Select proceedings at the Old-Bailey ... Containing the trials at large of I. Captain Morris, for a rape on the body of Mary Shortney. II. Miss Hannah Philips, a young lady, for shop-lifting. III. William Adams, for defrauding His Majesty / [James Morris].

  • James Morris
Date:
1757
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Select proceedings at the Old-Bailey ... Containing the trials at large of I. Captain Morris, for a rape on the body of Mary Shortney. II. Miss Hannah Philips, a young lady, for shop-lifting. III. William Adams, for defrauding His Majesty / [James Morris]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    [ *3 ] caufing to be printed, in the Public Advertifer as aforefaid, the faid fcandalous and malicious adver¬ tisements, tending to prejudice a queftion depend¬ ing in this court, on a criminal profecutionagainft the faid Mr. Morris, and to raife money unlaw¬ fully for carrying on fuch profecution, and to the perverfionof the public juftice of this kingdom. fpinfter, was indi&ed for Healing on the i ith of March, 1757, ten yards- of filk lace, called blond-lace, value 15s. the pro¬ perty of Henry Dean and John Potinger. Walter Pojl. I live with Meflieurs Dean and Potinger. Q. In what capacity? Pojl. I ferve them as fhopman; on the nth of March laft, about five or fix in the evening, the prifoner came into the profecutors (hop and afked me to (hew her fome blond-lace, and I thereupon handed the drawer of blond-lace before her, and Ihe handled feveral pieces of lace which were in the drawer. < Qi In what manner were the pieces done up? Pojl, They were rolled upon a card, and the prifoner afked me the price of feveral of the laces, and took fome of them out of the drawer, and looked at them, fometimes at one, and fometimes at another in each hand, and I told her the prices of feveral of them; fhe did not buy any, but con¬ vey’d out of the drawer two cards or pieces of lace that were therein, and'I believe fhe had one piece of lace in her left hand, when fhe took the other two out of the drawer with her right hand; fhe laid the pieces of lace fhe took out of the drawer on the counter betwixt the drawer and herfelf. CX How far was the drawer from the edge of the counter? Pojl. I believe it might be about a foot; after that fhe bent herfelf as it were forward over the counter towards the drawer, and took hold on the drawer and drew it nearer to her, and then fhe brought up with her right hand one of thofe cards of lace, which fhe had laid on the counter, and conveyed it under her cardinal. Did fhe continue in that fame poflure, or alter her oofition ? M. Pojl. She was bending then, and fhe bent up again and looked me in the face, fearing (as I ima¬ gined) that I faw her; fhe then bent herfelf over the counter again, and pulled back her cardinal with her left hand, and then drew the piece of lace out with her right from under her cardinal, and laid it on the counter again betwixt herfelf and the drawer, from whence fhe had before taken it. Q* What did fhe fay? Pojl. She faid nothing to me. After that fhe put her hand in the drawer and examined feveral pieces that-were there, and'pafled fome time away, but never offered to buy any laces that were in the drawer, and only afked the price of fome fhe had examined; I told her the price; then fhe bent her¬ felf over the counter again, and took with her right hand the fame piece of lace as fhe had before put down, and carried it with a quick motion under her cardinal, and put it as it were under her arm, and held it with her arm, and then fhe put her hand directly into the drawer, and taking hold of the firfl piece of lace that lay uppermoft, fhe took it out and afked the price of it. Q. Was that the fame drawer? Pojl. The fame drawer. I told her the price was iix-pence half-penny a yard; fhe then delired me to cut her off a yard, which I did ; fhe then afked me for fome flriped ribbons. Q. Was this at the fame time ? Pojl. This was diredtly following it. I leaned back into the window, and took the firft piece of ribbon thereout of the window and (hewed it her ; fhe defiredmeto cut off a yard without afking the price of it. I did, and folded up the yard of blond- lace and the yar.4 of ribbon together in one paper, and gave them into her hand; then fhe defired to know what there was to pay. Ftold her twelve- pence half-penny, that was fix-pence half-penny for the yard of blond lace, and fix-pence the rib¬ bon ; fhe paid me the fame, and then went out of the fhop, and as foon as fhe was gone out at the door I call’d to John Mortimore and Godfrey Major ; John Mortimore is my maflers rider, and was talking to the faid Mr. Major backwards in the fhop. Q. What is Major ? Pojl. He is a furrier of whom we buy muffs, and I defired him to ftep forward immediately, and told them what had happened, and directly jumped, over the counter, followed the prifoner, and overtook her about five doors from my maf- ' E ' ' ters