|
a.
|
Note: [YOULE 2015.FTW]
[~1.GED]
Robert ALLEN - postman mentioned in the court case as a witness for the Prosecution 1833. Job Cox was sentenced to death. This was later commuted to Transportation for life.
JOB COX, theft : embezzlement.
The Proceedings of the Old Bailey Ref: t18330516-6 Trial Summary: Crime(s): theft : embezzlement, Punishment Type: death, (Punishment details may be provided at the end of the trial.) Verdict: Guilty, Other trials on 16 May 1833 Name search for: JOB COX,
Third Middlesex Jury, before Mr. Justice Bosanquet.
890. JOB COX . That he, before and at the time of committing the offences, in the first 4 COUNTS mentioned, was a letter-carrier, employed by and under the Post-office of Great Britain, at the parish of St. James', Clerkenwell, and that whilst he was such letter-carrier, to wit, on the 10th of April last, at the parish aforesaid, a certain letter then lately before sent and conveyed by the post from Birmingham in the county of Warwick, to the General Post-office in London, for and to be delivered to one Richard Dugleby , at No. 8, Queen-street, Picton-street, George-street, Surrey, and containing 1 bank note for the payment and value of �5 came to his hands and possession; and he was then and there entrusted with the same, in consequence of such his employment, for the purpose of delivering the same to and for the said Richard Dugleby; and that he afterwards and whilst he was such letter-carrier, to wit, on the same day, feloniously did secrete and embezzle the said letter so containing the said bank note, the said bank note being the property of one Richard Chinn , against the Statute, &c.
2nd COUNT, like the 1st, only for stealing the bank note out of the letter, and omitting the words printed in italics.
3rd and 4th COUNTS, like the 1st and 2nd, only stating the note to be the property of Richard Dugleby .
FOUR OTHER COUNTS, like the four former, only stating that he was employed by and under the Post-office of Great Britain, in delivering certain letters sent by the post to the General Post-office, London, to wit, at St. James', Clerkenwell.
9th COUNT, for stealing the said bank note the property of Richard Chinn .
10th COUNT, stating it to be the property of Richard Dugleby .
MESSRS. ADOLPHUS, SHEPHERD, and SCARLETT conducted the prosecution.
RICHARD CHINN . I live at Birmingham. On the 26th of March last, I received a letter from Mr. Dugleby; in consequence of which I gave Scattergood, my son-in-law, a 5l. note on the 28th of March, I asked him to write a few lines to Mr. Dugleby, and to enclose the 5l. note, and I gave him 1s. 6d. to pay the postage; on the Tuesday following I received information that it had not arrived - I only know the note was one I received from Goodrich, but could not swear to it.
Q. Look at this note there are the letters G G on it? A. I believe this to be the note; but my eyes being so bad I can't identify it without my glasses.
Cross-examined by MR. LEE. Q.You cannot say that is the note? A. No; I know it was the same note as I received from Goodrich, because I had no other.
WILLIAM SCATTERGOOD. I am son-in-law to Mr. Chinn. In March last I recollect he gave me a 5l. bank note to inclose in a letter to Richard Dugleby; I inclosed it on the 29th of March - I took the number and date of the note, and have them here in my own hand writing -(looking at a 5l. note) I believe this to be it, and the number and date correspond - I read the letter from Mr. Dugleby, this is it; I made the memorandum of the note which I sent on it, it was 19,743, dated October 22nd, 1832- I directed the letter sent to Mr. Dugleby with my own See original hand - I took the direction from the address given in the letter, "No. 8, Queen-street, Picton-street, George-street, London;" I now know that Mr. Dugleby lives in Camberwell; I wafered the letter, and gave it to a youth, named Thomas Green, to take to the Post-office; he was employed under me as a porter - I gave him 1s. 6d. to pay the postage; when he returned he brought me 9d. back.
Cross-examined. Q. When was that memorandum written on the letter? A. At the time I enclosed the note in the other letter - I did it in the counting-house; nobody was present at the time, but before the letter went there were two other persons there; neither of them are here - I wrote the letter, enclosed the note, wafered it directly, and put it into my pocket till I sent it to the Post-office - I am quite sure it never went out of my possession till I gave it to Thomas Green - I only know the note by the number and date corresponding; I cannot say it was not a forged note that I enclosed.
