162. JAMES WEST proceedingsdefend was indicted for that he (together with James Thompson < no role > ) did make an assault on Mary Spalding proceedingsvictim This name instance is in a workspace. , widow , in a certain field and open place near the king's highway, on the 14th of September last, and put her in fear and danger of her life, and take from her person, and against her will, a linen gown, value 6 s. a cloth cloak, value 4 s. a linen handkerchief, value 6 d. a linen apron, value 4 d. a dimity petticoat, value 3 d. and a silk hat, value 4 s. the goods of the said Mary .

MARY SPALDING < no role > sworn.

Court. Where do you live? - At Queenhithe.

What is your business? - I am a servant . Was you robbed at any time? - Yes, about four or five months ago, going to see my children.

Do you know what month it was in? - I cannot say.

Was it before or after Michaelmas? - I cannot tell.

Where was you robbed? - In Stepney fields , between seven and eight at night: I had been to Poplar workhouse, I have two small children there, I had been to see them, and coming back these men attacked me.

What do you mean by these men? - This man and one James Thompson < no role > .

When did you see them first? - The first that came to me, the little one, commanded my pockets immediately, the other came bodily up to me, and that gentleman he put this knife (producing a knife) into my mouth through my hat, and they took all my property, and stripped me, first my cardinal, next my pockets, next my gown, my handkerchief and my apron.

Did the prisoner hurt you at all with that knife. - No, I cannot say he did, he put it through my hat, I suppose to frighten me, because I made a great insistment, that they should not strip me, they were not five minutes stripping me; then they ran towards the fields, I kept going on the straight path back again to the nighest house to me at Stepney.

Have you ever seen the prisoner before? Yes, Sir.

Did you know him before? - I am sure that is the man, I am positive he was the man, because he had my property on his arm, he was taken about a quarter of an hour after.

What became of the other? - Thompson was tried here, he was acquitted.

Prisoner. She swore the same to Thompson as she has done to me.

The Remainder of this Trial in the Second Part, which will be published in a few Days.

HODGSON's SHORT-HAND TREATISE, Price 2 s. 6 d. with an Explanatory Copper-plate, to be had of J. WALMSLAY, and S. BLADON.

Trials at Law, &c. taken with great Accuracy by E. HODGSON, Writer of these PROCEEDINGS, No. 35, Chancery-lane.

N. B. SHORT-HAND taught on an improved Plan.

THE WHOLE PROCEEDINGS ON THE KING's Commission of the Peace, Oyer and Terminer, and Gaol Delivery for the CITY of LONDON; AND ALSO, The Gaol Delivery for the County of Middlesex; HELD AT JUSTICE HALL in the OLD BAILEY, On Wednesday, the 26th of FEBRUARY, 1783, and the following Days;

Being the THIRD SESSION in the Mayoralty of The Right Hon. Nathaniel Newnham < no role > , Esq; LORD MAYOR < no role > OF THE CITY OF LONDON.

TAKEN IN SHORT HAND BY E. HODGSON, And Published by Authority.

NUMBER III. PART II.

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THE WHOLE PROCEEDINGS UPON THE

KING's Commission of the Peace, Oyer and Terminer, and Gaol Delivery for the CITY of LONDON, &c.

Continuation of the Trial of James West < no role > .

JAMES LUNDEN < no role > sworn.

I am clerk to Mr. Phillips, the brewer; on the 14th of September last, about eight in the evening, as I was going between the Ship and Sun Tavern Fields, being a vacant space, where there are no houses; I heard in Stepney Fields a most melancholy cry of Murder! murder! O do not kill me! I hesitated a few minutes what to do; I looked round and saw no person, I ran down the lane alone; but considering it would be dangerous and foolhardy, I ran back again, and I went into the Ship for assistance, I saw no person in the tap room, but I called out, For God's sake, is there nobody in the house, I believe there is a woman murdering in the fields; I heard some voices in the other room, there were three men smoaking their pipes; they followed me: here I must observe, my Lord, that when they got out of the door, the cry of murder was over, and the men heard nothing of it, and when they had got about half way through the lane, they returned; I begged them to follow me; near the bottom of the lane, I met the prisoner and one Thompson, they attempted to shun me by going close up the bank, this immediately made me suspect them; I collared Thompson with my right hand, and with my left I pushed the prisoner against the bank; in this situation the people behind came up; I observed something under his right arm, and put my hand to it, one of the other persons did the same, it was a woman's gown; he then began to make resistance, and attempted to get away, but we overpowered him, and with some difficulty got him into the Ship; there he was secured; then I begged somebody to go with me and look after the woman, we found the woman without her gown, her apron off, and her breast open.

PRISONER's DEFENCE.

As for the gown, I had been at work on the Saturday, and had received my wages, and I found the gown in the pathway; it was dark, and I put my foot against the gown, and it had like to have thrown me down; I have no witnesses.

GUILTY , Death .

Tried by the first Middlesex Jury before Mr. Justice BULLER.