David Otolongue appears as a witness in this Old Bailey Court Trial in 1805.
ORIGINAL TEXT:
676. MICHAEL MYERS was indicted for burglariously breaking and entering the dwelling-house of James Shonebridge, about the hour of twelve at night, on the 18th of September, with intent to steal, and burglariously stealing three hats, value 3 l. 3 s. the property of the said James Shonebridge.
JAMES SHONEBRIDGE sworn. - I am a hatter; I live in Old Bond-street; on the 18th of September, my house was robbed, which I perceived on going into my shop, which was entirely stripped of them; I suppose about four or five dozen of patent silk hats.
Q. On the night of the 18th of September had you left it all fastened up? - A. The doors were all locked; the painters had been to work the day before, and had left the windows of the first-floor a little open; I think, they might have got in at the window, without any force.
Q. You do not know what time the property was taken? - A. They were taken from the time of shutting up at night, and opening on the morning; we shut up at ten, and open at eight; on the 20th, three hats were brought to me, by John Hornby, a constable, who had apprehended a Jew that bought them.
Q. These hats that had been shewn to you, you recognized as your own property? - A. Yes; I had seen them in the shop on the 17th, the day before I lost them.
JOHN HORNBY sworn. - I produce the hats.
Q. (To prosecutor.) Look at these three hats? - A. They are all silk hats; my name is in them, and there is also a private mark; I know they are mine, I saw them in the shop particularly, and I am certain that these hats were never sold.
SARAH REEVES sworn. - Q. Do you know the prisoner at the bar? - A. Yes.
Q.Did he apply to you at any time to dispose of these hats? - A. Yes; I lived in the lower room in the same house as the prisoner; he asked me if I knew any body that would buy those three hats.
Q. He shewed you then those three hats? - A. He did.
Q. Did you see enough of them at that time to know they were silk hats? - A. No; he shewed me three hats, I told him that I did not know of any one that would buy them, without it was some Jew or old cloaths people; he asked me if I would sell them to an old cloaths person; because he said he being a Jew, he did not like to sell them to his own people. I applied to the first that came by, his name is David Otolongue, I sold them to him for 13 s. the prisoner told me to ask 28 s. he said he should lose money by them.
Q. How came you to sell them for 13 s.? - A. I went up stairs to him, and he told me to call the man back; he said he had some money to make up, and he wanted money to go a dealing again.
Q. You told him that the price that was bid was 13 s. instead of 28 s. and he told you to sell them, to make up some money to go a dealing again? - A. Yes.
Cross-examined by Mr. Curwood. Q. When was this conversation? - A. On the Friday morning.
Q. What Friday? - A. I do not know the day of the month; it was the day the prisoner was taken.
Q. What are you? - A. I work at the army work, making soldiers cloaths.
Q. You have been here before? - A. No never in my life.
Q. What did you do with the money you got for those hats? - A. I gave it to the prisoner, it was half a guinea and 2 s. 6 d. in silver, as he laid in bed.
Q. Have you never told any body that you did not give the money to the prisoner, that you spent it in beef and ham? - A. I never told any body so.
DAVID OTOLONGUE sworn. - I bought these three hats of Sarah Reeves myself; she asked me 20 s. for them, I bid her 13 s. she said they did not belong to her, she went up stairs, and when she came down, I gave her 13 s. for them; I was stopped in the street by Hornby; he took the hats from me (looking at the hats) these are the same hats I bought of the girl.
Q. (To Hornby.) Did you meet this man? - A. A man of the name of Newland, that lives in St. Giles's came to me, and desired me to follow him, and see what he had in his bag, I searched the Jew's bag; I found these three hats.
Prisoner's defence. I do not know any thing about them; I never saw the hats nor the woman.
Court. The capital part must be thrown out of of the way; the goods were left so as any person might have got in without any breaking, nor does it appear how long before the time of opening of the shop it had been committed.
GUILTY, aged 28.
Of stealing only.
Transported for seven years.
Second Middlesex Jury, before Lord Ellenborough.
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