COURT. Q.How long might the letter remain in your pocket before you sent it to the office? A. About two hours and a quarter; the wafer must have been dry before it was sent to the post.
THOMAS GREEN. I remember taking a letter from Mr. Scattergood to the Post-office - I don't remember who it was directed to; I took it to the Post-office with 1s. 6d.; I can't remember when it was - I heard nothing afterwards about its not arriving; I went to the Post-office and delivered it; I did not alter nor meddle with it till I delivered it at the Post-office, which is about a quarter of a mile from my place of business; I asked the postmaster how much the letter was, he said 9d.; I gave him that, and carried the 9d. back to Mr. Scattergood - I delivered it at the office twenty minutes before five.
Cross-examined. Q. Are you errand-boy to Mr. Scattergood? A. No, to Mr. Butteridge - I received the letter about half-past four - I never received one before to take for Mr. Scattergood; I did not put it down anywhere after I received it; it was looked at at the office with the usual care - I had no other letters that day - I was going to carry some goods, and went to the office at the same time.
EDWARD BIRD . I am chief clerk at the Birmingham Post-office. It is my duty to make up and dispatch the letters for London; a letter put in before five o'clock in the afternoon would go to London by that night's mail - a letter bill is made up every day with the amount of the paid and unpaid letters - here is the bill for the 29th of March, the paid letters are 4l. 8s. 3d; the double postage from Birmingham to London would be 1s. 6d., a bank note would make it a double letter - the bag was sealed, and dispatched that evening under my own eyes.
Cross-examined. Q. Do you mean that it was done by your authority? A. The letters were made up by myself, and put into the bag by myself - there is nothing in this bill to shew what each letter came to, it is only the total amount - I don't receive the letters at the window, the clerk in attendance does; I believe his name is Vaughton; he is not here - there are plenty of paid and unpaid letters for London, but in the hurry he might take the wrong postage, and charge a single for a double letter, or a double one single.
MR. ADOLPHUS. Q.Whether you discover a note in a letter depends on the accuracy of folding or not? A. Yes, they are often folded to avoid being noticed, and it often succeeds.
JOHN HINTON . I am a clerk in the General Post-office. I received the Birminghan paid bag of the 29th of March- it arrived safe in its usual state; the amount of the paid postages corresponded with the paid letters from which we presume the letters came safely.
Cross-examined. Q. Will you swear that on that day you took each letter and added the postage together to make it �4. 8s. 3d.? A. I will - it was my duty to do so- I have a memorandum on the bill, which states it to be the bill of the 29th of March, that was done at the time I calculated the amount of the letters.
COURT. Q. The postage is marked on the letter, and you compare that with the amount in the account? A. I do.
THOMAS SIMPSON . I am a clerk at the General Post-office. It is part of my duty to examine the paid letters, and take an account of them, and to ascertain that the postage is charged right - if a double letter was charged single, I should put a double rate of postage on it with my initials - we have a stamp marked "more to pay" if it is a paid letter; if a 1s. 6d. letter was marked 9d., I should put "more to pay, 9d." on it.
Cross-examined. Q. Is it your sole duty to superintend these letters? A. Yes, it is my duty - I charged a letter double which turned out to be single on one occasion.
RICHARD BICKERTON . I am a charge taker of the 4th division of the carrier's office; my duty is to take the letters which come from the "blind sorter" and deliver them to the letter carriers - "blind letters" are letters with imperfect directions, and sometimes letters which have been sorted to other divisions by mistake; they come from the inland office to book, which means to go to the blind sorter - each charge we take notice of separately in the book, they are afterwards delivered to different sorters; if a sorter cannot find a direction he brings it back; for instance, if it was,"George-street, London," if he does not find the George-street in his division, it is sent to another George-street - on the 30th of March, I remember a letter for the blind sorter, directed to Queen-street, George-street, Picton-street, London; I called it out in the office as loud as I could, and nobody answered, and I put it to Great Queen-street, Westminster, I gave it to James Swift , who delivers in Great George-street, and Great Queen-street, Westminster, both - Swift returned the letter to me the next day or the day after, I then gave it to Robert Allen to carry it to Great Queen-street, Seven-dials, he returned it on the following day, the 2nd April, I then took it to the blind sorter, and transferred it into the hands of Daniel Miller, the charge taker of No. 3 division, I remember 9d. more to pay was stamped on it.
