349. JOSEPH BAMBRIDGE proceedingsdefend This name instance is in set 1971379. was indicted, for feloniously stealing on the 1st day of February , fifteen hempen sacks, value 10 s. and four hempen flour bags, value 2 s. the property of John Morgan proceedingsvictim .

JOHN MORGAN < no role > sworn.

I am a Cornchandler ; on the 19th of February last I met a friend in Tottenham-court-road, through whose information I watched the prisoner, who was my servant ; and on Friday night the 20th, I had James and Thomas Cooper < no role > , who were relations, to supper, and the prisoner was gone to my warehouse and granary, which is detached from my dwelling house about two hundred yards; this was between eight and nine in the evening, and I desired Thomas and James Cooper < no role > to follow him, to see that nothing was gone from the warehouse; and I followed him myself, and one of them came to fetch me in five minutes, and I overtook a man with a sack on his back, and Thomas Cooper < no role > was following him, that man was not the prisoner; I catched hold of the man by the collar, and I said, you scoundrel how came you by this, he said, O Lord Mr. Morgan, I know I am doing wrong, and if you will forgive me, I will tell all I know; upon this we took him to the White Lyon, opposite St. Giles's round house, I then took him to the watch-house, and left him in company with Thomas and James Cooper < no role > ; I got a constable, and went back to my own house, and the prisoner was then coming out of my house, I charged the constable with him, he seemed greatly terrified, I said Joe, do I deserve this from you? he fell down on his knees, burst into tears, and begged for mercy.

JAMES COOPER < no role > sworn.

I was at Mr. Morgan's house at supper, and my brother was there, it was Friday the 20th of February, and we both went out to the granaries, and I had not been there above three minutes, before I saw a man come out with a full bag on his back, we followed, and overtook him at the top of Drury Lane, and I went for Mr. Morgan.

Did you see any thing of the prisoner? - Not till I saw him the next morning at the justice's, I went there about ten.

Who went with you? - Roberts, a constable.

Did your brother go with you? - No, he was left with the bag at the White Lyon; I think the prisoner's house is in Church-street St. Giles's, there I found fifteen sacks, and three bags, which are chiefly used for flour; we brought them all to the White Lyon, the prisoner was in the round house; Mr. Morgan came and saw the sacks and bags, and said they were his own property, I was present, they have been in possession of Mr. Morgan, with the constable's seal on them, one of them was half full of pollard, I did not observe the mark on them then, but some of them have Mr. Morgan's name at full length on them.

(The sacks deposed to by the prosecutor.)

Mr. Garrow, Prisoner's Council. The prisoner had lived with you four years? - Four years and four months.

Except as to this business, what was his character, if he had left you and had applied to you for a character, what character would you have given him? - I only can say in a few words, that he was the best servant I ever had in my life, I placed a great deal of confidence in him, he never lost me an hour when in health.

Might it not happen, that this man, being in the employment of collecting of sacks, might have carried them to his own house, with a view afterwards to have brought them to yours? - Those fourteen sacks had not been in my possession for more than a twelve-month, nor of any of my servants to my knowledge.

Your business is very extensive? - Yes.

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

The first Part of this Sessions contains the remarkable Trial of George Barrington < no role > , with his curious Defence, verbatim.

The second Part contains the remarkable Trial of John Newland < no role > , for counterfeiting Bank Notes, with the Arguments-of the Council, at large.

The third Part contains the remarkable Trial of Matthew Costillo < no role > , alias Costella, for a Rape on the Body of Elizabeth Tarrier < no role > , Spinster, with the Arguments of Council.

The fourth Part contains the remarkable Trial of John Smith < no role > , Alexander Cullum < no role > , William Hubbard < no role > , Charles Manning < no role > , Richard < no role > M'Donagh, and others who received Sentence of Death.

The fifth Part contains the remarkable Trial of Thomas Turner < no role > This name instance is in set 1367. This set is in the group(s): GarrowsClients . , capitally convicted, but his Sentence reserved for the Opinion of the twelve Judges, with the Arguments of Council, and Opinion of the Court as to a dwelling House; also the remarkable Trial of John Penny < no role > This name instance is in set 1371. ; and several others.

The sixth Part contains the remarkable Trial of John Pond < no role > , and several others.

The seventh and eighth Parts contain the remarkable Trial of John Wade < no role > for the willful Murder of Constance Frost < no role > , his Apprentice Girl, by starving her to Death; and several others.

Any of the above Numbers may be had of E. HODGSON, Writer of these Proceedings (who also takes Trials, &c. in Short Hand, on reasonable Terms, and teaches Short Hand in four Lessons only) No. 35, Chancery-lane.

N. B. A few on fine Paper for the Gentlemen of the Law.

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 25th of FEBRUARY, 1784, and the following Days;

Being the THIRD SESSION in the Mayoralty of The Right Hon. ROBERT PECKHAM < 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 IX.

LONDON:

Printed for E. HODGSON (the Proprietor) And Sold by J. WALMSLAY, No. 35, Chancery Lane, and S. BLADON, No. 13, Pater-noster Row.

MDCCLXXXIV.

[PRICE SIX-PENCE.]

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 Joseph Bambridge < no role > This name instance is in set 1379. This set is in the group(s): GarrowsClients . .

Therefore they may have been employed in your business by your servants? - I bought a hundred quarter sacks at Uxbridge with intent to work flour in them, and to have them branded with my name with pitch.

