247, 248, 249. GEORGE PERKINS proceedingsdefend MARY RAWLINS proceedingsdefend , and MARY BATSTER proceedingsdefend , were indicted, for making an assault upon Elizabeth the wife of Robert Vines < no role > , on the 7th of February , in the dwelling-house of the said Robert Vines < no role > , putting her in corporal fear and danger of her life, and taking from her person a gold ring, value 5 s. one watch, with a studded shagreen case, value 20 s. with a metal watch chain, gilt, value 2 s. a quilted stuff petticoat, value 2 s. several other articles of wearing apparel, and a small clasp knife, value 6 d. and 3 s. 6 d. in money, the goods and money of the said Robert Vines proceedingsvictim .

ELIZABETH VINES proceedingsvictim sworn.

The prisoners are the persons that robbed me on the night before the last night, the 7th of February, just at ten o'clock; I sat by the fire in my own room, on the ground floor, in a front room, I was very ill in the morning, George Perkins < no role > brought me down a bason of coffee, Sarah Perkins < no role > and George Perkins < no role > lodged in the house up one pair of stairs; he came down between seven and eight in the morning for a light, I got up and gave it him, I said I was very dry, he said nothing to me, but went up and fetched me a bason of coffee, I was very sick all day, I brought up every thing I eat or drank; Mary Batster < no role > came in about eight at night, and asked me how I did very kindly, and went up stairs; at ten she came down and asked me if I would go to bed, I said I should not till the old woman came in that lives up two pair of stairs, she pulled me off my little stool where I was sitting, and threw me upon the bed; Mary Batster < no role > did, and directly the other two came in, she took the gold ring off my finger, and held me down while Sarah Perkins < no role > took my watch out of my pocket, and my knife, then the two women held me down and tied me on the bed, while George Perkins < no role > broke open my drawers, and they took all my cloaths, sheets, and wearing apparel of my husbands and mine, and took them up one pair of stairs, there they staid till one o'clock; I was in a great deal of trouble and sorrow, I was on my bed and tied down upon it, and they double locked my room door, and the street door; about half after ten the old woman came home, George Perkins < no role > let her in, she said, damn it I have been a good while getting in, and she enquired for me, George Perkins < no role > said I had been gone out with a gentleman since five o'clock, the old woman's name is Sarah Nibley < no role > , I heard the conversation between her and Perkins at the door; she went up stairs, they gave her a candle, and just at one o'clock, the three prisoners went all out, very quietly, and left all the places open; I heard them go, I got relieved myself, I undone myself and got released about three o'clock, I then called the old gentlewoman up; they came at one, and opened all the doors, after they took their things they throwed the tool as the man undid the drawers with, and said, I might lick myself and I might black my backside and go naked; they went away, I said I would go myself to the constable of the night, he said he could not go with me without a warrant; the next day I found Mary Batster < no role > , I could get no warrant on the last day, the day after I took two constables, they would not take her up; my husband got a warrant and they were taken up about a fortnight after, or rather better; I went to his worship Blackborrow's, he was not at home on Saturday, we let it alone till my husband came home; Denmore and Brown were the constables, one petticoat was found upon Sarah Perkins < no role > 's back after we took her in custody, nothing else was found at any time, though I lost all my caps and stockings, a person belonging to the Compter examined her.

From Mary Batster < no role > . Why I was not taken up upon the last day, she did not accuse me of being there, or taking the things, only of recommending such lodgers to her.

Court. She has only said the constable could not take you up without the warrant.

Elizabeth Vines < no role > . One of the constables took her upon the stairs, and whispered to her, that was Brown, Mr. Dinmore was with me in the room; I believe he did just lay his hand upon the drawers.

Cross-Examination.

Where do you live? - In Plough-Alley, Barbican.

Do you not keep a house for the reception of civil ladies? - No, Sir; I told them I did not desire to hurt them if I had my property. I said if you will let me have my property I will stir no farther in it.

Was you not bound over to appear against those persons by the magistrates? - Yes.

Was you not asked how you would get rid of that binding over, and you said, you would say you were ill in bed? - I did not say so to any body.

Did you or not, upon your oath, say so before this prosecution was commenced? - Before this happened I did to Mrs. Batster, and my husband said, Mrs. Batster you may be drawn into an error, and desired she would tell where the things was.

When you were asked how you would git rid of the obligation, did you not say you would swear, that you were sick in bed at that time? - No, Sir; I said to Mrs. Batster before ever it was prosecuted, I would let every thing alone if you will confess where my property is. I said to Mary Batster < no role > , I will not hurt the hair of your head, or nobody else, can I but get my property back again, I said I knew nothing about being bound over, that was before I was bound over I said so to her.

