154. SARAH FROST proceedingsdefend , was indicted, for making an assault upon Elizabeth Mines proceedingsvictim , widow , putting her in corporal fear and danger of her life, and taking from her person, one linen gown, value 5 s. a pair of stays, value 5 s. a callico petticoat, value 8 s. a flannel petticoat, value 2 s. a silk hat, 6 d. a linen pocket, value 6 d. and 3 s. 6 d. in money; the goods and monies of the said Elizabeth Mines < no role > , widow.

ELIZABETH MINES < no role > , sworn.

I know the prisoner at the bar, I saw her at the time she robbed me and stripped me.

Tell your story.

I went out after some sugar-candy, I lived at Mr. Stanley's at that time, in Chick-lane, her sister and the maid was in, this was on the Sunday night, the 16th of December last, it was rather late in the evening, Mr. Stanley was very ill, like to die, is since dead; I saw a young man, and asked him where they sold it, he told me to come with him, he took me up an Alley, Murphy's Alley , and said, some people there sold it, and would get up if they were abed; when we came to the middle of the alley, he whistled, & several girls came round me, I am sure the woman at the bar insulted me first, and asked me, what I wanted with her man; I never saw her before; she stood the longest by me, and nearest me, and most active in stripping me; it might be about eleven o'clock; there is a lamp in the alley, it was not quite dark; I began to tell them I knowed nothing of him, they began to strip me, they left me nothing but my shoes and stockings, and my shift, and pattens, there were more, they all concurred; one of my pattens came off, I said, for God's sake, don't take every thing from me, she said, blast my eyes, if I made any noise, she would cut my bloody eyes out; after they took every thing they went away, one woman by, said, pray don't take her shift for decency, I said, pray give me something to put over my head, they returned me one handkerchief I had in my pocket; I went away, a woman came up the alley, and asked what was the matter, I told her, she took me and put me into a room, and bid me stop; I had an old petticoat and bed-gown brought me, I stopped there till day light, then I went home.

Cross-Examination.

When did you see her after? - When I came out of the alley I took particular notice of the place, I went and told Mrs. Stanley, they directed me to Mr. Blackborrow's, they took John Tate < no role > , and about a week after the last trial, they took this woman, I was sent for to the justice's, and they came and asked if I knowed the person.

When you came to the office you was shewn the prisoner at the bar? - Yes.

Was she then alone or in company? - By herself; they asked me if I knowed that person, I said, yes, that is the person that robbed me; Mr. Blackborrow asked, if I was sure of it, I said yes; I am now certain the prisoner at the bar was the person, if I was not certain I would say no such thing.

Cross-Examination by Counsel.

I am a widow, I am a lace-maker , and sometimes I get my bread by needlework, I lived at Mr. Stanley's a week or fortnight after Lord Mayor's day.

You swore you was servant to her? - I said I lived there.

Was you servant? - I was a weekly servant, not otherwise; I went out to buy sugar-candy by Mrs. Stanley's orders; I went home in the morning as soon as light, it was in Murphy's alley, about a quarter of a mile from it, I did not know where I was nor the way home, I knew nothing of a reward upon conviction of this woman, till after she was taken up; I want no reward, I want nothing but justice; I never saw her before, I think it was the 16th of November, and a fortnight after the last trial I saw her again; she took the things to Hannah Arnold < no role > , to pawn, I don't know what was found, Hannah Arnold < no role > said, this woman pawned them; it was only a glimmering light, it is a long slip of an alley; there is a lamp to the best of my knowledge, there was a glimmering light only; I never gave no other account of this than the truth; she told the justice, I said I was with a man who robbed me.

Court. You was an occasional servant? - Yes; after the sister was ill, and maid, I did the work; Mr. Stanley was ill in a decline, he is since dead; the sugar-candy was for him, Mrs. Stanley told me.

THOMAS ISAAC < no role > sworn.

I am a constable of Clerkenwell parish, I had an information against Tate, Arnold, Ing, and Frost, for a robbery, amongst the others the prisoner at the bar; upon the 17th of December, in the evening, I took Tate, Mrs. Mines gave me a description; the prisoner at the bar was one of the parties, she heard it from what Tate said, I know nothing that Frost was concerned but by information of the other parties.

MARGARET DARLING < no role > sworn.

I know Elizabeth Mines < no role > ; she went out on Sunday night at seven o'clock, I was in the house at the time, at my mistress's, the cook's shop, Mrs. Stanley's; she went out at seven o'clock, not eleven o'clock; she had lived there three weeks, I was servant there; she was not at home at eleven o'clock at night, she did not go out at eleven o'clock to buy sugar-candy for Mr. Stanley, she came home at eight o'clock on the Monday morning; she went to Clerkenwell green, and was enticed into a house in White's alley by Samuel Taylor < no role > , and he stood over her with a cutlass; there was a bed there, and she laid in the house all night in a lower room there.

ELIZABETH STANLEY < no role > sworn.

I know Elizabeth Mines < no role > , she was a lodger at my house on the 16th of December, and never was a servant; she was not employed at eleven o'clock on Sunday night to go out and buy sugar-candy for my husband; White's alley is about twenty doors up Saffron-hill; when she came home in the morning, she said she was robbed in White's alley; I sent her to a Mr. Ravenscroft's; when she came back, she said one Sam. Taylor < no role > enticed her up an alley; she did not, on her oath, go out at eleven at night to buy sugar-candy for my husband.

ACQUITTED .

Tried by the First Middlesex Jury, before Mr. Baron PERRYN.