Cross-examined. Q. Is it part of your duty to deliver letters? A. Yes, I have a walk, I have been six years in the office - it has happened that a letter marked, more to pay, has been found to be single - there is not an entry made of every letter in the blind sorter's office, but when the direction is very bad and there is little probability of finding the person a list is posted in the hall for the public to see - there are sometimes a hundred letters sent to the blind sorter in a day, we frequently find a great number misdirected - I cannot tell the direction of all the letters, but I know this letter came into my hands from the book - I have the transfer See original book here (producing it), the address is not entered here.
Q.Then what enables you to speak to this particular letter, being directed as you have said? A. It being such a very singular address, which I never heard of before, and being an extraordinary address I considered it a letter of consequence; letters are frequently marked, more to pay, but they usually have correct addresses - I was not examined at the police office, I gave the letter to Swift and to Miller with my own hands - if a carrier cannot find an address he keeps the letter three weeks, it is then entered in the return book - there are cupboards kept to lock up letters in, which cannot be found out - I cannot swear what Swift did with the letter till he returned it to me in due course.
MR. SHEPHERD. Q. It was marked 9d. more to pay, would Swift be charged with that 9d.? A. Yes, and when he returned the letter, the 9d. would be allowed in his general account.
JURY. Q. Can you inform us whether there were any more letters received that day which would be charged 9d. more to pay? A. I cannot say, but no other came under my cognizance that morning; I can tell that from my book - it is possible that a thousand letters might pass through our division.
MR. SHEPHERD. Q.Would this letter appear in your book? A.The transfer of it from the 4th division to the 3rd would.
JAMES SWIFT . I am a letter carrier for Queen-street and George-street, Westminster; I remember receiving a letter directed to Queen-street, George-street, Picton-street, from Mr. Bickerton; I dont know the name of the third street, whether it was Picton or Picket; it was marked 9d. more to pay, I could not find the person to whom it was to be delivered - I took it back to the Post-office, and gave it back to Mr. Bickerton, he allowed me the 9d.
JOHN FLEET . I am one of the sorters of letters in the blind letter office, they are letters imperfectly directed - I remember seeing a letter in our office between the 6th and 12th of April, directed to 8, Queen-street, George-street, Picton-street, London, and 9d. more to pay marked on it, it had been out to other places before it came to me - the prisoner was in the employ of the Post-office as letter carrier, at that time to the 8th division; Northampton-square is in that division, and Charter-house-square; there is a Queen-street in that division, and that would be in the prisoner's delivery - I sorted the letter into the No. 8 division.
Cross-examined. Q. From whom did you receive it? A. It came among the letters in the usual way from the 3rd division; it was brought to me at my writing table, I cannot say who by - I believe there is a Queen-street, George-street, Picton-street, in Camberwell; we should have sent it to Camberwell at first, if it had been so directed.
MR. ADOLPHUS. Q.How would you sort a letter for Camberwell? A. To the 2d. post delivery.
JOHN PAINE HODGE . I am charge taker to the 8th division; Northampton-square is in that division; the prisoner was the letter carrier to that district; a letter coming to my possession directed to George-street, Queen-street, Picton-street, I should sort to his delivery; Queen-street, Northampton-square, is in his delivery; I have a faint recollection of a letter coming so directed, early in April - if he received the letter and could not find the person he should have returned it to me the following morning, in order that some other Queen-street might be tried.
Cross-examined. Q. Would the letter be given to the prisoner in the first instance? A. No, but if it came into our division it would be given to him - I do not know of it being given to Swift, I do not swear positively to the direction.
MR. ADOLPHUS. Q.Swift don't belong to your division? A. No.
