Title

Old Bailey, Saturday February 3 [Walter Preston]

Author

Author not identified

Source

Times (London).

Details

25 February 1811, page 3, column 4.

Publication date

25 February 1811

Type

News

Language

English

Country of context

Australia

Full text

OLD BAILEY, Saturday February 3

Walter Preston was capitally indicted for assaulting John Kennedy, a lad of 15 years of age, on the King’s Highway and robbing him of a metal seal and a steel watch-chain.
The prosecutor stated, that he was going up Tottenham Court-road, on Monday, the 18th of February instant, about nine in the evening, when he was met by ten or twelve men, one of whom, the prisoner, knocked his hat off his head into the kennel, and gave him a violent push. He recovered his hat again, and put it on, when the prisoner knocked it over his eyes with his fist, and at the same time pushed him down upon his back upon the pavement, amongst his (the prisoner’s) companions, who forcibly held him down, whilst the latter made several attempts to draw his watch from the fob; but the prosector suspecting his design kept his hand upon the watch, and prevented the prisoner from taking away any more than the chain with which he ran away. The prosecutor followed him to a considerable distance, and coming upon again charged him with having stole his chain and seal. The prisoner immediately knocked him down and ran farther up Tottenham Court-road. On recovering his feet, the prosecutor cried out “stop thief”. A watchman stopped the prisoner in his career, and brought him to the watch-house, where the prosecutor soon appeared and identified him.
The Jury found the prisoner Guilty – Death.

[The Times, 25 February 1811, p.3, col.4.]