But that you did not do however? - They are marked with an M.

But you know any other dealer in grain would be likely to mark his sacks with an M? - It is possible.

It is possible that these sacks, though they have not come under your observation, may have been employed in your business? - Yes.

EDWARD ROBERTS < no role > sworn.

I am the constable, I was present at the finding the sacks at the prisoner's house, with Mr. James Cooper < no role > ; there were twenty sacks and four bags all full of pollard, pease flour, and corn; the pollard and pease flour was mixed.

What part of the prisoner's house were they in? - We went through the first room into the parlour, which was their bedroom, they all stood in that room, they were all taken to Mr. Morgan's house full the same night, and emptied; I was not present when they were emptied, I saw them the next morning at the Justice's, there were several of them marked with a customer of Mr. Morgan's name at full length, Mr. Holding, but he only brought them that had his own name on; there were fifteen of them that belonged to Mr. Morgan, some had Holding's name that I observed the night before, Mr. Morgan came to me and desired I would go, I told him he did not need a constable, as a neighbour I went along with him, we secured the first man and put him into the round-house, then I went along with him to his own house, and we had not been in a minute before the prisoner came into the house; when he came in Mr. Morgan gave charge of him to me, and he seemed very much alarmed; I said to him, I dare say you are very sensible what this is for; he made no answer at all, Mr. Morgan then began upraiding him, and said, Joe, I have used you exceedingly well, and I think you ought not to use me in that manner; he immediately fell down on his knees in the shop, I do not know that he said any thing particular with respect to confessing, but

hoped he would forgive him, or something to that purpose; at the time of searching the house, I went into all the apartments that belonged to him, and I found in the yard twelve pigs.

Mr. Garrow. Before you went to Mr. Morgan's house the other man was in custody? - Yes, that man had confessed.

We are not trying him now, that man had been apprehended for coming out of the granary with a sack on his back? - He fell on his knees upon being upraided with his ingratitude and ill-usage, but was not charged with any felony, I do not know that that had been mentioned to him.

Now there had been a man seen coming out of the granary, which granary this man had the key of? - Yes.

ABRAHAM SMITH < no role > sworn.

Mr. Morgan's man, the prisoner, asked me to carry a bag home for him.

When was that? - I cannot tell the day of the month.

What day was you taken up? - On Friday, it was about a month before.

Where was you to get the bag? - He asked me to go to Mr. Morgan's granary, and he would give me three pence to carry that bag home, I went to the door about a quarter after eight, I had just left work, and his master's granary looks through into my master's yard.

Did you see the prisoner there? - I just came out of my master's gate, and he was coming out of my master's door, and he called to me; my master is a coach-wheeler.

What did the prisoner say to you? - He asked me that very night to carry a bag home for him.

What that very night? - Yes.

What was he to give you for this? - One time two-pence, and another time threepence halfpenny for a pot of beer.

Did you carry a bag that night? - I had it on my back when I was taken.

Where did you get that bag? - The prisoner gave it me on the outside of the door, the bag was full, but I do not know what it contained.

How many times did you carry bags for the prisoner? - Three times, I think, I carried them to his house and set them down.

PRISONER's DEFENCE.

I gathered in these sacks for my master's customers, and it was late at night, and my master was gone to bed, and I did not chuse to knock at the door, and I took them to my own house.

Mr. Garrow. My Lord I have witnesnesses to the prisoner's character, but after what Mr. Morgan has said of him, it would be wasting your lordship's time.

GUILTY .

Prosecutor. My Lord, till this unfortunate affair, I held the prisoner in the highest esteem, and he has a wife that now lays in, that was brought to bed a day or two ago, and has a family besides, I beg leave to recommend him to your lordship's mercy.

Mr. Justice Gould. I have no disposition whatever to be severe upon people, but you must consider we are bound to do our duty for the good of the public; and of all the offences that I have heard tried this sessions, I think this stands in the most flagitious light; a man whom you have shewn such indulgence to, one on whom you reposed such confidence, and whom you would have trusted to any extent, that he should be guilty of such an act of treachery as this, and it would be a very bad example indeed, to let him go unpunished; therefore, though for my own part, I feel as much as any man can do for the miserable condition that prisoners bring themselves into, yet it is necessary that such offenders should not go unpunished.

Prosecutor. My Lord it is merely out of humanity to the poor woman, and the situation she is in; I shall leave it to your Lordship.

Mr. Rose. Joseph Bambridge < no role > This name instance is in set 1379. This set is in the group(s): GarrowsClients . , you have been indicted and found guilty of robbing your master; it gives me pain to be under the necessity of passing sentence on a man, who as a servant has born so good a character, as you have; but it is necessary that a very severe example should be made of offenders under your description; all our property must be at the mercy of servants, and as a servant you had the protection of your master's property, and your master putting confidence in you, you ought rather to protect that property than have stolen it: it is necessary therefore, for the sake of the publick good, that you should be very severely punished; and if it had not been for the lenity of your master, your punishment would have been still more severe than it now will be: - The sentence of the Court is, and we hope it will teach you to behave better for the future, that you be fined one shilling , and imprisoned in Clerkenwell Bridewell for the space of twelve months, and there confined to hard labour .

Tried by the second Middlesex Jury before Mr. Justice GOULD.