Court. Did you say at any time you would take a false oath, and swear you were sick in bed? - No, Sir.

Counsel for the Prisoners. Your lordship sees she knows what binding over is? - It was before I was bound over.

Then you understand the nature of being bound over? - I have enquired into it.

Did you not say, you would take your oath you were sick in bed, and could not attend? - I said so to Mary Batster < no role > , before I was bound over, not as I would take a false oath.

What did you say to Mary Batster < no role > ? - I said if you will let me have my property, there is nobody else taken up, you turn evidence, and let me have my property, I will not go farther with it, I will not hurt a hair of your head.

Did you say any thing more to her? - No.

Did you tell her when you came to give a reason for your not appearing, you would say, that you were sick in bed? - No.

You would not let a gentleman have a bed and a bottle of wine? - No.

Don't you keep a bad house? - I never did;

You say one of the prisoners brought you down some coffee in the afternoon? - In the morning George Perkins < no role > ,

Had you not been drinking a great deal that day? - Yes a great deal of water and small beer, but I reached it up.

You did not get intoxicated? - No.

You say, you were so exceedingly confused, you don't know how you got loose? - I cannot tell, it was my own hands.

If you were out of your senses how could you tell? - I was not out of my senses, I was terrified and frightened when the prisoners at the bar took all my property away, and weak as I was I was scarce able to contain myself.

You could distinguish the voice that let the old woman in? - Yes; I could indeed.

Had you and the prisoner Rawlins some conversation about that old petticoat that you lent her? - None at all.

Did not she owe you some rent, and did not you desire her to suffer her petticoat to be pawned to pay you? - No; I did not, she asked me to go and pawn her petticoat for her, I did at the bottom of Golden-lane.

Did not you promise her to lend her an old petticoat? - I am clear in it I did not.

Did not you let her an old petticoat, upon your oath? - No.

Robert Vines < no role > . I am a recruiting serjeant, I was at Birmingham when this happened, on the Sunday after I came to town Mrs. Batster was apprehended, they searched but not properly, I believe they were Denmore, Catchpole, and Seasons, I was not present when the others were taken, I was present when they found the petticoat upon Rawlins. Mrs. Batster desired, last Thursday was three weeks, to be admitted an evidence, she asked me if she could be admitted an evidence; a considerable time after Batster was taken I had been down to Birmingham and up again, in that interim of time, it might be three weeks after she was taken up, I told her I would do all I could in my power to save her, but not to send me upon a foolish errand before an alderman of the city of London, without she could bring good grounds for being an evidence. I went to her next day, in Wood-street Compter, and found she was in the same story, and she desired me to go and make application, which I did upon the examination day, she called me again, and said, do you know your wife's clothes,

I said I do not, if they were my own I should know them, she said do you go to the Poultry Compter, and you will find her petticoat. She was examined when the the officer came, and my wife found her petticoat upon Rawlins's back, according to the directions of Mrs. Batster; out of decency I went into another room; the officer has the petticoat here; I desired my wife to pull off one of her three petticoats she had on, that the officer might have the petticoat to keep.

Cross-Examination.

Do you know whether the constables assigned any reason for not taking one of the prisoners up before? - I was not in town.

To Mrs. Vines. What reason did the officers give upon the fast day for not taking Batster into custody? - They said they did not belong to the city, and they could not, I knew no better.

SARAH NIBLEY < no role > sworn.

What is your name? - My name is Sarah Nibley < no role > ; I lodged at Mrs. Vines's; Perkins and Rawlins lodged there too, I came home about ten o'clock in the evening, before the fast day, Mr. Perkins let me in, he was along while opening the door, I might stay four or five minutes at the door, I knocked three times, he opened the door, and I asked where my landlady was, he said she was gone out ever since five o'clock with a gentleman, I asked for a candle, there was a candle on the stairs, they gave me a light, he went to his room, I to mine, I heard a great talking till almost one o'clock, and could get no rest for it, then I heard no more, and I fell asleep, about three the watchman came, Mrs. Vines cried out murder, she came up stairs to me, told me she was robbed, and that they had taken her watch from her, I know nothing more.

Cross-Examination.

After you got up stairs, did you hear any noise below stairs? - None at all; nobody up nor down.

Did not you hear a noise as if people were making merry? - Yes; in their own apartment, in the one pair of stairs, where they lived.

Mrs. Vines did not call out for assistance before three? - No.

