[list-cumbria] Carlisle Patriot, 18 Oct 1823 - Public-Office (2)

[Petra Mitchinson]

Saturday 18 Oct 1823   (p. 2, col. 6 - p. 3, col. 2)

 

PUBLIC-OFFICE, TOWN-HALL. 

 

[continued] 

 

The informations of John MURRAY and George THOMPSON were next read. 

 

MURRAY (a boy about fifteen) deposed that he is an assistant in the coach-office at the Coffee House, Carlisle. On the morning of
the 13th of September, when the mail came in from Glasgow, he opened the box containing the parcels; Mr. DOWLING inquired for that
which belonged to him, deponent gave it, and Mr. DOWLING took up another and said it also belonged to him, before deponent observed
the address on it. 

 

THOMPSON deposed that the way-bill contained a list of the parcels which came on the 13th, that two were missing, one for HEBDEN &
Co. of York, and the other for the Editor of the Times: the former arrived next day, the latter was not found. Mr. DOWLING left
Carlisle the same morning by the mail for London. 

 

MURRAY was sworn, and immediately pointed out Mr. DOWLING as the person who came to him for the parcels. When you first came (said
he to Mr. D. who examined him), the mail had not arrived-the second time, it had come in. The clerk at the desk said there was a
parcel for you. I opened the box, (he admitted that he broke it open, the key having been lost) and found one for you, and you took
the other up and said it belonged to it. Then you went to the clerk to pay 1s. 6d. for the carriage. 

 

By the Court-I did not tell the clerk that he took two. I mentioned it about a week afterwards when the clerk asked me about it-if I
recollected that Mr. DOWLING had taken it. When he took out his own, he took out the other too, and said "this belongs to it." 

 

To various questions from Mr. SAUL and others he replied-It is common to call over parcels by the way-bill. I called over a part,
and was called out before the whole had been gone through, and Mr. THOMPSON finished by himself. Mr. DOWLING put the second parcel
under his arm, and went and asked the Clerk what there was to pay. I did not think there was any thing wrong, as he said it belonged
to him. He did not secrete it in any way. There were several persons in the office at the time. The York parcel was missed, and the
way-bill marked 'not come.' 

 

The way-bill was put in-both parcels were marked as 'not come.' 

 

By Mr. SAUL-I was called out before the way-bill was gone through: I was there till the York parcel was known to be missing, but not
when that for the Editor of the Times was missed. 

 

By Mr. HENSON-The exact words used by Mr. DOWLING were-"This is my parcel, and this belongs to it." 

 

G. THOMPSON sworn.-I examined the way-bill that morning, and found all correct, except a parcel for the Times, and one for HEBDEN &
Co. of York. I was present when Mr. DOWLING called for his parcel; several gentlemen were there; I did not see the box. I can't say
whether MURRAY was there or not when the way-bill was examined. The writing on the bill, 'not come,' was written a few days
afterwards, but we knew it was missing because it was not ticked off. The reason of the York parcel being so marked was that it came
on another way-bill. We have had parcels altogether lost; and frequently they do not come on the same day by this mail. Some days
afterwards Mr. SCHOLLICK spoke to me on the subject. He said Mr. BAIN had written a note on the way-bill, suggesting that Mr.
DOWLING probably got the lost parcel. I then examined the boy, MURRAY, and he told me what he has here sworn. I certainly did go
through the way-bill that morning. 

 

John ALLEN, clerk of the coach-office at Glasgow was next sworn: he had not previously made any deposition.-The way-bill on the
12th, now produced, is partly in my hand-writing-the entry of the parcel for the Editor of the Times was written by me. I remember
that it was brought to the office on the 12th, by Mr. M'ADAM and another man. I saw it put into the box and locked up, and I had the
key. There are only two keys; one I keep, and the other is kept in Carlisle, where the box is first opened. Only small parcels are
put into this box. I saw those for the Herald and Times both put in at the same time. The other clerks and porters could not take
out the parcel without my seeing them. 

 

Mr. DOWLING-It is necessary for the magistrates to remember that the box was broken open by the boy in Carlisle, on account, as he
said, of the key being lost. 

 

By Mr. HENSON-The York parcel omitted was a large one: We frequently omit heavy luggage, when too full, till next day, though
entered in the way-bill. 

 

The information of Mr. HICKS was then read. He described himself as of Printing-house-square, London, and one of the proprietors of
the Times. Mr. PRENTICE of the Glasgow Chronicle had been directed to forward a report of the dinner given to Mr. BROUGHAM in that
city, which report never reached its destination, because, as deponent believed, it had been taken from the mail-coach office, at
Carlisle, by Mr. DOWLING. 

 

Mr. HENSON-That's my case. I must leave the question of commitment to the magistrates. 

 

Mr. HICKS-I think it proper to observe that the depositions are in the hands of the Editor and other proprietors of the Times, and
if they should say any thing in the meantime on this subject, I beg it may not be understood as a violation of the request made by
the Magistrates here to-day, because I can have no controul at this distance. I shall write to night and acquaint them with what I
have promised. 

 

 

[to be continued] 

 

 

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