THOMAS COLLIS SUTTON . I am foreman to Mr. Rockley, of Great Surrey-street, Blackfriars, wine merchant, (looking at a �5. note), this has my own hand-writing on it - on the 11th of April the prisoner came and asked me if I could change him a �5. note; I was in the bar; I went and asked Mr. Rockley, who was in the parlour, for the change, and in consequence of what Mr. Rockley said to me, I gave him change - the prisoner handed me the note, I asked him his name and address, he said Robinson, 29, Atfield-street, which I put down on the note at the time on the counter, that name and direction is on it; I then took the note to Mr. Rockley; I gave the prisoner the change - I asked if his name was Robinson or Robertson, he said Robinson (this was before I wrote the name) and I wrote Robinson; Joseph Fuller was present - there are the figures 4, 11, 33, on the note, meaning 11th of April, 1833; I had some conversation with Fuller after the prisoner was gone.
Cross-examined. Q. Had you known the prisoner before that time? A. Yes, he used to come in often in the morning, a little after five - it is my custom to make a memorandum on the back of notes - I made this memorandum on the counter before him.
COURT. Q. You had seen him before? A. I have known him about two months, but did not know his name, I knew he was in the general Post-office.
JOSEPH FULLER . I am a waterman on the Thames; I have known the prisoner some years - I was in Mr. Rockley's shop one afternoon, I think it was on a Thursday, the 11th; I heard the prisoner ask Thomas Sutton for change for a �5. note, he got him change; he gave his name as Robinson, 29, Atfield-street, within my hearing; he received the change, and after he was gone I said something to Sutton, and was called on as a witness at Bow-street afterwards - at the time I spoke to Sutton, I knew the prisoner's name was Cox, and knew he belonged to the General Post-office - I saw him at Bow-street, and knew him again there; he is the man who gave his name as Robinson, and got change for the note.
Cross-examined. Q. Look at him and tell me conscientiously whether you have not a doubt of him? A. I have not a doubt, I think it was about five in the evening, it was at the bar, which is not a dark place, nor particularly light - I only had a side view of him; I have known him some years, and saw him frequently; I had seen him at different times, perhaps three or four days before, but I cannot exactly say.
Q.Will you swear you had seen him for three or four months before? A. I think I can, there was nobody but him and the witness at the bar; I was certain at the time that his name was Cox - his asking for change did not create suspicion in my mind, I considered him a respectable man, but when he gave that address, I said to myself, See original "Bless me, that is not his name, his name is Cox;" I did not go and tell him so, as I did not know but he might be changing it for somebody else; I had not the least suspicion; I merely said as I was reading the newspaper, his name is Cox - the moment he left, I said, "Why his name is Cox, but he is a general postman, and I dare say every thing is correct;" he was not five minutes in the house; I am not mistaken in his person.
MR. ADOLPHUS. Q.Besides his face did you notice his dress? A. I did, he had a great coat over his red Post-office coat; I communicated with Sutton directly he left, which was directly Sutton wrote his name and gave him the change - I did not know where he lived, and could not tell whether he gave a false address, or was changing it for another person.
GEORGE LEADBITTER . I am a Police-officer - on the 13th of April I apprehended the prisoner at his lodging, in a street leading out of Stamford-street, Blackfriars-road, it is Duke-street, or Thomas-street, I am not exactly certain which; it is No. 13; it was not Atfield-street, I think it was Thomas-street, it leads out of Stamford-street - I am sure it was not Atfield-street; there is an Atfield-street in Stamford-street - the prisoner would have to cross Atfield-street every time he went from his lodging to the Post-office.
MARY SULLIVAN . I know the house 29, Atfield-street, near Stamford-street, I have been used to keep the key of it, it has not been occupied these twenty months.
Cross-examined. Q. You cannot say whether there is any other Atfield-street in the neighbourhood? A. No.
RICHARD DUGLEBY . In April last I lived at 8, Queen-street, Picton-street, Camberwell; I was unwell, and gave directions for a letter to be written to Mr. Chinn on the 25th March I think, and in consequence of that I expected a remmittance from him, which I did not receive - I left that house on the 4th of May, I did not receive the remittance at any time.
