282. (M.) Sarah Griffith proceedingsdefend This name instance is in set 3589. , spinster , was indicted for stealing 3 yards of gold lace, value 5 s. the property of William Simpson proceedingsvictim , May 29 . +

John Ridle < no role > . The prisoner took away three yards of gold lace from out of my room, when I was asleep.

Q. How do you know that?

Ridle. She was out of place, and (as my wife lay in) I let the prisoner be in my room till she could get a service. Upon missing the lace, I charged her with taking it. She own'd it, and directed us to the pawnbroker where she had pawn'd it. The constable went and brought it: he has it now in his custody. I am a soldier; and this lace I had to make up for sergeants cloaths.

Q. Whose property was it?

Ridle. The property of William Simpson < no role > . We took her before a magistrate, and she there confessed she took it.

Prisoner's defence.

The evidence sent me once before with twelve yards of lace cut out into loops to pawn.

Q. to Ridle. Did you send her with any lace to pawn?

Ridle. I did, as my wife lay in, and I wanted money; but I fetch'd it out again in a day or two.

Prisoner. His wife sent me with this lace that I now am charged with at three different times.

Ridle. They were taken at three different times, and were three different pieces.

Acquitted .

She was a second time indicted for that she, being a prisoner in Tothill-Fields Bridewell , did feloniously and wilfully go at large, and escape, without the consent of the gaoler .

Samuel Atersal < no role > . I am keeper of Tothill-Fields Bridewell, and the prisoner was brought to me by a constable with a warrant of commitment by justice Carkass. He produced the warrant.

Matthew Clark < no role > . I saw the warrant sign'd by Charles Carkass < no role > This name instance is in set 23762378. , Esq; I also saw the prisoner lock'd up safe in her ward between eight and nine at night; and after she was gone, when we took her up, she confessed that with a knife she wrench'd off the iron plate under which the lock goes, and got out into a garden, and by the help of some things which we found the next morning she got upon a wall which was fifteen foot high on that side, and twenty-five on the other side, where she jump'd down.

The warrant read in court to this purport:

'' Westminster to wit, To the keeper of Tothill-Fields '' Bridewell, or his deputy Receive into '' your custody the body of Sarah Griffith < no role > , brought '' before me by John Alexander < no role > constable, charged '' upon oath by John Ridle < no role > and her own confession, '' for taking and carrying away three yards of '' gold lace, value, 5 s. the property of his majesty, '' and her safely keep in your custody, till she is discharged '' by due course of law.

Charles Carkass < no role > This name instance is in set 23762378. .''

June the 9th, 1756.

Prisoner's defence.

I was there 3 weeks, and for four days without victuals, being obliged to eat the cabbage stalks off the dunghill, because there is no allowance for us.

Q. to Atersal. Is there no allowance for the prisoners?

Atersal. There is 50 l. per year allowed for those that are not able to support themselves; she never applied to me, or I should have relieved her.

Acquitted .