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held at Hicks's-hall. For the reason before-mentioned, I had been advised not to employ a counsel, which indeed I conceived, would be only money thrown away, as the case was too clear against me. I therefore patiently awaited the issue, and the day of trial being come, I was taken, with many other prisoners of both sexes, from the prison to the sessions-house on Clerkenwell-street, at which Mr, Mainwaring, the member for Middlesex, has for many years, presided as chairman.
Being put to the bar, I stood indicted for knowingly and designedly, and by false pretences, obtaining from Joseph Addington, five yards of superfine blue cloth, and three yards of black kerseymere, &c. Having pleaded "Not guilty," the first witness called, was Henry York, shopman to the prosecutor, who deposed, that on the 7th of April, I came to his master's shop, and said I wanted the articles mentioned in the indictment; and that he, the witness, knowing me well by sight, as the servant of Messrs. Giffard and Co., and taking for granted that I was still in their service, immediately cut off, and delivered the same to me. Here the chairman preyed the witness repeatedly, to state the exact words that I used; but the man was so evidently embarrassed, (I suppose from his never being before in a court of justice,) that nothing more could be extracted from him; he would persist in speaking only in the third person, "He said he wanted,
