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].

  • Morris, James.
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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    [ *7 ] hand, and charged me with having ftolen it. It never was under my arm. I beg’d he would let me fend for my friends, and they would teftify to him who and what I was. This they would not permit, and I applied to a couple of ladies, which I have heard fince were Mrs. Dean and her fitter, and beg’d of them to afk Mr. Dean to do it; he laid nothing ftiould prevail upon him; then I beg’d of him to fend for Mr. Piggot; they faid they would fend for nobody, but charged a conftable with me, and carried me to the Manfion-Houfe, where my Lord-mayor not being at home, they carried me to Wood-ftreet Compter. I had three other little parcels with me, a pair of gloves, a yard of ribbon, and a yard of blond lace, which were produced by her in court. Q. to Poji. Had the prifoner two or three little parcels in her hand, which {he l&id on the counter while (he was looking at the drawer of lace, that fhe had bought fome-where elfe ? Poji. I did not fee one parcel ; I am pofitive there was not one lying on the counter. Q. When you took her back had fhe any par¬ cel in her hand ? Poji. No; 1 faw no parcel {he had, during the whole time. Q. When you brought h«r back, did fhe fay {he took it inadvertently ? Poji. She faid {he did not know that {he had it. Q.from a juryman. Might not the drawer be fo high, between you and her, that jt might cover a little parcel from your fight ? Poji. I am pofitive that I faw no parcel, and that there was none put by her on the counter. I faw the two pieces of lace that lay down between the drawer and herfelf, and if there had been the leaft parcel befides, I muft have feen it. Ch How deep is the drawer? Poji. I believe it not quite a foot deep, but near it. For the Prifoner. William Hodges. I live with Mr. Piggot, a ha- berdafher. He lives about a dozen or fourteen doors from Meff. Dean and Potinger. I remem¬ ber the prifoner coming to our {hop on a Friday in the afternoon, about five o’clock; I don’t know the day of the month. Q. Was it the day you heard Mr. Potinger loft fome blond lace ? Hodges.' It was the fame day j file bought a pair of gloves, coft 13 d. Q, Look at thefe (which were produced) are thefe the gloves {he bought ? Hodges. This is the fort of leather. I matched them to a pattern glove. How were they folded when fhe took them away ? Hodges. Juft as they are now (doubling them to¬ gether.) She afked for fome blond lace. I told her it was on the other fide, but fne faid none would fuit her. A gentleman’s fervant came in to buy a pair of gloves for a lady, and I went backwards. (T Do you recollect any thing of her buying any ribbon ? Hodges. No. To her Character. William Belchier, Efqj I remember her being before the Lord-mayor in the evening, when fhe was fetch’d from the Compter, and what path there. There was the witnefs Poft there. Q. Do you know whether he was afked by any body, whether this blond lace was taken from under her arm? Belchier. I particularly afk’d him that queftion myfelf, and I’ll give the reafon why I did afk him. This young lady I have known I believe eighteen years. I had and have ftill a great regard for her family. I was at the Pope's-Head Tavern that evening, where Mr. Ironlide came to me, and faid I am come to tell you of a very odd affair. Mifs Hannah Philips is in the Compter, fhe has been at a haberdalher’s, 'and has bought fome rib¬ bon and a little piece of lace, and through a mif- take {he has taken away a piece that {lie did not buy, and they have charged a conftable with her and fent her to the Compter. I delired him to go to Meflieurs Dean and Potinger, and give my fer- vice, and tell them if they would be fo kind as to releafe her from the Compter, I would be an- fwerable for her appearing before any magiftrate ; he brought me word back they could not do it; then I fent to the Lord-Mayor, and defired he would be fo good as to fend for her from the Compter, and hear what {lie was charged with that* night, which heccmply’d with.,I was there when fhe was examined before the Lord-mayor, and heard her fay, fhecarry’d a piece of lace out ia her hand which ihe did not pay for, and I particu- F larly j