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Source: Bell's Weekly Messenger, No.1804, Sunday October 24, 1830.

Queen's-Square.

[Henry Carter and Edward Woodrough]


Henry Carter and Edward Woodrough were placed at the bar on Wednesday, on a charge of obtaining goods on hire, and afterwards pawning them.

Mr. Allen, of 72, Upper Berkeley-street, Portman-square, stated that the prisoners applied to him for a variety of articles, consisting of plate, linen, &c., to be lent on hire, the prisoner Woodrough asserting that they had come up to London from Brighton for the purpose of obtaining medical advice for his friend (Carter), and that they had taken lodgings in Berner's-street. The first application was on the 7th inst. and from the knowledge the witness had of one of the prisoners, combined with the fact that the house they resided in was a respectable one, he furnished them on that day with 6 decanters, 6 goblets, 12 cut wine glasses, a plated cruet-frame, a dozen knives and forks, 10 silver spoons, table linen, candlesticks, and other articles. On the 9th the witness sent in a variety of necessaries, the whole amounting in value upwards of 20l. His suspicions being aroused that the property he lent the prisoners was not safe, he applied to at Inspector of Police, and had them apprehended.

Several decanters, table and tea-spoons, and other articles, were produced by the Inspector, and the pawn-brokers at whose houses the goods were pledged attended, and stated that they received them from the prisoners.

Mr. Dyer said that the case was one of illegally pawning, and in reprobating the conduct of the prisoners in the strongest terms, observed, that he should inflict upon them the severest sentence which the law authorised him to do. The worthy Magistrate then ordered the prisoners to pay ten pounds [sic] the amount of the articles pledged, and convicted them each in the penalty of £5. He added, that in default of their doing so, they must stand committed for three months to hard labour; and, if the money was not forthcoming in three days, the law ordered him to authorise an additional punishment, viz that of a public whipping, which, in all probability, if they did not pay the money in that time, would be inflicted.

The prisoners on leaving the bar, said the money should be paid on the following day.