State Trials, Political and Social. Volume 1 (of 2)
History
State Trials, Political and Social. Volume 1 (of 2)
Trials -- Great Britain
_William Dawes_ and _John Rouse_, his servant, corroborated what Sir T.
Aleyn said as to William Turner.
_Garret_, _Watcher_, and _Culley_ were called to prove that Turner had
said that the money he took to Tryon's house was his own money, and that
he was going to recover the jewels; 'if any man could say that he lost
sixpence of his money, or six-penny worth of his jewels, he had two
fellows in custody should answer for it.'
_Pilkington_ corroborated what other witnesses had said as to the
account Turner gave of the way in which the robbery was committed.
_Tryon_ was recalled to identify William Turner as one of the two men
whom he saw in his room, and as being the man who knocked out his tooth.
The men were barefaced; one said to the other that it was only just past
eleven o'clock.
_Hyde, Lord Chief-Justice_, then called on the prisoners to make their
defence. He shortly recapitulated the case against them. William Turner
and his father Col. Turner had met on the day before the robbery; the
robbery must have been committed by some one who knew where the money
and jewels were locked up, and Col. Turner had this knowledge. Early on
the morning after the robbery Col. Turner, his wife and his son, moved a
quantity of money out of their house, and asked a neighbour to take
charge of it, falsely alleging that it belonged to a merchant who wanted
to hide it. Afterwards they admitted that it was their own, but it
appears that one of the bags in which it was, was sealed with the seal
of the bishop of Chichester; and at the time of the burglary there was
£600 in bags left with Mr. Tryon sealed with the same seal. William
Turner, on people coming to his father's house, 'takes footing and leaps
over the ditch to escape, which is a good just ground of suspicion that
he is guilty of somewhat that he would not abide to answer.' Col. Turner
and his wife show an exact knowledge of the way in which the crime was
committed; 'Lay all this together, unless you shall answer it, all the
world must conclude that you are the one that did this robbery.'
TURNER--I shall first prove that upon Thursday night, the time
of that supposed burglary, that myself, my wife, and all my
family, were in bed, fast asleep and innocent, not knowing
anything of this business. This I shall prove, if not, let me
hang and all my family.
BRIDGMAN, LORD CHIEF-JUSTICE--All this may be true, and yet this
not to the purpose.
TURNER--Then I cannot be guilty of the burglary.
BRIDGMAN, LORD CHIEF-JUSTICE--If you will lay and plot such a
robbery, though you are not there, yet you are guilty of it; for
it is ordinary that the main setter will not be present at such
times, but will then be in bed, that people may take notice
thereof. But satisfy the court by what means you came by this
money and jewels, and then call your witnesses.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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