TRIAL OF JOHN SHORT - A CONVICT, 1828
Second day, Friday 11 April - Second Middlesex Jury - Before Mr Sergeant Arabin.
809. JOHN SHORT was indicted for feloniously breaking and entering the dwelling-house of William Moores, on 12th of March, at Pinner, and stealing therein 1 watch, value 3/-; 2 shirts, value 4s; 8 shillings, 4 sovereigns, and two 5/- Bank notes, his property.
WILLIAM MOORES. I rent a little ground - my dwelling-house is in the parish of Pinner, in Middlesex. I have known the prisoner seven or eight years; he once lived servant with me, as a labourer, in my farm - he slept in my house and knew the premises well. On the 12th of March I went out at nine or ten o`clock in the morning, leaving my wife at home; I returned about eleven o`clock, or half-past, and found a pane of glass has been pushed in, which was secure when I went out; anybody by pushing it in could put their arm in and unbolt the door. I missed a watch from the head of the bed; it was worth 3/-; I missed two shirts, worth 4s; four sovereigns, and some silver from between two beds, where I kept them, and two 5/- notes; I had seen them safe the morning before; they were all covered up together. I told a constable of it and he found my watch and shirt.
FANNY GREENFIELD. My husband is a labourer, and lives at Pinner. On the 12th of March, about eleven o`clock, I saw the prisoner at Pinner, coming in a direction from Moore's house - he was coming across Mr Hill's field, and was waling quiet fast; he was about a quarter of a mile from Moores'; my landlady was with me: we made some observation about the prisoner, which he must have heard; I turned round and said, "Lord, there is Jack Short;" I knew him very well, but had not seen him about Pinner for a long while; he turned when he heard me speak, and walked briskly away.
WILLIAM CROSS. I am a constable of Aylesbury. I saw a paragraph in the New Hue and Cry on the 21st of March, stating this robbery, and that John Short was suspected. I went to the pawnbroker's to make inquiry, and found nothing; I went from there to where the prisoner had lodged for a few days that week - I had seen him near the house on the morning of that day myself, and several times in the course of that week, and while I was in the house, speaking to the landlady, the pawnbroker's boy fetched me; I went to the pawnbroker's and found the prisoner there, offering a watch in pawn: the shopman produced it in his presence, and said that he had come to pawn it; the prisoner said nothing to that - I said to him, "That is Mr Moores' watch"; he said, "No, it is not - it is my own"; I said, "Where did you get it?" he said he bought it in London; I asked him in what street; he said he did not know: I asked what number, and he did not know; I took him to my own house, stripped him, and on his person found this shirt, with the initials W.M. on it; I secured him.
WILLIAM MOORES. This is my watch, and this is my shirt; they are what I lost that day.
GUILTY - DEATH. Aged 26. Of stealing in the dwelling house, but not of breaking and entering.
Abt 1803 - 1875 (~ 72 years)
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