1824 - Proceedings of the Old Bailey (2)

From International Robin Hood Bibliography
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Record
Date 1824
Topic Man who assaulted watchman is caught on corner of Robin Hood Court
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Site of Robin Hood Court, Shoe Lane, Holborn.

By Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2018-06-17. Revised by Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2021-01-08.

Record

[3 Jun. 1824:]
Q. On recovering yourself, what did you do - A. I asked him for mercy - he told me to sit on the block, and if I moved, it would be worse for me. He ran away - I followed him, out, and sprung my rattle, and kept him in sight till he turned the corner of Stonecutter-street. Four or five more watchmen came to my assistance, and in four or five minutes he was brought to me - I knew him again - I caught sight of him as soon as I turned the corner of Stonecutter-street - nobody but him was running before me - he was stopped just by Robin-hood-court, Shoe-lane, by a watchman of St. Andrew's. I examined the fishmonger's shop, and found the crow-bar there. I felt the effects of my wound in about an hour, and went to the hospital about six o'clock that morning. I was ordered to bed, and my head dressed - I felt great inconvenience from it.

Cross-examined by Mr. ANDREWS. Q. At what time did it happen - A. At a quarter or twenty minutes before five o'clock - he shut the door upon me - they were both in the shop when the door was shut - I was alarmed very much, but did not lose my recollection - there was no light there - it was daylight; the back door was open, and I had plenty of light; I saw him take the crow-bar off the floor.

Q. Do you mean to state that you were possessed of your senses sufficiently to know the manner in which he struck you - A. Yes; he struck me with one hand, and the sharp end of the crow-bar turned towards my head - the dresser of the hospital saw me about five minutes after I got there; I attended before the Alderman the second day after it happened.

COURT. Q. We understood you to say that you saw two men, one ran away and the other stopped in - A. Yes, my Lord - he went away directly after the door was shut; I and the prisoner were then left alone; I saw no marks of violence on the door; the lock had been sprung; the crow-bar did not appear to me to have been used to get in with.

CHARLES SILVESTER. I am watchman of St. Bride's; I was on duty on Sunday morning, the 11th of April; about five o'clock I heard Fishburn's rattle spring; my box faces the centre of the market near Harp-alley - I can see this shop by moving a yard or two - I saw Fishburn pursuing the prisoner, who ran straightup the market towards me; I pursued him into Shoe-lane, where he was stopped by a watchman - I lost sight of him as he turned the corner of Stonecutter-street, and on turning the corner myself, I saw the watchman trying to stop him; he was still running, but the watchman struck at him, and he got away; but he struck him again and was taken - nobody but him and the prosecutor were running in a direction from the shop; I have no doubt of his person; there is a linendrapers shop next door to the fishmongers.

JOHN CLARK. I am a watchman of St. Andrew's. I was upon duty in Shoe-lane at five o'clock, and heard a rattle spring - I saw the prisoner running, and two or three watchmen after him, calling Stop him! - he came directly towards me, out of Stonecutter-street, nearly out of breath. I called out "Stop, or else down you go;" he used some bad language, and tried to brush by me - I struck him on the shoulder with my staff - he got about twenty yards further, when I gave him another blow and secured him, at the corner of Robin-hood-court - I did not lose sight of him from the time I first saw him - Fishburn's face was covered with blood - he said "That is the man who tried to take my life."[1]

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