorgate-street—about two minutes before I got in I took my purse out of my pocket to take out a sixpence to pay my fare—I put the sixpence into my glove, and put the purse into my pocket again on my right side—I had done that openly in the street, so that any one might see that I had a purse—when I got into the omnibus I saw the prisoner Brown sitting near the door on the left-hand side—I was wishing to sit between him and the door, but he put his knees towards the door, and that occasioned me to sit on the other side, about three from the door—that brought me to sit next the prisoner Stanley—I feel convinced it was him—he sat on my right-hand, where my pocket and money was—the omnibus started immediately, and Stanley annoyed me by looking under my bonnet very much—when we got to York-place, City-road, a lady got out who had sat between me and the door—I then moved towards the door, and Stanley followed me—when he looked under my bonnet I turned my head from him—I continued in the omnibus till we got just beyond Islington church, when Stanley got out—Brown was then sitting on the opposite side to me, and he said he would get out at the next turning, but he did not stop till he got to the turning—he said, set him down, any where would do—the omnibus did not stop much before it got to the turning—I went on beyond Highbury—I missed my purse before I got there, but I did not discover that my gown was cut till I got out—from the time I got in at Moorgate and my missing my purse, no one, except Stanley, had been sitting on that side of me near enough to get my purse—and after he left no one sat near me—a woman sat on that side, but she was quite up at the other corner—I lost between 2l. and 3l.—I cannot say to a few shillings—I know I had two sovereigns in my purse, and one was an extremely bright one, of the present reign. Cross-examined by MR. PAYNE. Q. You do not swear positively to Stanley? A. I did not at first—I would not, had I not seen him again—I feel confident it was him—I was before the Justice with him for some time, but having said I could not swear to him, I would not do it—Stanley sat on the right side of me, and on the right-hand side of the omnibus— his left hand was next to my pocket—I believe I stood in the street, waiting for the omnibus, before I got in. Cross-examined by MR. ESPINASSE. Q. Brown was sitting on the opposite side to you? A. Yes—I did not ask him to let me sit between him and the door, as I thought he had made up his mind that I should not—I did not attempt to sit down there—after some time a lady got out, who sat next to him, and he moved up higher, and got rather beyond where I was sitting—I think there were six persons in the omnibus besides myself—I do not think there was any one beyond Stanley at first, but when he got out there was a lady sitting on the same side, quite in the corner—there was a lady sitting near Brown, who got out at the Angel public-house, and I think there was a gentleman sitting on the same side—I am certain I put my purse into my pocket a minute or two before I got in—it was a bead purse, and opened with a clasp—it was a very good clasp—my purse and all was gone. MR. CHAMBERS. Q. You think there was a gentleman sitting on the side Brown was; did he sit higher up? A. Yes, nearer to the horses—my pocket was rather behind me, so that when I turned, to avoid Stanley's observation, I suppose that brought my pocket nearer to him—Brown occasionally leaned his head forward, so that his head was between me and the gentleman who sat on the side which he did, but higher up. JAMES CUTHBERT . I am a ward-officer. On the 24th of February I was in Bread-street, between two and three o'clock—I saw the two prisoners together—I followed them—they went on to Moorgate, still in company, and there Brown left Stanley, and got into a Holloway buss—Stanley walked on, and crossed to the opposite side of the way—the buss moved on a few paces, and then Stanley got in—I followed the buss to beyond Islington church, and there I met Brown coming back towards town, but there being a wind in the road there, I did not see him get out—I said, "I want to speak to you, young fellow"—he made some answer I did not understand—I took him into a cheesemonger's shop, and searched him—I found on him 2l. 13s., one sovereign of which was a very bright one—I found on him a knife and two keys—I took him out, and he said, "Why don't you lay hold of my arm?"—I said, there was no occasion for that—as we walked on I turned my head, and saw Stanley on the other side of the way—I said to Brown, "Why don't you walk on faster?"—he then slackened his pace, and Stanley went across Islington burial-ground—Brown said he was going to Holloway, to see his cousin—I asked him why he did not go on with his journey—he said he had changed his mind. COURT. Q. Had you ever seen the prisoners together before? A. I cannot say that I had, but I had a slight knowledge of them. Cross-examined by MR. PAYNE. Q. What do you mean by their being together? A. They were walking together, and in some parts they were close together—when one stopped the other did—I did not hear them converse together—I was but a short distance from them—I am not mistaken as to Stanley being one. Cross-examined by MR. ESPINASSE. Q. What did you find on Brown? A. 1l. 13s. in silver, a sovereign, and 2 1/2 d. THOMAS ELSOM . I was in the Holloway omnibus when Mrs. Nevill was there—I had got in before her—I sat on the left-hand side, at the top—Brown sat at the commencement of the buss—MRS. Nevill sat on the right-hand side, next to Stanley—he gave way a little for her to come and sit by him—her right side was towards him—shortly after the omnibus had started I observed that Stanley's hands were under the tails of his coat, and he kept looking at Mrs. Nevill under her bonnet, and occasionally looking round at me very hard—when we got to Islington a lady got out—Brown then moved higher up—he kept looking at the little window, and bobbing his head forward—Stanley got out at Cross-street, Islington, and directly after, Drown said, "Put me down at the next turning;" but before he got to Barnsbury-street he said, "Put me down, this will do"—he got out, and within two minutes Mrs. Nevill said, "That fellow has robbed me of my purse"—no one else could have done it but Stanley—no one else was near her—about the 2nd of March I happened to be in the Strand, returning from the West End of the town—there was an engine there and a mob—I saw Stanley with another person—they crossed the road, and I saw Stanley reading a bill—I said to him, "You are the man that robbed a lady in an omnibus"—he said, "I am not"—I took him by the collar, and in Tavistock-street a policeman took him—he ran off, but was taken. Cross-examined by MR. PAYNE. Q. Are you quite convinced that he is the man who sat in the omnibus? A. I am certain of it—there were seven persons in the omnibus till it got to the Angel Inn, and after that six—I do not know whether there were any Friends there—there was nothing to prevent my seeing what took place till Brown put his head across—when I met Stanley in the Strand I knew him in an instant—I spoke to a policeman, but I do not know whether Stanley saw me—he and his companion then crossed, and Stanley began to read ft bill—I had not seen him before the day he was in the omnibus—I am an agent to the Royal Exchange Office, and am a neighbour of Mrs. Nevill. WILLIAM HOLDER . I was called by Mr. Elsom to take Stanley—I did not lay hold of him, and he ran some distance, but was taken again. BROWN— GUILTY . Aged 17. STANLEY— GUILTY . Aged 21. Transported for Ten Years.