[list-cumbria] Carlisle Patriot, 13 Mar 1824 - Cumberland Spring Assizes (28)

[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] 

 

UTTERING BASE COIN. 

 

CECILY M'KIE, wife of John M'KIE, was indicted for uttering a counterfeit half-crown, on the 14th of January last. 

 

Mr. COURTENAY, who appeared for the prosecution, said the prisoner had uttered a base half-crown to Thos. FRIZZEL, in the
market-place, Carlisle, and soon afterwards attempted to pass another to Ann HEWSON, near the same spot, but was detected and
apprehended. 

 

Thomas FRIZZEL sworn.-I was in Carlisle market, with potatoes to sell, soon after Christmas, and the prisoner came to me, bought
some potatoes, sixpenny worth, and tendered me a half-crown in payment. I told her that I had no change; but I asked a young woman,
named Ann HEWSON, for change, who gave it to me, and I handed over the prisoner 2s. In a short time I again saw the prisoner at Ann
HEWSON's cart, and heard the conversation which passed between them: they were disputing about a half-crown being good or bad-one
that she was attempting to pass upon Ann HEWSON for potatoes. This is the same person to whom I had given the half-crown which I
received from the prisoner. I took her into custody. 

 

Prisoner.-I never gave this man a half-crown in my life.-(To the witness) Oh! spake with conscience, now! 

 

Ann HEWSON.-On the day the prisoner was taken into custody I was selling potatoes in the market. I changed a half-crown for FRIZZEL,
and put it into my pocket; and I did not take it out till the prisoner came to me about half an hour after to get some potatoes,
when she bought a hoop, price 4d., and tendered me another half-crown, which I thought not a good one, and told her so, and she took
it back, but I did not observe her put it into her pocket: the potatoes she threw into the cart again. Thomas FRIZZELL then came up
and took the prisoner away. During all this time, I had the first half-crown in my pocket. I now produce it; I am sure it is the
same. 

 

By the Court, at the desire of the prisoner.-I had more silver in my pocket at the time, but no half-crown. I did not see her pay
Thomas FRIZZEL a half-crown. 

 

John BARNES, police-officer.-I was at the police-office, Carlisle, when FRIZZEL brought the prisoner there. I found a half-crown in
her hand; a bad one; I produce it, having marked it at the time. Ann HEWSON was present. She produced another bad half-crown. I
found in her pocket, one shilling in good silver, and eight-pence in copper. I have seen the prisoner in Carlisle, but I don't think
she regularly resides in it. 

 

Prisoner.-You never saw me in Carlisle before. 

 

Witness.-I have seen her twice, at her sister's, who keeps a whiskey-shop. 

 

Mr. BROWN, silversmith, looked at the half-crowns, and pronounced both bad, from the same die, and of the same metal. 

 

The prisoner, in her defence, declared that she did not give the first half-crown to FRIZZEL; and never knowingly passed any bad
money in her life. 

 

His Lordship, in summing up, said the utterance was complete in respect to FRIZZEL, but not so in the case of Ann HEWSON, as she
returned it. She had been guilty of no offence, the Jury would bear in mind, if she did not know that the money was counterfeit. A
person might innocently have either one or two pieces of bad money at one time; but then she goes and wants change with other money
in her pocket; and when disappointed throws the potatoes back into the cart. 

 

Guilty of misdemeanor. 

 

The punishment is six months' imprisonment by statute, and six months' security for future good behaviour. 

 

The Prisoner repeated that she never passed a bad half-crown to her knowledge. There was no evidence against her, she said, and no
one could charge her with such a thing! 

 

Mr. Justice HOLROYD, in passing sentence, observed that the prosecutor had been very lenient in indicting her as he had done; for
she might have been proceeded against so as to have entailed upon her 12 months' imprisonment. 

 

Sentence.-Six months' imprisonment and hard labour; and at the end of that time to give security (the amount to be left to the
Magistrates) for good behaviour for six months' thereafter. 

 

 

[to be continued] 

 

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://list.cumbriafhs.com/pipermail/list-cumbria/attachments/20240805/e04e6422/attachment.htm>