319. WM. HARCOURT proceedingsdefend , MARY HARCOURT proceedingsdefend , and ELIZABETH ELLIS proceedingsdefend , were indicted for having in their custody and possession, on the 28th day of March last, one mould, made of-sand for coining a shilling, feloniously and traiterously against the statute .

A second count for having a mould for coining a six-pence.

JOHN ATKINS < no role > sworn.

I went to a house in Bird-court, in Philip-lane , on Friday the 28th of March, I tried at the latch and found it fast, I knocked at the door and a woman came out, whose name is Rebecca Tisdale < no role > , I asked her if Mr. Harcourt was at home, she said, he was not, I asked her when he would be in, she said, she did not know, then I put my hand to her mouth, and Morant and Gregory and Prior, who were behind me, passed me while I had the woman in that position, and Halliburton came next, and I left the woman with him, and followed the others up stairs, when I got into the room, I seized hold of Mrs. Harcourt, and tied her hands, then I searched her, and found two half-crowns and a shilling in her pocket, concealed in a box, and one half-crown was loose in her pocket, then I tied the hands of prisoner Ellis, and Prior searched her, and one of the constables was along with William Harcourt < no role > when they were taken, I went, and stood, and kept the room door; afterwards I went up stairs along with Prior into the garret, on searching that place we found a vast quantity of scouring and other paper, and some files, I came down stairs and the prisoners were committed.

MOSES MORANT < no role > sworn.

I went to this house in Philip-lane, together with Atkins, our information lay in the two pair of stairs room, and as soon as I got to the top of the stairs, I saw Mrs. Harcourt coming out of the door, Mrs. Ellis was by the fire.

Court. Was Ellis coming out? - No, she stood still in the room over against the door, one of the constables saying, there is a man behind the door, I let Mrs. Harcourt go and took him, in his pocket I found that bit of hard metal.

(The Metal produced.)

After tying his hands, I searched the room, and found a quantity of shillings and sixpences, and half-crowns, and these patterns, which I found in a closet twenty sixpences and four shillings, and on the fire I found this crucible, it is now broke all to pieces with this copper in it, and by the fire side a crucible with that metal in it as it is now, it was quite hot, it stood down by the fire side, I took up the moulds, and in taking them up one of them broke, but one is very perfect.

This is called the gett? - I believe this is the mould, it is right side upwards now, and this metal, (The things shown to the Jury) some pieces of brass and some of copper, sand and scouring paper, I went into the garret, and there was a vice, scouring paper, a few files, and a piece of cork in the cellar, there was a large stamping press, I found nothing else.

Court. Do you know the use of that? - I look upon the scouring paper and the cork, to be that with which they clean the shillings, they appear as if they had been used; Mr. Clarke has compared the patterns.

Prisoner's Council. When you went into the room Mrs. Harcourt was in company with her husband, was not she? - She was coming from the door.

The maid was there too? - Mrs. Ellis was there; I do not know whether it was the maid or not.

One of these moulds you say broke as you were taking it up? - It did.

Therefore whether it was or was not compleat for this purpose you cannot possibly say? - That part is.

Court. That part of the mould that is broke was the upper part was it? - It broke in taking it up.

Was it laid then upon the under part, as laying together? - One upon the other, when I took the upper part off that part, some how or other I had an accident, it broke, it is a kind of a mould or sand, very fine sand.

JOHN GREGORY < no role > sworn.

I was with Atkins and Morant, I was the third person that entered the room, I heard Prior cry out, there is a man behind the door, and I looked behind the door immediately, and saw Mr. Harcourt behind the door, I immediately seized him, and Morant tied his hands, then I tied Mrs. Ellis's hands while Prior searched her, after the prisoners were made secure I went round the room, and in the sink I found this spray quite warm.

JAMES PRIOR < no role > sworn.

On Friday the 28th of March, I went to the house of Mr. Harcourt in Bird-court, Philip-lane, when Atkins had fastened Mrs. Ellis, Morant went in first, I went in after him, as I made into the room I observed Mr. Harcourt through the crick of the door, I immediately pressed to the door, and so confined him behind the door till Gregory and Morant came up and secured him, I went in the two pair of stairs and searched Ellis, I found nothing on her but this bad shilling and a few other things which I returned her, I looked round the room and observed that money which is produced in court laying in the window, and in the other window was a quantity of sand, and several pieces of scouring paper laying about.

Court. Was the sand loose? - No, I then looked at the fire place, and Morant saw a crucible in the fire, covered with charcoal, with metal in it red hot, the fire place which this crucible was in, is made into what they call a wind hole for the purpose of drawing sharper, I saw this spray in Gregory's hand which he said he had found, I did not see it found, it was found in the room, this was found in the kitchen, I do not know the right name of it, in the room was their drawers with a quantity of sand, flasks, and crucibles, we all examined their hands, and the hands of all three of the prisoners appeared to be extremely dirty, they were all black alike, I then went into the garret, there we found a quantity of paper, and some of the files.

WILLIAM HALLIBURTON < no role > This name instance is in set 1083. This set is in the group(s): BowStreetOfficers . sworn.