Cross-examined. Q. On your letter there is "8, Queen-street, Waterloo-street," and that is struck out; is this your writing? A. No, my son wrote the letter by my dictation.
MR. SHEPHERD. Q. The letter is dated from 8, Queen-street, Picton-street, George-street? A. Yes, because the street goes out of those streets.
MR. LEE. Q. It is not Queen-street, George-street, Picton-street, but Picton-street, George-street? A. Yes.
GEORGE DYER . I am clerk in the bank, the note produced is the only one there is of that date and number issued by the bank.
BENJAMIN CRITCHETT . I am inspector of letter carriers; I produce the letter carrier's time book, in which they enter the time at which they finish the delivery of their letters; I know the prisoner's hand-writing - on the 1st of April his name was entered in his own hand-writing; it is entered every day from the 1st to the 10th for Charter-house-square delivery, which is the same as Queen-street, Northampton-square - he was in attendance on the 30th and 31st of March.
Cross-examined. Q. How far have you searched the entries? A. I have gone from the 30th of March to the 10th of April, that is all I have referred to; I find he was there on the 11th and 12th, the entries are in his own writing - there are nine or ten more persons in that division, but he is the only one who would deliver in the Charter-house-square district - the seat which we call a division has nine or ten more persons; if a carrier was unwell and another took his place, the substitute's name would appear instead of his.
COURT. Q. Explain, is there more than one person to the Charter-house-square district? A. No, several belong to the division, but only one to the district; the prisoner having signed the book proves he was on duty on those days.
Prisoner's Defence. My Lord and Gentlemen of the Jury. There is one book which has not been produced of great importance to me, that is the "cart book" - Fuller states I was in the public-house between four and five in the afternoon; I left home at three in the afternoon, and called at my brother's in Holland-street, Blackfriars-road, then proceeded over Blackfriars-bridge, on my way to Tottenham-court-road; I had no red coat on then, but the dress I have now; I might have had my great coat, but I am not certain; I do not wear a great coat one time out of twenty, either morning, afternoon, or evening - I have turned out at five in the morning in all weathers, and left home without a great coat, because I knew what I had to go through, I knew the fatigue of my office - Fuller has spoken very false in saying I was there at five in the afternoon, I had to leave home at three and go to Tottenham-court-road, and be at the office by four, at which time the mail cart left there to proceed round the west end of the town, and be back at the post office at five; and after delivering my bag in by the mail cart I used to go to Charter-house-square, and ring my bell from five to six, and if I was called on duty by the inspector, I had to stop till eight - Fuller is a false man, and why has he come here, because a few years ago his own sister robbed my father of six silver spoons and my father never prosecuted her, and now he comes here to-day to swear to injure my family - now, my Lord, I delivered six years and a half in Russell-square walk every day to Mr. Pollock, M.P. and Mr. Wild, Sir Charles Flower; Sir Thomas Denman , the present Lord Chief Justice, of whom I received many favours; Mr. John Capel ; and Mr. Serjeant Bosanquet (my now Judge on the bench;) Lord Tenterden; the Honourable Mr. Abbot; Mr. Justice Gazelee; Mr. Baron Vaughan; Mr. Rawlinson; Sir Thomas Lawrence; Mr. Rogers, the Magistrate; and the late Alderman Waithman - I delivered all their letters, and there never was a single complaint sent up against me; I hope and trust you will let my friends come up to testify to my character.
MR. LEE to Fuller. Q. Do you know the prisoner's father? A. Yes, I never heard of any charge being made against my sister for stealing spoons, this is the first I ever heard of it.
William Smith, of John-street, Edgeware-road, coach-maker; George Marshall , Blackman-street, Borough, chop-house keeper; Thomas Gardener, Ossulston-street, Somers-town, grocer; Charles Spong , Alfred-street, Bedford-square, tailor; William Crowford, Camberwell, baker; Joshua Bowl , Princes-street, Stamford-street, cow-keeper; Ann Hall, of Church-row, St. Pancras; John Goldfinch , Old Bailey, fishmonger; and William Sibbald, Lamb's Conduit-street, a servant out of place, deposed to the prisoner's good character.
[18th May.] GUILTY - DEATH . Aged 32.
|
