State Trials, Political and Social. Volume 1 (of 2)
History
State Trials, Political and Social. Volume 1 (of 2)
Trials -- Great Britain
TURNER--My lord, Wild had engaged his soul, and I my soul to
him, that if I would not discover him, I should go away free.
BRIDGMAN--Great security indeed!
TURNER--I desire my maid may be called; pray ask Sir T. Aleyn
what he hath done with my maid; he took her up with Sir R.
Brown, and two marshal's men (pray gentlemen, make not a
laughing business of this), Sir Thomas pray, where is my maid?
SIR T. ALEYN--I had this maid upon examination, I found cause of
further examination, thereupon directed an officer to take her,
and she is now in the garden.
_Mosely_ the constable, the Marquis of Dorchester's servant, and
Turner's maid were called to prove that Turner and his family were in
bed at the time that the burglary took place; but proved nothing
material, the maid in particular becoming confused and contradicting
herself several times.
Various witnesses were called to character, and _Sir T. Aleyn_,
_Chamberlin_, _Millington_, and others were recalled, and all agreed
that Turner, when he was in custody, asked to be allowed to go to fetch
the jewels, but did not offer to arrest the thief.
BRIDGMAN, LORD CHIEF-JUSTICE--This is a notable piece of
cunning; when he was moved by Alderman Smith and others, all
this while he names no man; but now he was under an action, he
would have them go with himself out of the Liberties, and yet
saith never a word to take the man; he knew very well it was out
of the Liberties. Truly, I think if Sir T. Aleyn had done it, I
should not have taken him to be Sir T. Aleyn.
_William Turner_ denied all knowledge of the charge.
_John Turner_, questioned by the judges, said that he had carried two
bags of money from Fry's house to Wild on the Saturday morning; he made
two journeys with one bag each time; he delivered them to Wild in the
street at Tower-Ditch.
_Hyde, Lord Chief-Justice_, then summed up. He began by pointing out
that as to Mrs. Turner,
though it appears all along that she had a hand in this
business, yet nothing appears at all, but doing only that which
her husband had directed; then by law she cannot be accessory
for committing of felony.
As to Ely, there was nothing against him.
Then the matter is to James, John, and William Turner; I hope,
and I am sure you are nearer, and you take note of what hath
been delivered; I have not your memories; you are young and no
persons better; you are men of understanding, I need not repeat
particulars to you.
He points out, very shortly, that John and William Turner had not proved
that they were in bed at home all that night, and that even if they were
in bed when the constable came to the house, that proved nothing,
because the crime had then already been committed. As to Col. Turner,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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