215. ELIZABETH COWLEY proceedingsdefend was indicted for stealing thirty yards of thread lace, value 30 s. the property of Samuel Pohl proceedingsvictim , March 31st .

SAMUEL POHL < no role > sworn.

The prisoner did char-work at my house, being a servant out of place ; she continued with us about ten days or a fortnight, duringthat time two pieces of thread lace were missed.

When did you first miss them? - On Thursday in the Easter week, the 28th or 29th of March; it made my family very unhappy; we did not know who to suspect. I advertised the lace but did not hear any thing of it. On the Saturday following in the evening, the prisoner went away for a few days to make holiday; she came again five or six days after, and chared as before for two or three days. A lady who lodged at my house lost a pocket book after the prisoner came again. I apprehended the prisoner on suspicion. I took out a warrant at the office in Litchfield-street, and Grubb, an officer, came with me. I took the prisoner into the parlour and charged her with it; the officer advised my wife to go into another room and try to get her to confess, which she did, and then she confessed taking the lace.

You did not hear that? - No; but I heard her acknowledge it afterwards; she was very much distressed, and owned she had stolen the lace and pawned it.

Did you make her any promises to induce her to confess? - I promised her if I recovered my lace I would show her all the lenity the law would allow.

Did your wife make her any promises? - I believe, she did; we found the lace in consequence of her confession. Grubb was present with my wife when she went into the other room.

CHARLES GRUBB < no role > sworn.

Did you go into the parlour with Mrs. Pohl and the prisoner? - I was in the parlour when she made the confession. Mrs. Pohl spoke to me about it, I advised her to take care what promise she made; and not to promise not to prosecute her, but only to show her all the lenity she could in the prosecution.

What sort of lenity did she promise her? - She said, it was a capital offence, the lace was worth ten or twelve pounds; that she would show her all the lenity that lay in her power, for she would not lay it capitally.

To the prosecutor. You said she acknowledged in your presence that she had taken the things and pawned them? - Yes. At Mr. Parker's and at Mr. Freares's; I went there and found the lace.

JAMES COLLINGS < no role > sworn.

I am shopman to Mr. Freares; the prisoner brought two pieces of lace to our shop, one contained twelve the other seven yards; the twelve yards she brought the 31st of March, the seven yards on the 10th of April.

Are you sure they were brought by the prisoner? - Yes; I had seen her before. I asked her whose property they were? She said, she brought them for a Mrs. Robinson who kept a house in Marshall-street, Carnaby Market.

Did you know such a person? - No; she pawned them in the name of Robinson.

What did she pawn them for? - The twelve yards two guineas, the other piece half a guinea.

(The lace was produced in court.)

Prosecutor. This piece is very particular. I had but one piece of that sort; it was taken out of the lace box in the mahogany press.

Had the prisoner access to that drawer? - On the Thursday morning I found the press open, so that somebody must have been at it.

Had it been locked? - I believe it had, but it was carelessly left unbolted. I missed this piece in particular that morning.

Is there any thing so particular in this piece that you could have sworn to it if she had not confessed? - Yes; from the pattern, the breadth, and the quantity of yards; there was a private mark to the end of it, that is taken away.

Do you know any thing of the other piece of lace? - Yes. I missed a piece of the same quantity. I know this to be mine; there is a particular joining in it.

Is there any mark upon it? - No; only the pattern; I cannot positively swear to it.

THOMAS PARKER < no role > sworn.

The prisoner brought eleven yards of lace to our house the 31st of March, in one piece.

New lace not made up? - Yes. She said, she brought it from a Mrs. Robinson. I asked her where she lived? she told me in the Hay-market.

Do you know such a person in the Hay-market? - Yes. She comes and sendsfrequently to our house; she pawned it in her name for a guinea and a half (producing it).

Prosecutor. I missed such a piece of such a number of yards, I believe it to be mine.

(The prisoner did not say any thing in her defence).

GUILTY .

Tried by the First Middlesex Jury before Mr. Baron PERRYN < no role > .

[Whipping. See summary.]