You came in at ten? - Yes; almost ten, the watchman called ten, it might be half an hour after when I came home, she did not call out to me, I heard nothing of her till three.

Did she give any reason why she did not call out? - She told me they had fastened her down, I think.

Did she at any time give you any reason for not apprizing you of her being robbed before you saw her, for not calling out? - Because she said she durst not.

WILLIAM CATCHPOLE < no role > sworn.

Produced a petticoat, that Mrs. Vines said was found upon the person of Mary Rawlins < no role > ; said he did not see it found, but another constable had delivered it to him, at Guildhall by order of the alderman's clerk, it had been produced by the other constable who was at the Poultry Compter.

To Mr. Vines. You were present when it was found upon her? - I was.

How soon after was it produced at Guildhall? - On the Monday following.

In whose possession was it during that time? - That other constable.

To Mrs. Vines. You were likewise present when the petticoat was found upon Rawlins? - Yes.

Now did you examine that petticoat at the time? - I did; I knew it by the inside and outside, and what I quilted it with, it was an old petticoat I covered with some new stuff, some of this thrum I had a present made to me; I did it black, I quilted it with my own hand, and from that work I knew it.

Have you any doubts of its being your's? - I make no doubt, I am certain it was my petticoat that was found upon Mary Rawlins < no role > .

MARY BATSTER < no role > 's DEFENCE.

There is the two Weekleys to be called, to prove my lord I was at home at the time.

They were called but did not appear.

GEORGE PERKINS < no role > 's DEFENCE.

I was not there that night.

MARY RAWLINS < no role > 's DEFENCE.

Mrs. Vines is perjured already, if the witnesses can be called, Catherine Hodges < no role > and Ann Thorne < no role > , will prove I was not there, she has swore away two mens lives already, she signed a paper about this.

To Sarah Nibley < no role > . Did you see any body when you came home but Perkins? - No.

Did you see either of the women? - No; I heard womens voices in the room, who they were I cannot tell, I did not know their voices, I heard womens voices with Perkins's in the room.

To Mrs. Vines. When you found the petticoat upon Mary Rawlins < no role > , did she at that time say that she had given it to her or lent it to her, that she might pawn another of her own? - No; she said she would bring a person upon oath to prove it was her own petticoat.

Did you say, damn you, you bitch, pawn your petticoat and pay the rent you owe? - No.

To Rawlins. Have you any body in court will prove this woman ever perjured herself, or do any thing in that way? - Yes; Ann Thorne < no role > and Catherine Hodges < no role > .

They were called but did not appear.

Elizabeth Weekley < no role > . I come to the character of Mrs. Batster.

Court. How long have you known her? - I am a lodger in the house with her these two years we have been lodgers in the house together; as to the character I really cannot say much to it at all, but the night before the fast day I remember she was at home, and eat her supper at home; I really cannot answer the day of the month, I came up about eight at night with a child in my arms, Mary Batster < no role > called me in and told me she was not very well; I lodge in the same house that she lives in, she came in about eight o'clock as near as I can remember; I had been down stairs talking with my little baby in my arms, I went up stairs, Mary Batster < no role > called me in to her room, she told me she was not very well, but she believed it was with only having a little tea all day, and she said she would send for a pound of steaks for her supper, she called her child and bid her go for a pound of mutton chops, and a pound of potatoes; as I was coming out again she said she would hold the child while I made the bed, I said to-morrow is fast day I must get my errands in immediately, she did not take the child, I said it wanted to be fed, it had been a good while without victuals, I went down, I did not see any more of her that night.

That was about eight o'clock? - That was about eight o'clock when I first came up.

Where does she live? - At No. 63, Aldersgate-street.

You don't remember seeing her again that night? - No; not to the best of my knowledge.

To Mary Rawlins < no role > . Have you any witnesses in court to call this woman's veracity in question? - Yes; one that can prove Mrs. Vines said, she would not take Mrs. Balster up for fear her husband would beat her.

Thorne and Hodges called again, did not appear.

Jury to Mrs. Vines. When you heard the old woman's voice, and heard her let in, why did not you cry out? - I was afraid; the reason was they threatened to kill me before; they threatened to cut my head off, here is the knife that was in the room.

Prisoner Perkins. This Mrs. Batster was not there, she is innocent of the affair, she is innocent of the affair.

GEO. PERKINS, GUILTY . Death .

MARY RAWLINS < no role > , GUILTY . Death .

MARY BATSTER < no role > , GUILTY . Death .

Tried by the London Jury before Mr. RECORDER.