Tryal of William Canning and Francis Dormer, at the Old-Baily, the 15th. of July, 1693

T
OP
William Canning and Francis: Dormer |
At the 0 L D - B A1 L T, the A^tb, of fnly> ,i ^9
For Difperfing and Publiniing gveac Numfeers of Libd^and'Scditicns Paper
’$ D. S ;q. 1:'0:N S.
The Jurors 7vere as foltom^
Henry Gerrard.
William Farnborrow.
Fdtiard Hitch inf on,
James Fearne, 1
fhdmas Latkrvtll,
Jofeph Bowler,
Jofeph Ralph, *
John Outing,
Samuel Morris,
George Polfrey, '' I
Ri. Fitz-Gerraid.$’
Ambrcfi Htmborro.v.
^gT^iHE Jury being fworn, Their Maje-
flies Counfel opened to clierh the In-
S diflment t<) this effe£l; That the De¬
fendants being evit d fpofed perfons $4ri
wards Their prefent Majejlies and 'Their Govern-
menty and feditiotijly intending to diflurb the Peace*
of this KJngdomy and to ratfe War artd Seditmn
againfi the fting and Qtee,en, and to pitykdraw
"Their Subjedls from Their Duty and Allegiance^,
the AJth. day of May laf% a pertain Faff Fond Sedi-
tious Libeleealtedj jKv Jarrse^ DeClarafioh, did
Makey Compofe y Difperfe, and Publt(h\y to the
evil Example of others, and again ft; Their Ma-
jefties PeaceyS^c. For Proof whereof was cal¬
led firfl, ,
Jofeph Broim, who depofed, That between
11 and 12 of the Clock on Saturday night, the
lift, of May’ lall,* as he was {landing at his
door in Z?#^/7Afields, both the Defendants
came by, and Canning did put a Paper into his
hand, asking him if he would go fee a Play ;
and laid, T here is a 'Ticket for you; who answer¬
ed y See a Rogue, for 1 believe yon are one:.
And as they'went on towards Coleman-Alley,
\As, Brown look’d after them, until tl\ey met
eThomas GaFin^i Watchman, who /had a'
fLanthorn and Catidlepthis hand, and held up
Tii^Light to view their Faces,; and having pall
Tiitm, dame up to Mr; Srorvn with Two Pa¬
pers fethenfoofe#, and told Mr. Broivn, me'
believed thole ty.^men were Rogues ; and
Mr, faidi^e^hought fb too j and the,n
they lookd upori Brorvhs Ticket and the Two
Papers, all which prpv’d to be thbfe Declara-
tions and thereupon they immediately pur^i
fiied them | which Canning arid Dormer pFtcgi- ?
ving, went into the Alley', and miffing the
way through, came to a flop, and returning,
Wttcnast bv Mr. Brojvn and Gat hi
.! "N'I’; : • ^ "V;- ^
there \Wre apprehended,, ^nd committed to
Finsbury Prlfbn. , : . ■
Q One John W^rdwis next nv'orn,, and he dc-
poled,wThal about Twooftne Clock that Sm-
day morning, he was going in Cniematr All-.y
'' iifitM jQuakts Birf/^- a Grave,:
ancj fa w fecra 1 Papefs lying upon a ^hed.in^he
Alleyv vyhich he'poked/do.w^iwjtji! a Mop,flafl’J
three of which proved to b^ thdfe .Deciarari-
ons, and the fourth was paft of a Letcer di-
srafted thus, 77^j$ for'./iTcWj 11^m Canning:
To be left at;the Coffee-houf mMifer- Cpurfo
The Tlvird Witnds was a Youth;* vf-ho
fwore. That on the fame Sunday imthe Even¬
ing, lie/and another Lad, fnce dead, were play¬
ing in c^/ew4^:i^//^;.;whei:e, lie lodg’d his Hick
upon the top of the lame Sited, and getting ufg
to fetch it Jbund there a Money*Bag|
and thought it had been a Bag of Moneybu,t
opening it, found thgreiji 5^ Papers wrapt fe-
verally up, as the ochdfti^v^re that had beC’a
found in the directs ; a nd opcifihg them , /aid to
his Companion, They here 'SiMi i atries’j- Z)t-
clay at ions, and like opt tf.it. he f ad fee n at. Church
that Afternoon, : Which Bag ahd l^apers hec2|,|
tied to his Father, Wild * cel icTcrcd^if t ertn!
Conflable. r . .
The Conflable was next fworn, who fa id,
That he having a Safpicion of Ms. Dormer,
plac’d one of his Watch early on morn¬
ing againft Dormers door,,toobferve whatpaft
there; arid hearing fbme perfons were t^en
that night, and in Finsbury Ptifbn,, he went
thither to fee them ; and finding Mr. Dormer to
be one, he hafled Lack to Dormer's Houfe*
teridrng todfearch it ; gn(J coming thither, the
Watcfmtan told him, That had he come a little
fboner^ Re had reen a brave fight, but riow the
Show was over, for the Papers were ail burnt^
the Afhes having fiowm out of the Chimney?
Topi arid fell into the llreet j all wdiich ths
Neighbours had obferved; whereupon the
Corillable went into thg* Houfe, and found no
Fire ; and in a Room up one Pair of Stairs
found Mrs. Dormer, who had been with her
Husband in the Pnlbaf and confeft fbe had
burnt manyrPapers, but faid file knew not what
IS I BUB ' I | : they !5
1/