State Trials, Political and Social Volume II Part 5

LORD HIGH STEWARD--Give him his oath. (Which the clerk did.)

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--My lords, I doubt the witness is so far off, that it will be difficult for him to hear the questions that we are to ask him, unless we could have him nearer to us.

LORD HIGH STEWARD--Mr. Attorney, my lords seem to be of opinion that it will be more for your advantage and theirs that the witnesses stand at the distance they do; which will oblige you to raise your voice so loud, that they may hear the witnesses and you too.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--Is your name Samuel Cawthorne?

CAWTHORNE--Yes, my lord.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--Where do you live?

CAWTHORNE--With Mr. Locket at Charing-cross.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--Did you live with him at the Greyhound tavern in the Strand the latter end of October last?

CAWTHORNE--Yes, I did.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--Well, pray will you acquaint my lords with the time when my lord of Warwick, my lord Mohun, and Mr. Coote were at that house, how long they stayed, what happened while they were there, and when they went away?

CAWTHORNE--It was Sat.u.r.day night, the 29th of October last.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--Pray tell my lords the whole of your knowledge in the matter.

CAWTHORNE--There came my lord of Warwick, my lord Mohun, captain Coote, capt. French, and captain Dockwra, the 29th of October last, in the evening, to my master's house at the Greyhound tavern in the Strand.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--How long were they there, and what time of night came they in?

CAWTHORNE--About 8 o'clock at night, my lord Warwick, my lord Mohun, capt. French, and capt. Coote, came in.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--What day do you say it was?

CAWTHORNE--Sat.u.r.day, the 29th of October last.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--How long did they continue there?

CAWTHORNE--It was between one and two the next morning before they went away.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--Was any body sent for to come to them there?

CAWTHORNE--Yes, Mr. James.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--What time was that?

CAWTHORNE--About twelve of the clock.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--Did he stay with them till they went away?

CAWTHORNE--Yes.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--What did you observe pa.s.s in the company while they were there?

CAWTHORNE--I did not observe any thing of quarrel, not so much as an angry word amongst them, till they came down to the bar and were going away; when they came down to the bar they ordered me to call them chairs, or coaches; and there were no coaches to be had, and so I went for chairs, and two chairs came; for the porter that went to call the coaches was a great while before he came back; and, as I said, I going for chairs, there came two; but that they said was not enough; so more chairs were called for, and at length there were more chairs gotten; in the first three chairs, my lord of Warwick, my lord Mohun, and captain Coote went away in; and my lord Warwick and my lord Mohun bid the chairmen carry them home.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--Were there then any other chairs at the door?

CAWTHORNE--There were two more chairs at the door, and another was called for.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--Did you hear any directions given where they should carry them?

CAWTHORNE--My lord Warwick and my lord Mohun bid them carry them home.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--Did you hear my lord Warwick or my lord Mohun particularly, and which, say whither they would be carried?

CAWTHORNE--I did hear my lord Mohun say, captain Coote should go and lie with him, or he would go and lie with capt. Coote that night, for there should be no quarrelling.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--Did they upon that go away?

CAWTHORNE--Mr. French and Mr. Coote were in chairs before my lord Mohun or my lord Warwick, or any of the rest.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--What then happened upon their going into the chairs?

CAWTHORNE--My lord Mohun came out to them and swore there should be no quarrel that night, but he would send for the guards and secure them.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--What happened then?

CAWTHORNE--Upon that, both of them came out of their chairs and came into the house, and there they came to the bar three of them in the pa.s.sage by the bar, and three of them behind that pa.s.sage.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--Pray, will you tell what did really pa.s.s throughout the whole transaction? What was done after they came in again into the house?

CAWTHORNE--After that, I was bid to call for six chairs, if I could get no coaches, and so I did; and when I had brought what chairs I could get, and returned to the bar I heard the swords clash; when the swords were drawn I cannot say, nor by whom, it might be by all the six, for aught I know, because I was in the street to call the chairs, and when I came back to the house, I was in hopes all had been quieted, for their swords were putting up: and when they went away in the chairs, I did hope they went away friendly.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--Pray, how did they go away? who went together?

CAWTHORNE--My lord of Warwick, my lord Mohun, and captain Coote went in the first three chairs, them three together, and bid the chairmen go home; the sixth chair was not then come.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--When that chair came, pray what directions were given to it?

CAWTHORNE--I did not hear them give the chairmen any directions at all.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--Do you know any thing more that was done after this time?

CAWTHORNE--No, my lord, not after they went away; after I returned with the chairs, it was in two minutes' time that they went away.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--My lords, I suppose he knows no more of the matter.

LORD HIGH STEWARD--Will you then ask him no more questions, Mr.

Attorney?

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--No, my lords, unless this n.o.ble lord shall ask him any questions, upon which we shall have occasion to examine him.