343. MARY PICKERSGILL proceedingsdefend was indicted for stealing, on the 20th of January , a cotton gown, value 1l. two muslin aprons, value 2s. a cotton handkerchief, value 6d. a linen handkerchief, value 6d. a muslin handkerchief, value 1s. and a cotton half shawl, value 1s. the goods of Ann Brown proceedingsvictim .

ANN BROWN < no role > sworn.

I am a single woman , I live at No. 1, Duke-street, Westminster. I am a lodger there, and go out to needle work; these articles were taken from where the woman lodged, where I was before, I went to where I lodge now; it was at No. 38, Little Russell-street ; she came to wash where I lived servant, and when I left my place I went and lodged with her, in the same room; I lived servant at No.38, the man that keeps the house is a carpenter. I lodged with her a little better than a fortnight.

Q. In what month was this? How long ago? - I cannot particularly tell the day of the month, the duplicate will tell, I fancy it is about three months ago.

Q. Did you miss these things while you lodged with her, or after? - The gown I missed while I was with her; after I went away I missed the other things.

Q. Where did you miss the gown from? - From the room, it was not locked up, none of the things were locked up.

Q. How did it happen that you left your things there when you went away? - I left most of the things wet, and some rough dried, ready to iron.

Q. These things that you left wet, had she washed them for you? - No, I had washed them myself, and I was obliged to go, and left the things in the room.

Q. How soon did you come for them afterwards? - I left them on Saturday, on Saturday morning she came to me, and said she was going out to dinner, and it would be very late before she should be at home; she came again on Monday morning, and brought one gown, apron, and handkerchief of mine, and she left them with the woman where I was; I was not at home; she said that she was going out to Kingston on Thames, and she would not be home again till Tuesday night, and that if I wanted any thing, I must come again on Wednesday; I went on Wednesday evening, and she was not at home; after I had been there she came in and took a candle, and went out, and came no more all night; on Thursday morning she took a bundle of clothes and wanted to leave them in the public house, and they would not let her leave them, and she went back to her room, and took a bonnet box of mine, and never was seen at the room any more.

Q. Have you ever recovered any of your things since? - Yes, I found some at two pawnbrokers, I found them on Thursday; I went directly after she wasgone; she had pawned the gown that I charge her with, before I left her, and gave me the duplicate among some other papers, and told me that she would take the gown out on Friday, this was a fortnight before I left her lodgings that she gave me the duplicate.

Q. How did you trace the other things? - By the duplicate; I asked the pawnbroker if they had got any thing more in that name, she had not pawned the gown in her own name.

Q. How did you get to the pawnbroker? - I was persuaded to go to different pawnbrokers, and I should find the things that she had stole.

Q. < no role > Then it was by more chance that you found it? - Yes, quite.

Jury. Did you eat and drink with that woman when you lived with her? - I used to breakfast with her, and it cost me while I was there, which was a little better than a fortnight, about a guinea.

Q. Did you owe her any thing for lodging, that made her pawn these things? - No. I did not pay her any particular ron, I laid out for victuals and drink, and she cat with me; I asked her what I should pay her? she said I should not pay her any thing, she thought she was under an obligation to me.

WILLIAM LANE < no role > sworn.

I am a pawnbroker's servant; I produce two muslin aprons, a cotton handkerchief, and a half shawl, and some duplicates, that were found on her when I stopped her; one muslin apron was found the 22d of January; the other on the 3d of February; the cotton handkerchief was pawned the 31st of January, and the muslin handkerchief the 3d of February. They were all pawned by the prisoner at the bar.

Q. Did you give her any duplicate? - Yes, four duplicates on those four articles. I was present when she was searched, and see the constable take these duplicates from her.

Q. Did the duplicates correspond with these articles? - Yes, four of them.

Prisoner. I pawned the articles that Mr. Lane has, by the desire of the prosecutrix.

CHRISTOPHER LAMB < no role > sworn.

I am a pawnbroker's servant; I produce a cotton gown pawned on the 20th of January; a cotton shawl and cotton handkerchief, pawned the same day.

Q. Do you know the person of the prisoner? - No, I do not.

Q. Did you give her any duplicate? - Yes.

Q. Did you see them found? - No.

Q. To Lane. Did you see the duplicates that belong to this man taken from her? - Yes.

(Produces them.)

Lamb. These are the same that I gave.

Q. Do they correspond with the things that were pawned? - Yes.

Prosecutrix. The two muslin aprons I have had them a great while, I made them myself; one of the cotton handkerchiefs is marked B. the other is nor marked; I know the pattern of the half shawl, and the gown I am sure of.

Prisoner. On Monday Mrs. Vaughan, whom this young woman lived with gave me an invitation to come and sup with her, and I went and supped with, her, and she told me that Mr. Vanghan had been too indecent with this girl, and that she should not stay there any longer, she said, she could not let her stop; the girl came down and told me of it, and asked me if I could let her have a lodging? I told her I could not think of taking a person into my apartment, I had but one bed, but she said she knew not where to go; and so I gave her the key of my room, and told her where to go home to myapartment, and in the course of a day she might provide herself. My husband thought it very odd that I should suffer another woman to come home to his lodgings and so after the had been there about a fornight I got her another lodging, where she is now; and she is now indebted to me one pound seventeen shillings, and I asked her for some money; and that gown that is there she gave me, and desired me to pledge it for part of what she owed me, and she desired that I would not make the least hesitation, but take any thing that was wanted. I got rid of her with a deal of difficulty, and I got her a lodging at No. 9, Duke-street.

Q. To Ann Broton. Do you owe this woman any money? - No, not a farthing.

Prisoner. She owes it me for board and lodging.

Q. To Prosecutrix. Did you give her these things to pawn? - I did not, upon my oath.

Q. Is there any resentment between you? Have you had any quarrel with her? - No, none at all.

Prisoner. I have no friends here, they are all in Devonshire, and I did not think it worth while to trouble them on this affair.

Jury to Prosecutrix. Has this woman a husband? - She has.

Prisoner. My husband was laying in bed when she gave me the gown to pawn.

Prosecutrix. I never gave them to her.

Q. How did you come by the duplicate? - She gave it to me among some papers, and the next day I shewed it her, and asked her how she could come to pawn my gown.

Jury. What were the papers? - Some papers that she took out of a drawer.

Prisoner. I carried this woman's box to where she now lodges, and every rag that was left of her's; further than that, she was wicked enough to ask me to get her a box of pills to take; says sh:, I believe I am with child this time with a girl, for it appears as if it would stick by me, says she, I have found the pills do me good when I have been with child before; and also she has brought an action against the reverend Mr. Green, to extort money from him, with whom she once lived.

Prosecutrix. I never brought an action against him in my life, on my oath.

Q. How many gowns did you lose at first? - I lost three at first.

NOT GUILTY .

Tried by the first Middlesex Jury before Mr. RECORDER.