169. (L.) Mary Knight proceedingsdefend was indicted for stealing a gold watch, value 20 l. a cornelian seal set in gold, value 4 s. two guineas, and a piece of foreign gold, value 3 l. 7 s. 6 d. the property of David Mitchell proceedingsvictim , privately from his person , Jan. 23 . ||

David Mitchell < no role > . I am a merchant , and live in Crutched-friars; on the 23d of January, between twelve and one in the morning, I was going home, after having spent the evening, where I had drank very freely, I was accosted by the prisoner at the bar, and in her company was another woman, whom I did not take notice of; she was in Corn-hill, near the corner of Gracechurch-street; she took hold of my arm, and wanted to go along with me; I turned down Gracechurch-street, but could not disengage myself from the prisoner; she still persisted to go along with me, till we came to the corner of Fenchurch-street; she had address enough to continue by me till I came into Fenchurch-street; sometimes she had hold of my arm, and sometimes I disengaged myself, so as to make her quit her hold; she continued importuning me to go with her some where or other, saying, she wanted to speak with me; she prevailed upon me to stop at a court in Fenchurch-street; we went a little way into the court, out of mere curiosity, to see what the woman could mean; she began to be very amorous, and got one arm round me, and began to be very loving: in the mean time, with her other hand, I found her fumbling about my breeches; she had art enough to address me for about ten minutes; I disengaged myself from her, and found she had taken my watch, a gold one, and all I had out of my right-hand pocket; there was a pocket-piece, value about two moidores and a half, and about three guineas; it was done like slight of hand; she did all she could to get me to be concerned with her, which I absolutely refused; I looked about upon the ground, and kept hold of her; at the same time I saw the other woman just behind her; I could find nothing; I carried the prisoner to the watch-house, and kept her in custody till the next morning, then I carried her before my Lord Mayor; he knowing her to be an old offender, desired me to prosecute her; she was very willing to be searched; the other woman went directly away when I missed my watch and money, I am sure the prisoner must give them to her; I believe that other woman never touched me; I do really think it was impossible for the other woman to pick my pocket.

Q. Are you sure you had your watch and money when you met with the prisoner?

Mitchell. I had at that time felt them in my pocket; I did not perceive her hand within side my breeches.

Q. Was you in liquor?

Mitchell. I was not very much in liquor; I cannot say but this affair brought me more to myself than before.

Q. Did you know the prisoner before?

Mitchell. I never saw her before that night to my knowledge.

Q. Have you found your watch again?

Mitchell. No, I have not.

Q. from prisoner. Whether you did not make that other woman a present of a couple of shillings, she being first with you?

Mitchell. No, I did not, she was not first with me.

Prisoner's defence.

I was along with a woman; he wanted me to go along with him; I said, excuse me, I am going home; he said he would make me a present of 5 s. 3 d. he put his hand in his pocket, and wanted to make me a present of 3 d. to buy half a quartern of brandy; I said I could put my hand in my pocket and find 3 d. at any time, I would not take it; I was going away; he said, my dear, stop, and let me talk to you; he wanted me to go and drink a glass of wine with him; he said he had no money about him, but he would make me a present of a 5 s. 3 d. I said, if you want to see me another night, you may; the watchman came past, and said, what are you doing; the gentleman said, I am only talking to this lady; the other woman stood by all the while; he said he would treat the watchman with something; we stood talking a quarter of an hour; the watchman came again, and said, you are a long while talking, and desired we would go along about our business; I said, we were about no harm; he said, if you do not go along I will make you; then I set out, and stopped at the corner, and the gentleman came to me, and said he had lost seven guineas; then he said he had lost three or four guineas; he took me to the watch-house, and they stripped me to my smock, and found nothing upon me.

Q to prosecutor. What say you to this?

Prosecutor. This is all real invention, there is not a tittle of it true; she told the magistrate a different story; I neither offered her a 5 s. 3 d. not 3 d. I did not mean to stay with either of them, it was really a piece of simple curiosity in me.

To her character.

Mary Chapman < no role > . The prisoner served her time with me; I know her to be a very honest person.

Q. How long did she serve you?

M. Chapman. She served me five years, and worked for me since.

Q. Where do you live?

M. Chapman. I live in Bishopsgate-street; I never heard any thing dishonest of her in my life-time.

Joseph Magleshan < no role > . In live in Holywell-lane, Shoreditch.

Q. What are you?

Magleshan. I am an apothecary and surgeon; the prisoner used to come and bring home work from Mrs. Chapman to my wife.

Q. What is Mrs. Chapman?

Magleshan. She is a mantua-maker; my wife used to leave the prisoner in her room, where were many things of value; we never lost any thing.

For the prosecution.

William Pain < no role > . I was a constable for the city about two years since; the prisoner is a common street-walker, and well known in all the prisons in the city.

Acquitted .

See her tried before for a fact of the same nature, by the name of Mary Cluse, No 98, in the last mayoralty.