49. (L.) Catherine Morgan proceedingsdefend , spinster , was indicted for stealing five shift sleeves, one striped Holland apron, two cambrick handkerchiefs, two muslin handkerchiefs, two pair of stockings, six linen caps, a piece of velvet, two napkins, and two pillow cases , the property of Susanna Townley proceedingsvictim , widow , Dec. 21 .~

Susanna Townley < no role > . On St. Thomas's Day, in the morning, there was a fire in Thames-street. I, living near it, was obliged to move my goods. I sent for Mr. Wright to assist me. I, in the hurry, throw'd many things down stairs, and they were carried away to Mr. Wright's house; but I cannot tell by whom. When I had taken them back again, I missed several things. I mentioned it to Mr. Wright. The prisoner was his servant . She was going away; and, upon looking over her things, Mrs. Wright thought there were things that were not her own. So they sent for me; and I went, and found one cap, a blue and white handkerchief, and a pair of sleeves of mine. She down on her knees, and declared, she knew nothing of them, as she should answer it to God. A friend of mine said, if she would discover were the rest of the things were, she should get free.

Court. What she said after such a promise of favour as that you must not tell. Tell what you know independent of that.

S. Townley. She gave me the keys of her trunk, and sent me to Plumbtree-court; where I found the rest of the things mentioned in the indictment.

Q. At whose-house did you find the trunk?

S. Townley. It was at No 10; I do not know the peoples names. [The goods produced in court, and deposed to]. The sleeves she had on when I went to her, and the blue and white handkerchief; here is the fellow handkerchief to it [ producing it].

Francis Wright < no role > . On St. Thomas's Day, in the morning. I was called out of bed when the fire was at Mr. Pain's, the Sugar Baker's, who lives over-against the prosecutrix. There were a parcel of things tied up; and the prosecutrix was running about like a mad woman. I took some things from her, and put them up in some bedding (it was a parcel of clean linen), and gave it to a porter to carry to my house, and walked behind him home. They were carried back again on the Tuesday following. The prisoner was servant to me. There were some words betwixt her and my wife, and she was going away. She desired my wife to look into her bundle. She did, and thought some of them did not belong to her. So Mrs. Townley was sent for; who found two caps, two pair of sleeves, a muslin handkerchief, and a blue and white one; which she owned as her property. Some were found upon her, and the rest were in her bundle. The prisoner at first said she found the things upon the stairs, and at the dining-room door, in my house. I asked her, how she could be so cruel as to steal things that were saved out of the flames, seeing our house might be in the same condition in a few minutes? She down on her knees, and denied knowing any thing of the matter; but when she found she was detected, she told where the rest of the things were; and they were found accordingly in her sister's room in Plumptree-court.

Matthew Dallison < no role > . Mrs. Townley desired me to assist her when she was going to look after these things. I went along with her and the constable to the house in Plumptree-court, where the prisoner directed us, and saw Mrs. Townley find the things in the box. It was at No 10; The woman of the house called herself Davis, and said the prisoner was her sister.

Prisoner's Defence.

I was frighted in getting out of my bed at the time of the fire, and can't say I know any thing at all of the things.

Guilty 10 d.

[Whipping. See summary.]

[Imprisonment. See summary.]