[List-Cumbria] Carlisle Patriot, 16 Nov 1822 - Public Office (1)

[Petra Mitchinson]

Saturday 16 Nov 1822   (p. 3, col. 2-3)

 

PUBLIC OFFICE-SATURDAY. 

 

Martinmas Saturday, was rather a busy one at this Office, the great influx of strangers having brought with it a proportionate share
of knavery and pretended misery. 

 

Michael M'CANE, an Irishman by birth, but a resident in Scotland during the greater part of his life, was brought up for examination
on a charge of having stolen, or rather obtained under a false pretence, the clothes-box of Jane BELL, late servant with Mr.
HODGSON, of Beaumont, and taking out of it silver coin to the amount of 50 or 52s. It appeared, from the examination of several
witnesses, that Jane BELL, being about to quit her place, had sent her box by James BELL, the Sandsfield carrier, directing him to
leave it at the Wool-pack public house, until called for. The prisoner had evidently seen BELL deposit his charge; so he followed
him down Castle-street for the purpose of gaining a little information requisite to his ulterior design. "Are you the Maryport
carrier?" he asked. "No, I am the Sandsfield carrier," was the reply. "I expected a box from Annan, have you brought one?" "I left a
box at the Wool-pack from Beaumont, just now, but have seen none from Annan." This was all that M'CANE wanted. He immediately goes
to the Wool-pack, and demands a red box which had been left there for him by the Sandsfield carrier; it is given to him without
suspicion;-he bears it off behind the walls, and enters a house at random in Spring-Garden Lane, and asks a shoemaker to break open
his box, having lost the key of it. The shoemaker handed him a hammer, and desired him to break it open himself; but, with the
cunning of an old thief, he pretended that he was not skilful in the use of the tool, and reiterated his request, which was complied
with. On opening the box, it appeared filled with women's apparel alone. Observing that this circumstance surprised the shoemaker
and his landlady, the good woman of the house, the prisoner immediately said that the box was his sister's, a servant quitting place
and coming to Carlisle, and that he was authorized to open it, for the purpose of taking something which belonged to him. This
difficulty a little smoothed, the prisoner began to rummage the box, taking the clothes in his arms, one article after another, and
was seen to put something of small compass into his breeches pocket, apparently money, but there was no chinking of coin. He then
temporarily fastened the box, asked if he could have a bed there that night; and on being told that he could not, he begged pardon
for the trouble given, and requested permission to leave the box until the next day;-this being granted, he left a strict injunction
that it was not to be delivered to anyone but himself, and departed. We must now return to the carrier, who had proceeded homeward.
On the road, he thought the inquiry made of him in Castle-street a little suspicious, and began to be uneasy. Just at the entrance
of Beaumont, he met Jenny BELL on her way to Carlisle; to her he related what had happened, and urged her to see that all was safe
on her arrival. Accordingly she hastened forwards on the wings of apprehension, and on reaching the Wool-pack learned that her box,
containing all she was worth in the world, had been taken away by a man unknown, within ten minutes after it was left by the
carrier. Application was instantly made to the Police-officers, who commenced a vigilant search. Through the means of a boy who had
seen the prisoner with the box, they found it where he had deposited it; and finally succeeded in taking the purloiner himself in a
not very creditable house in Castle Lane, playing cards, and drinking whiskey, rigged in a fine new coat, striped breeches, new hat,
and no less than four waistcoats! The box, on examination by the owner, was found to contain every thing belonging to it, except 50
or 52s. in silver, and an old pocket handkerchief: there were three guinea notes in it, carefully wrapped in a pair of silk gloves,
which the depredator had overlooked. When the prisoner came before the Magistrates on Saturday, he pretended that he mistook the box
for one that his brother had sent from Cockermouth (though he told the constables a different story the night before, and had said
at the shoemaker's house it was his sister's), and that on finding his mistake he left it as he found it, denying the imputation of
having taken any money from it. "Was it likely," he asked, "that he should have taken out 50s. and left three guinea-notes behind?"
"Not at all," replied the Mayor, "if you had happened to have seen them!" The next thing was, the new clothes, where did he get
them? He bought them with his own money to be sure. Where? He did not know-he would not tell-somewhere in Carlisle-for the shoemaker
deposed that he was shabbily apparelled at the time of breaking open the box. An officer was sent to request the attendance of all
the dealers in ready-made clothes resident in Scotch-street; and the whole outfit was speedily recognized. On Friday evening, M'CANE
purchased of Mr. ARMSTRONG the breeches at 14s., a waistcoat at 5s.; of Mr. John HOLLIDAY, a coat and hat, 14s.; of Mr. HOLSTEAD, a
waistcoat, 4s. 6d.; all which were stripped from the person of the delinquent (he having in the mean time stated that his old
clothes were to be found at a small public-house in Rickergate), and the sellers took them back, and returned the money; 6s. were
found upon the prisoner when apprehended; making, in the aggregate, a great part of the poor young woman's loss; the stripping scene
was highly amusing. All the witnesses were bound over to appear to give evidence at the next City Sessions, and M'CANE was
committed. We have been particular in detailing this robbery, in order that it may operate as a warning to a numerous class of
persons, particularly exposed to similar depredations in the bustle of term-time. 

 

 

[to be continued] 

 

 

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