237. ELEANOR CONDON proceedingsdefend was indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 19th of December , in the dwelling-house of James Griffiths proceedingsvictim , thirteen shillings and sixpence in monies numbered, and ten bank notes, value 1 l. each, and a 2 l. bank note, the property of James Griffiths < no role > .

JAMES GRIFFITHS < no role > . I live in Church-street, St. Giles's . I keep a dwelling-house there. It is in the parish of St. Giles in the Fields. I am a publican, and keep a provision warehouse . The prisoner was our servant .

Q. Do you know the prisoner, Eleanor Condon < no role > - A. Yes.

Q. Did you lose any money out of your house any time - A. Yes, on the 19th of December.

Q. How much money did you lose - A. Twelve pounds in notes. The silver I cannot say how much she took: thirteen and sixpence was found.

Q. Where was it kept - A. Up stairs in our bedroom. I had seen the money and the notes on the morning of the 19th. The door of my bed-room was locked, the notes were in a drawer, and the silver was on a table.

Q. What time of the day did you miss it - A. Between five and six in the evening.

Q. How do you know whether the prisoner took it or not - A. My wife went to buy some sugar. The prisoner was in the bar before my wife went out. She went up stairs into this room to get what she wanted. She came down stairs, and hung the keys of the room by the fire place in the bar. The prisoner was then in the bar; after that I missed the prisoner out of the bar, immediately after my wife went out. My wife came in again in about half an hour. A woman that lodged up stairs, said your door is open. My wife ran up stairs immediately, and coming back again she catched the prisoner going into the kitchen window from the yard; she pulled her back. She heard a noise as she was going down stairs. I went and found the key of the room in the yard. I was present when the silver was found: ten shillings were picked up in the kitchen, and three shillings and sixpence outside. The prisoner acknowledged that she had taken the money, and said that the girl that lived with us before that encouraged her to do it.

HANNAH GRIFFITHS < no role > . I am the wife of the last witness. On Saturday night, the 19th of December, I went out to the grocer's. I left this girl in the bar. When I came home my husband said, where is Nell. I said, I did not know; I left her here. He said, he had not seen her since she was gone. When I came back a woman came down stairs, and said my room door was open. I ran up stairs, and found it just to. I came down stairs, and was speaking to the woman, I heard a noise in the yard. I went to it, and catched this girl going into the kitchen window. She was almost in. I took hold of her legs. I asked her where she had been. She said she had been to Mrs. Neale's with half a gallon of beer. I asked her where was the money. She said in her fright she had dropped it from her hand in the yard. She then said, give me the candle, and I will pick it up. I gave her the candle. She picked up a three-shilling piece, and gave it me. I said, I will go with the change of the half gallon of beer, and know what kept you so long. I went into the kitchen and found thirteen shillings and sixpence. It lay on the kitchen floor.

Q. I thought your husband stated that he found three shillings and sixpence in the yard, and ten shillings in the kitchen - A. No. I picked the money up in the kitchen.

Q. to Prosecutor. I understood you that you picked up three shillings and sixpence in the yard - A. I picked up nothing but the key of the room in the yard. My wife did.

Q. Were you present when the money was picked up in the kitchen - A. Yes; I thought it was ten shillings. I do not know rightly where it was picked up.

Prosecutrix. I picked up thirteen shillings and sixpence in the kitchen; the prisoner picked up a three-shilling piece in the yard and gave it me.

Q. Had she been out with any beer - A. No. She said she had, but she had not. I asked her, where she got that three-shilling piece. She said, she picked it up on the stairs. Then we went to look for the keys, and found them in the yard, and then my husband went up stairs and missed the money.

Q. Did you know how much money was there - A. No. I knew there was money there. I did not know how much it was. She did not own to taking it until the next day at the watchhouse. In the watch-house, the next day, I asked her whether she had any money. She said, she found the thirteen shillings and sixpence on the stairs. I asked whether she had any more with her, and where. She told me she had, it was up the chimney; she did not know how much it was. She said, when I got home I should get it. I had Lae, the officer with me. He put his hand up the chimney into a hole; he found ten one-pound notes, and one two. They were all bank notes.

JOHN JENKS < no role > . I am a parish officer. I took the prisoner in custody on Saturday night. When I went to Mrs. Griffiths's house the prisoner acknowledged taking the silver; she did not say how much I locked her up in the watchhouse.

MICHAEL LAE < no role > . I went with Mrs. Griffiths to the watchhouse. The prisoner acknowledged the notes were up the chimney. I found up the chimney ten one-pound bank notes, and a two-pound bank note. I have had them ever since. I produce them.

WILLIAM GOODMAN < no role > . I am a step-son of the prosecutor. I can prove to the two-pound note found up the chimney. I took it of a sailor on the 7th of December. I gave change for it about eleven o'clock at night. I wrote the sailor's name on it, and gave it to my mother.

Q. to prosecutrix. Your son gave you a two-poundnote - A. Yes; I put it in the drawer. I know nothing of the other notes.

Q. to prosecutor. Do you know any thing about the notes - A. Yes. I counted them on the morning of that day, sixteen pounds. Twelve one's and two two's.

Prisoner's Defence. My mistress told me if I would tell her the truth she would take me back.

GUILTY - DEATH , aged 14.

[The prisoner was recommended to mercy by the jury on account of her youth .]

First Middlesex jury, before Mr. Baron Wood.