DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70301#0081
RICHARD PATCH.
65
if any one had come from the premises she must have seen
them.
Michael Wright says, he lives in Russel Street, Rother-
hithe, Greenland Dock; that he was returning from Dept-
ford on the night of the 19 th, about ten minutes after eight
o’clock; that about sixty or seventy yards before he came to
Mr. Blight’s gate there was a man lying in the road, drunk ;
he told him he had better get up and go home; that he then
had some conversation with another person, who said he had
been speaking to him, and had desired him to get up, but he
would not; that he then heard the report of a pistol; that
he did not see any one else except Patch, who was standing
at the gate; that he asked him if he had seen any one run-
ning down between the alleys; he says he must have met
any one who came from towards the gate. The prisoner
then said, I wish you would step in with me, for somebody
has fired at me, or, I have been fired at. Accordingly the
gentleman went in, and the prisoner said, I will fetch a can-
dle and shew you where the ball went through; that he took
the candle to look for the ball, but could not find it: the
maid servant then came in with some oysters, and Patch said
to her, I have been fired at Esther, since you have been out.
He says he took the candle again to look for the ball, when
Esther Kitchener picked up a ball, about four feet from the
window, which appeared to have been flattened; that the
prisoner and he then went into another parlour. Then fol-
lows another circumstance, which has been much remarked
upon, as shewing that there was no real apprehension going
on in the prisoner’s mind at this time, but on the contrary,
that it w'as a pretence, and that he was not conscious, and
did not believe that there was any real firing at him by a
stranger; for Wright asked him if he should fetch any body
to sleep in the house, because he thought it was very alarm-
ing ; he said he need not give himself that trouble, that he
was much obliged to him, but he did not accept the offer.
VOL. IV. K
65
if any one had come from the premises she must have seen
them.
Michael Wright says, he lives in Russel Street, Rother-
hithe, Greenland Dock; that he was returning from Dept-
ford on the night of the 19 th, about ten minutes after eight
o’clock; that about sixty or seventy yards before he came to
Mr. Blight’s gate there was a man lying in the road, drunk ;
he told him he had better get up and go home; that he then
had some conversation with another person, who said he had
been speaking to him, and had desired him to get up, but he
would not; that he then heard the report of a pistol; that
he did not see any one else except Patch, who was standing
at the gate; that he asked him if he had seen any one run-
ning down between the alleys; he says he must have met
any one who came from towards the gate. The prisoner
then said, I wish you would step in with me, for somebody
has fired at me, or, I have been fired at. Accordingly the
gentleman went in, and the prisoner said, I will fetch a can-
dle and shew you where the ball went through; that he took
the candle to look for the ball, but could not find it: the
maid servant then came in with some oysters, and Patch said
to her, I have been fired at Esther, since you have been out.
He says he took the candle again to look for the ball, when
Esther Kitchener picked up a ball, about four feet from the
window, which appeared to have been flattened; that the
prisoner and he then went into another parlour. Then fol-
lows another circumstance, which has been much remarked
upon, as shewing that there was no real apprehension going
on in the prisoner’s mind at this time, but on the contrary,
that it w'as a pretence, and that he was not conscious, and
did not believe that there was any real firing at him by a
stranger; for Wright asked him if he should fetch any body
to sleep in the house, because he thought it was very alarm-
ing ; he said he need not give himself that trouble, that he
was much obliged to him, but he did not accept the offer.
VOL. IV. K