Old Bailey Proceedings:
Old Bailey Proceedings: Accounts of Criminal Trials

15th July 1772

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Currently Held: Harvard University Library

LL ref: t17720715-40




555. (M.) ROBERT ASTROP proceedingsdefend This name instance is in set 2601. was indicted for that he on the king's highway, on John Stern < no role > , did make an assault, putting him in corporal fear and danger of his life, and stealing from his person a silver watch, value 40 s. a steel watch chain, value 6 d. a cornelian stone seal set in silver, value 1 s. a brass watch key, value 1 d. and 8 d. in money, numbered, the property of the said John , June 8th . +

John Stern proceedingsvictim . I am servant to colonel Woolaston, in Wimpole street; I went to Chelsea on the 8th of June, about half after ten o'clock; I was stopped in Park lane , facing North Audley Chapel.

Q. Was you a-foot?

Stern. Yes.

Q. Was any body with you?

Stern. Yes; Mary Daw < no role > and Margaret Winter < no role > ; Daw is the wife of my fellow servant, she had hold of my right arm. There came two men arm in arm; one took hold of my right arm, and pulled me from Mary Daw < no role > , and the other laid hold of my left arm, and they demanded my money and my watch, or otherwise they would have my life.

Q. Which said so?

Stern. The man that had hold of my right arm; he had a hammer in his hand, what we call a Payne hammer.

Q. Had he nothing else in his hand?

Stern. Not that I saw.

Q. Had the other man any thing in his hand?

Stern. Not that I saw.

Q. Was it light?

Stern. Not very light.

Q. What did you do?

Stern. I said I don't know what you mean, gentlemen; as to money, I have very little, and no watch; the man on my left hand took the watch out of my pocket, and the man on the right hand took my money; he on the right hand was the tallest; he put his hand into my pocket, and pulled out what money I had; as near as I can guess there was a six-pence and some halfpence.

Q. Did you lose any thing else?

Stern. Yes, my watch.

Q. Did they take it from you, or you give it them?

Stern. The man on the left hand reached across and took it. The watch had a steel chain and a cornelian stone seal set in silver; the impression was a man's head.

Q. And a key, I suppose?

Stern. Yes, a brass key.

Q. Did they take any thing from the women?

Stern. No.

Q. The women stood by?

Stern. They went a little distance to call somebody, but saw nobody, so they came a little way back again.

Q. When they had taken the watch and money, what followed?

Stern. The man on my right hand, with the hammer, struck me on the side of the head.

Q. Was it a violent blow?

Stern. It did not come so heavy I believe as he expected, because I kept it off.

Q. Was he discontent with his booty?

Stern. No.

Q. Did you make any resistance then?

Stern. No, he said nothing; he gave me no more; it stunned me that I did not remember their going off; when I recovered I found they were gone; I struggled a-cross the way, and the two women laid hold of me, and kept me from falling; my watch was advertised by Mr. Heley who had it. (The watch produced by Heley, and deposed to by the prosecutor).

Mary Daw < no role > . I was by when this robbery happened.

Q. Was it the same time of night John Stern < no role > has mentioned and the circumstances the same?

Daw. Yes.

Q. Do you remember the blow?

Daw. No.

Q. Do you remember his reeling over to you, and your supporting him?

Daw. Yes.

Q. You don't know any thing of the prisoner?

Daw. No, not to be positive; one was tall, the other shortish.

Q. You have no reason to suspect the prisoner is one?

Daw. No.

Margaret Winter < no role > . I was by when the robbery was committed.

Q. Was it in the same manner as Stern has mentioned?

Winter. Yes.

Q. Should you know any of the persons that committed it?

Winter. No, I was gone on a little before; two men passed by me, but said nothing.

Q. to Mrs. Daw. Did you see any thing in either of their hands?

Daw. Yes, something; I don't know what, I was so frightened.

John Heley < no role > . On Tuesday the 9th of June, I went with Mr. Bond and Mr. Taylor into St. Giles's, to apprehend a man accused of a footpad robbery; we had been searching there about half an hour, and as we were coming away, I saw the prisoner with another young fellow, I don't know his name. I said to Mr. Bond, there is Astrop; Mr. Bond said, you must take him, for last night he went to pawn a watch and got off. As soon as he saw us come towards him, he run off; we pursued him, and took him in a court in Denmark-street, St. Giles's; when we came up to him, I put my hand in his coat pocket and found a hammer. ( Produces the hammer.)

Prosecutor. That is such a hammer as he hit me with.

Heley. At that time I did not particularly search him, but held his hand till I got him down to the Bear in Bow-street; when he came into the parlour, I saw the chain of a watch hang out; this is the watch (producing it;) he said it was his own; that he bought it at Gains-borough in Lincolnshire; accordingly the watch was advertised, and the prosecutor came and owned it; that is all I know of the matter.

Prosecutor. That is my watch.

Prisoner's Defence.

I was coming from my father's house, the corner of New Round Court in the Strand, on Tuesday morning about eight o'clock; going up the Hay Market, I met two or three friends I had not seen sometime; they asked me to drink a glass of something with them; I went into an alehouse, and they asked about my going abroad, because they heard my father speak of it; I told them I was a going; I said I owed a little money and was going to settle it before I went. A shortish man, like a coachman, came into the company, and asked, if any body would buy a watch; I said, let me look at it. He asked a guinea and a half; I bid him 30 s. he said he was in distress; it was more than he could pawn it for, and he took it. As I was going past St. Giles's, three men run after me, and said, if I did not stop; they would knock me down; they took me to the Bear in Bow-street, and took the watch and other things from me. If I was the person, it is remarkable none of the three people know me; it is very improbable that I should strike a man with such a hammer. While I was in New Prison a man came and shook hands with me, and asked if I was not the man that bought a watch at St. Giles's; I said I was; he said he was sorry for me, knowing the justness of my cause, and if he could do any thing for me he would; he could not attend here, because, I believe, he was going out of town; he appeared before Sir John Fielding < no role > with me, who readily gave me another examination, but said he could not discharge me, because the prosecutors were bound over.

Guilty . Death .

See him tried No. 487, for a highway robbery last sessions.




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