Carlisle Patriot, 14 Jan 1826 - Carlisle City Sessions

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Saturday 14 Jan 1826   (p. 3, col. 4)

 

CARLISLE CITY SESSIONS.

 

The Epiphany Quarter Sessions for the City and Liberties of Carlisle were held at the Town Hall on Monday last, before the Worshipful the Mayor and the usual Bench of Aldermen.

 

Mr. Thomas HUDSON was foreman of the Grand Jury.

 

John DONALLY was put to the bar, charged with stealing, on the 19th of December, various articles of wearing apparel, the property of Mr. Thos. HAMILTON of Carlisle.

 

On being called on to plead, the prisoner said he did not know how he came by the things; he supposed he must plead guilty.

 

The Mayor advised him to plead not guilty, and take the chance of any thing coming out in his favour, especially as the Court could hold out no hope of a mitigation of punishment on account of a plea of guilty.

 

The prisoner then pleaded "not guilty."

 

Mr. WANNOP, attorney, conducted the prosecution. He stated to the jury an outline of the case. The apparel was stolen from the cart of Mr. HAMILTON's washer-woman (who resides at Warwick) while she momentarily entered a house in Citadel-Row. The following witnesses were examined:—

 

Mr. HAMILTON.—I am in the habit of employing a washer-woman who resides at Warwick. On the 17th of December, I put into a bundle, five shirts, six neckcloths, a pair of new drawers, three pair of stockings, a pocket handkerchief, belonging to Mary SCOTT, the washer-woman, to whom I delivered the bundle, with a ticket of the contents within. This was on Saturday night, about nine o'clock.

 

Mary SCOTT.—I am the washer-woman. I was in Carlisle on the 17th of December, and Mr. HAMILTON gave me his clothes, tied in a handkerchief of mine, and I put the bundle into a basket, and left the whole at Mr. ROBINSON's, where Mr. HAMILTON resides, till the following Monday, when I called for the basket and bundle, and put them into a cart; and having occasion to call at the house of Mrs. M'KENZIE, in Citadel-Row, where I was not more than three minutes, I left the cart standing at the door. On returning to it, I met a Mrs. RENNIE, who told me that a man had taken a basket from the cart: I therefore instantly went to it and found that both basket and bundle had disappeared. I saw no one run away. The time was about nine at night.

 

Mary MURPHY examined.—I know the prisoner at the bar. On the 19th Dec. between nine and ten, he came to my house in Rickergate, with a basket and bundle, and asked me to let them remain till morning, and I consented; I had known him before. He called next morning, betwixt nine and ten, and said he would come back and bring a woman with him for the basket. About twelve o'clock, he returned; Hannah WINTHROP came with him, and they took away the basket and bundle, without having been opened while in my house. I think the prisoner was drunk at the time—but not so much so in the morning as on the preceding night.

 

Hannah WINTHROP.—I live in Ritson's Lane, with my sister, Catherine KING. The prisoner came to me on the 20th December, and aked [sic] me to go with him, because, he said, his wife was poorly. He took me to MURPHY's, and told me to leave the basket and bundle at KING's, till his wife could call for it, and he went thither with me. I did not see the bundle opened; but it was opened at KING's, and he gave me a handkerchief and a pair of stockings for my trouble; he also gave my sister two old white handkerchiefs to wear around her head; but she would not wear them, and put them into the work-bag. I had the handkerchief from Tuesday to Saturday night.

 

Catherine KING.—The prisoner and the last witness went out of my house, as stated, on the 20th, and returned with a bundle. I looked at it, and found two pair of flannel drawers, three shirts, one flannel waistcoat, one pair of stockings, two white handkerchiefs, but no night-cap. The bundle was in a basket. Prisoner gave me two old white handkerchiefs—these, and the basket, were afterwards got from me by MULLENDER the constable; the rest of the things were taken away by the prisoner's wife.

 

John Lowry MULLENDER, constable, apprehended the prisoner, in consequence of information which he obtained, and found on his back one of the stolen shirts. He got a basket and two handkerchiefs at KING's, and a handkerchief and stockings of WINTHROP.

 

Mr. HAMILTON identified his property; and the washer-woman also proved her property in the handkerchief and basket.

 

This was the case for the prosecution. The prisoner said he had no defence to make, except that he was drunk. He called some witnesses for the purpose of giving him a good character; but no one answered.

 

The Mayor observed that the case was too clear a one to require any summing up of the evidence; and so the Jury seemed to think, for they instantly returned a verdict of Guilty. The Court sentenced the prisoner to six months' imprisonment and hard labour in the house of correction, Carlisle.

 

Mary Ann IRVING, of the parish of St. Cuthbert, charged with stealing, on the 12th of November, a crape gown and other articles of wearing apparel, the property of Isabella TOPPING, value 10d.,—pleaded guilty.

 

Mr. WANNOP, solicitor for the prosecution, stated the circumstances of the case for the guidance of the Court. The prisoner, he said, went to the house of Mr. REED, publican, English-street, last Martinmas hiring-day, and left a bundle in the bar. Soon afterwards, Isabella TOPPING also left a bundle there, to be likewise taken care of. Subsequently, the prisoner again came in, and seeing TOPPING's bundle, took it up, concealed it, and carried it off, and again returned and obtained her own property. In a few days, a part of the stolen articles were found in her possession at a house whither she had gone to service; and then she confessed having taken the bundle from the bar and divided the spoil with another person.—Mr. WANNOP added, that Mr. REID, who was the party most interested in this question, desired him to pray the Court to inflict an exemplary punishment. In the bustle of hiring-days, it was impossible for an innkeeper to pay very particular attention to all the numerous articles left to their care by the country-people; it was therefore very desirable that the purloiners of property so peculiarly exposed should be severely punished in order to deter others from committing similar offences; for it was a lamentable hardship on a poor country servant to lose, perhaps, the whole produce of her previous half-year's service by the dishonesty of persons in the same situation of life.

 

The prisoner had no witnesses to character. Her last place, she said, was Lowhurst; previously, she lived at Crossfield, near Wigton.

 

The Mayor, in passing sentence, said, although she had made a voluntary confession, and therefore in some degree atoned for her offence, there was too much reason to conclude that she was one of those who were in the habit of pouncing upon the property of country people whenever it fell in their way; so that it was necessary to visit her crime with a severe punishment.

 

Sentence, six months' imprisonment and hard labour in Carlisle gaol.

 

Hannah BLAKELEY, charged with uttering counterfeit money, was discharged by proclamation.

 

This was the whole of the public business. No other bills came before the Grand Inquest than those against DONALLY and IRVING.