33, 34. + Elizabeth Williamson , otherwise Perkins proceedingsdefend and Sarah Jackson proceedingsdefend were indicted for assaulting Richard Artwell proceedingsvictim on the King's Highway, putting him in fear, and taking from him a stock, value 12 d. and a stock buckle, value 2 d. Nov. 25 .

Richard Artwell < no role > . Last sunday was sevennight in the forenoon, I went on the other side of the water, and dined at the glass-house, and came with a boat load of people and landed at Black Friers; between 9 and 10 o'Clock I came up Shoe-Lane, and coming up Shoe-Lane whether these people struck me down, or whether I fell down God knows, when I was down I was attacked by three women, the Prisoners at the bar, and several more women fell upon me; they opened my coat and waistcoat and took my stock off my neck, and I was almost throtled by them.

Q. How do you know it was those two women?

Artwell. I took one of them directly - the farthest of the two [Jackson,] I don't know their names, how should I know their names? this gentleman [Mr. Capel ] came and knocked them off me, with his stick.

Q. Could you see so as to distinguish who they were?

Artwell. How should I see when I was throtled?

Q. How many women did you see?

Artwell. I did not see any women till I was down, to my knowledge.

Q. Did you see nobody?

Artwell. Not that I know of.

Q. You seem to come in jest: was you in Liquor ?

Artwell. I was neither drunk nor sober.

Q. Was you drunk?

Artwell. No I was not drunk, if I was, I could not have set with the watchmen till four o' Clock in the morning, drinking with them.

Q. Was the stock and stock buckle you lost taken off from your neck, or was it lost in the bustle?

Artwell. No it was taken away from me, and I took one of them up directly, and my collar was open.

Q. Shoe-lane < no role > is a dark place, and it was a very dark night.

Artwell. It was a very dark place to me.

Q. Was it a moon-shining night, or what sort of a night was it?

Artwell. It was light enough for me to know them - I am a pipemaker, I live in Liquorpond Street.

Q. You say you are sure to one of the women, how do you know the other?

Artwell. By her face. I must certainly see her face, when she was upon me; how could I see any body's face in this court?

Coun. I should be glad to know what time you went on the other side of the water?

Artwell. About nine in the morning.

Q. And you staid till nine at night?

Artwell. Yes - I drank beer in the morning. I can't tell how much, for there were two or three in company at a publick house.

Coun. It is very likely then that you should be sober, and be drinking all that time.

Q. Did you see the Prisoners before you were knock'd down, or after?

Artwell. It was after: I can show you my arms that they are black and blue now.

Samuel Capel < no role > . As I was coming down Fleet-street, by the end of Shoe-lane, I heard this man cry out, I am robbed, I am robbed, I am murdered. I went to his assistance, and there were three women upon him; two of them run away, and Williamson stood by with the stock and stock-buckle in her hand - I will swear she is the person who had the stock and stock buckle in her hand.

Q. Did she give you the stock?

Capel. No, she had the stock in her hand, and the buckle dropped out of the stock in the lane.

Q. Do you know Artwell?

Capel. I never saw him before in my life.

Q. What did Williamson do to him?

Capel. I never saw Williamson touch him; then she went into her sister's - she went into one of those houses just by, and she said she picked the stock and stock-buckle up, and that the Prosecutor was a friend and an acquaintance of hers.

Q. Did Williamson offer to give him the stock again?

Capel. Yes, and he would not take it.

Q. Did you say there were two women upon him?

Capel. There was only one woman upon him, another stood by, and the third run away.

Richard Abel < no role > . And please your honour; at the usual time of our coming out, which is between nine and ten o'clock, I went to the watchhouse; I saw there was an uproar; I went in, and there was Sarah Jackson < no role > , and Mr. Artwell gave me charge of her for robbing him of his stock and buckle. I asked him, whether he was sure of this. He said, he was sure of it, for he brought her in by the hand, and the watchman said, he brought Jackson in. I asked Jackson who was concerned with her, and she mentioned Williamson. Said I to our houseman, she belongs to a house of ill same; go and see if you can find her: for she goes by the name of Moll Perkins, though she often answers to the name of Willia mson. As soon as she came in, this countryman [Capel] and Mr. Artwell said, this is the woman that was upon him.

Q. Do you know Williamson?

Abel. I know her, as being the sister of Mrs. Horne, and that she did live in Liquorpond Street. Mr. Capel said, there were several women upon Artwell, and that he knocked three of them off with his stick.

Q. How do you know she goes by the name of Perkins?

Abel. Only as I am told.

Q. Did you ever know her before to go by the name of Moll Perkins?

Abel. No, nor by the name of Elizabeth Williamson < no role > - the watchman told me her name was Moll Perkins, and that she sells hearts and livers about streets for her living. I bid the beadle ask Jackson who was concerned with her, and she gave him the names of two persons.

William Stanton < no role > . I have the honour of being one of the Ward Beadles < no role > to Alderman Hoare; it was my night to set the watch: when I came to the watchhouse, I found it exceeding full, and Jackson was there. The Constable upon some demur made a mistake in the name, because she never went by the name of Mary Perkins < no role > , but her sister went by that name. I asked the Prosecutor what charge he gave. He said, A street robbery. But he was so drunk, that he could not tell any thing at all of the matter; it was impossible for him to know her again. I attended the Constable the next day before the sitting Alderman, and Mr. Artwell swore hard against the Prisoners. I said to Sarah Jackson < no role > , consider what you are going to do, and tell us whether Williamson was along with you, and she mentioned the two following names, which I wrote down in this manner, viz. Sarah Jackson < no role > says, that Jane Norbury < no role > and Pat Bristow, alias Little Pat, were along with her; and then Jackson declared that Williamson was not concerned.

Q. Was the stock produced in the watchhouse before Elizabeth Williamson < no role > was brought there?

Stanton. I can't tell the circumstances; I'll bring a person who will speak more to the matter than I can.

Rayment Large, (a Watchman.) Mr. Artwell came very drunk into the watchhouse with a young woman, and swore she had robbed him of his stock; and she said, look into your bosom, and see if it is not there; and she put her hand into his bosom, and drew the stock out.

Q. Was the stock produced in the watchhouse before Williamson was brought in, or afterwards?

Large. It was before: I am sure it was. The stock and buckle are not worth six pence; it is only a brass buckle.

Q. to Stanton. Did you say you knew Williamson?

Stanton. I have known her twelve or fourteen years. She has been a hard working girl all that time: hay, I may say twenty years. Selling in the morning livers and lights, and in the evening sheeps-heads. And as I have been a Beadle five years, I must have known her, if she had been upon the loose order.

Richard Boston < no role > . I have known Williamson near thirty years, almost from her birth, and I never heard any thing but what was good of her; she sells livers and lights about 11 o'clock, and baked heads in the evening. I was Church-warden last year. Acquitted .