I went with the rest, I found nothing a all only a pocket book with the prisoner's name in it that he claimed.

JOHN CLARKE < no role > sworn.

You have been employed I understand for the Mint about fifteen years? - Pretty near, Sir.

Will you explain to us this business that has been carried on at the house of Mr. Harcourt; what is that? - That is half a mould, a side of a mould.

What is it made of? - It is made of sand.

What is this? - This, a spray, now it is all together.

Have you compared it with this mould? - I have not so well as I could wish.

Compare it. - There is not a doubt but that has been run from this, not the least in the world.

Look at this? - This is all good money.

Is there any resemblance between that and the spray? - Here are four shillings that have been cast from them four shillings.

Look at these two half crowns and shillings which were found on Mrs. Harcourt? - Here is a half crown piece, that is a good one which has been cast from it; here is another mark that runs from the nose over the half crown, that you will find from that, here is a shilling, that a shilling on the spray has been cast from, here is a notch on the tail side, that you will find on one side the shilling, and that notch you will find in the spray.

Court. This notch seems to be almost fresh made? - You will see it in the spray, I have looked at them very minutely through a glass, you will find that in the spray, most of the sixpences are cast from the spray, but there is three or four that I can particularly mention.

What is that mould fit for when it is set? - For pouring any thing that may be impressed into sand to take off the impression.

Is the sand proper sand to make a mould? - Yes.

What is the process? - Whatever they please to run, there is a board, and there is a gett, that is the gett which is put in the board, and the impressions are laid inside that gett.

Is that fit for to cast one side of a shilling? - That has been cast from it, not a doubt of it; these have been cast from these patterns, this half crown has been cast, and this is the mark on the nose.

What is that bit of metal? - This is tin, I suppose these are crucibles; that is white arsenic, they flux the copper with t, and turn it white.

Court. But scouring paper makes it smooth? - Yes, they are finished with sand paper and cork to make them smooth.

Court. Are there all the ingredients there that are necessary, is there any aquafortis? - No.

Have you no part of the upper mould? - That was broke all to pieces.

But that was laid there on the other? - Yes.

Court to Morant. Let Mr. Clarke look upon that upper frame, and see whether it corresponds to match with the under frame in case it had sand in it? - That is it.

Had that sand in it? - Yes, it was compleat.

Court. Though we have not the sand, if we have the frame that exactly tallies with the other, that must be the compleat thing itself.

Prisoner's Council. You have what you call the half of a mould? - Yes.

You may run one side supposing there is no impression on the other? - It would be impossible to make the impressions on the other side by making a separate mould afterwards, it could not be run a second time.

One side of it might be finished and made, and the impression not being made it is no mould? - Yes, it is, when they are together they are called a pair of moulds, because one bears one side, and one the other; a thing of that kind cannot be fit for any thing.

What was shewn you; the spray must have had then a pair of moulds to finish it? - Yes.

You said it was incompleat, and unfit for the business? - Yes.

Can you by looking at that which is there in sand, say, that there is any resemblance of a shilling? - I think I can.

You have seen the spray? - Yes.

These may be used for buttons? - As for casting buttons there is no such a thing, they do not cast them, they are struck up in dies.

That does not follow of course, that that spray was cast in that mould, they might have made the same impressions on any other mould? - I am here on my oath, and dare to say, not only myself, but the Court and every gentleman here will agree with me in my opinion, that I do now declare, I have no doubt from their laying so exact upon the sand.

ANN HARRIS < no role > sworn.

I have known him and his wife upwards of three years, they came to lodge at my house in December 1779, they continued there till last November, about the 20th or 21st, they behaved very quiet and sober, the man went out to his daily labour, I had a good character with them, and I never found the contrary.

Prisoner's Council. What are you? - A shagreen case maker, I keep a house.

What was the prisoner? - A locksmith.

Did he work at your house? - He told me he worked at - , him and his wife had a room of me from the 2d of December, 1779, to the 20th of November.

And do you mean to say, he was in house all that time? - No, he was like other people, sometimes in and sometimes he was out, he went out of my house sometimes to see his friends in the country, he did not lodge any where to my knowledge, he would go and stay a day or two, I did not know where he was gone, he went down in the country to see his friends.

Recollect yourself between the 2d of December 1779, to the 20th of November last, do you mean to say, he never was from your house to see his friends, or in the country, upon your oath? - Not to my knowledge.

Recollect yourself, whether he has not been from your house? - I believe for about a fortnight he left my house.

When did he first go to your house? - The 2d of December 1779.

From that time till November, was he never absent for a month or six weeks? - Not to my knowledge so long as that.

PRISONER.

I lodged in Mrs. Harris's house, sometime after I had the house in Philip-lane.

Upon my oath, I never heard he was in confinement, during all the time, that I have known him, nor his wife neither, I never heard of it.

Nor you never came here yourself to give evidence? - I never was in this Court in my life, nor any other upon any trial.

The prisoner produced four more witnesses, which gave him a very good character.

WM. HARCOURT, GUILTY , ( Death .)

MARY HARCOURT < no role > , ELIZABETH ELLIS < no role > .

NOT GUILTY .

Tried by the first London Jury before Mr. Justice NARES.