Celebrated trials of all countries, and remarkable cases of criminal jurisprudence / Selected by a member of the Philadelphia bar [i.e. J.J. Smith].

  • John Jay Smith
Date:
1835
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Celebrated trials of all countries, and remarkable cases of criminal jurisprudence / Selected by a member of the Philadelphia bar [i.e. J.J. Smith]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    104/612 (page 94)
    the case. [Here the case and the razor with which the murder was perpe- trated were shown, but the witness could identify neither.] They were like those which she had lent, but she could not undertake to swear that they were the same. She saw Jones on the 30th December, between ten and eleven o'clock. He was in company with Charlotte, and expressed his wish that she would lend him her razor, together with the loan of a silk handker- chief. Charlotte requested that the child might be sent to borrow a shilling-, or even sixpence, as she wanted both fire and food. The girl was allowed to go, but returned unsuccessful. She saw the prisoner subsequently, when he returned home in Charlotte's company. He remained but half an hour, and went out for the purpose, as he alleged, of going to a friend in the city. He was not in the habit of going abroad at that hour, but used to send occasion- ally to a person named Sells for the loan of a drab coat. She now lent him that belonging to her son; its colour was dark blue. [The coat which the prisoner had worn was produced, and identified by the witness as that which she lent him.] She saw Jones and Charlotte again on the 31st. There was no conversation about money on that occasion. On the morning of New- year's day, she was again in their company at Mitre-street. It was about eleven o'clock, and the prisoner was dressing himself to go out. He in- tended, he said, to borrow money from a friend. On Charlotte's inquiring where the money was to be procured, he replied that he had told her that before. On January 2d, she saw the prisoner in bed, when he informed her that he had left Qs. for her. Charlotte came in, and said that she could not get a newspaper. He asked her (the witness) whether she would be able to pro- cure him a newspaper. She made inquiry if a Sunday paper would answer his purpose; on which they replied that they would want a paper of that morning. After this they all breakfasted; she took her breakfast with them on their particular invitation. Charlotte and the prisoner had some angry words, and she breakfasted apart. He told them that he had received intelligence of the death of his father from a friend. Jones sat without his coat, which lay on a chair in the room, and fell during breakfast with a peculiar sound, as if there was silver in the pockets. The accident appeared to excite his attention. The prisoner then sent out money for a quartern and a half of gin, which the witness and he partook of. Charlotte ■declined drinking any. On Sunday, she (the witness) went again to Jones' lodgings, and mentioned that she understood the officers of Bow-street were in search of a person of the name of Jones, on a charge of murder (of his real name she had been previously apprized). Charlotte answered that it could not be he, as he had committed no murder. He said it was probable his friends were in search of him, and had sent the officers to find him out. Charlotte expressed her fear that he would be obliged to go home in conse- quence of this information. The next subject of conversation was the coat, which Charlotte said it would be advisable to have washed. Jones observed, as he was going out, that he would require to be cautious in returning, lest any one should dog him home, and requested that she (the deponent) would not say any thing on the matter. She promised to comply wTith his request, and did not see him any more until in custody. Mary Anne Williams.—Was fourteen years of age, and had been sent to Jones by her mother with a razor-case on the Sunday before New-year's day. Charlotte was in the room the evening on which she brought it. She (Char- lotte) was up, but the prisoner was in bed. [Here the case and the razor were again produced, but the child was unable to identify either. On this subject she gave precisely the same evidence as her mother.] They were like those she saw before, although she could not be certain that they were the articles lent. Mary Parker, the person who had assumed the name of Charlotte Berry, was then called. After some time, she made her appearance, but in a state of such agitation as to be utterly incapable of giving her testimony, until