[list-cumbria] Carlisle Patriot, 13 Mar 1824 - Cumberland Spring Assizes (26)

[Petra Mitchinson]

Saturday 13 Mar 1824   (p. 1, col. 5 - p. 4, col. 5, and p. 1, col. 4)

 

CUMBERLAND SPRING ASSIZES. 

 

CROWN CALENDAR. 

 

[continued] 

 

STREET ROBBERY. 

 

MARGARET WARD, 19, was indicted for stealing from the person of James STOUP, at Whitehaven, one piece of the current coin of the
realm called a guinea. 

 

The prisoner is another sample of the Whitehaven frail fair ones: she pleaded not guilty. 

 

Mr. PATTESON called James STOUP, the prosecutor, who deposed, that while standing in the market-place, Whitehaven, about half-past
nine on the evening of the 19th of February last, the prisoner came up to him, and sans ceremonie, thrust her hand into his
right-side breeches pocket, and dislodged from it a guinea, its sole contents. He instantly seized her hand, and felt for his money;
it had flown! nor was it to be found in the prisoner's clutches. After a short struggle, she declared that Mr. STOUP had knocked it
out of her hand; and she proposed to go to a neighbouring public-house to get a candle in order to search for it. Witness went with
her, still maintaining his hold-fast: they got a candle, and were returning towards the scene of Miss WARD's bold enterprize, when
she suddenly gave him the slip, ran away, and, though pursued, succeeded in gaining cover in a cellar in Swing-pump Lane, a place
where Mr. STOUP did not think it exactly safe to follow her, so he sent the police-officers, who searched the place, but the thief
had decamped: he was quite sure of the prisoner's identity. 

 

Hannah GREGSON called and sworn, said she knew the prisoner very well.-What are you? A young woman.-Do you keep a shop? Indeed, Sir,
it is no better than it should be! (a laugh). Having made this candid confession, she proceeded to say that the prisoner came to her
house on the night in question, after ten o'clock, and showed witness a golden guinea, which she expressed a determination of
changing, in order to have a pint of rum. Witness dissuaded her from breaking into so substantial a piece of treasure, and offered
to lend her 2s. to induce her to keep the gold; but prisoner was bent upon getting rid of her guinea, which was her own, she said,
and she would do as she pleased with it; she therefore sent a weaver, who was present, for a pint of rum, and received the change. 

 

The prisoner, on being called on for her defence, launched forth a torrent of words. She declared that STOUP and she were old
cronies; that they had often billed and cooed together: and that once, in particular, in a dark entry, in a dark court, he had
exercised his pleasure on her "sweet body," and, ingrate that he was, "fobbed her off her fourpence half-penny!" 

 

Justice itself could not retain its gravity at this exhibition, truly disgusting as it was at bottom, and the irrepressible laugh
went round the court. 

 

STOUP was recalled, and he declared, upon his solemn oath, that all she had stated and insinuated was false. 

 

He is a married man. 

 

To a question from the Judge, how he came to be standing in the street at that hour of the evening, he said he was merely waiting
for a friend who had stepped into an inn, and had not been absent two minutes. 

 

Verdict of the Jury-Guilty. One year's imprisonment and hard labour. When the prisoner came up on Tuesday to receive sentence, she
was attired in the purple pelisse which BIRD had worn on her trial. 

 

 

[to be continued] 

 

 

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