The Sham-robbery, Committed by Elijah Putnam Goodridge on His Own Person, in Newbury Near Essex Bridge, Dec. 19, 1816: With a History of His Journey to the Place where He Robbed Himself : and His Trial with Mr. Ebenezer Pearson, Whom He Maliciously Arrested for Robbery : Also the Trial of Levi & Laban KennistonWith accounts of Ebenezer Pearson's action against Goodridge for damages for malicious prosecution, of the trial of Levi and Laban Kenniston in the Supreme judicial court of Massachusetts, April, 1817, for robbery of Goodridge, and of the two trials of Joseph Jackman in the Supreme judicial court of Massachusetts, November, 1817, and April term, 1818, for robbery of Goodridge. |
Other editions - View all
The Sham-Robbery: Committed by Elijah Putnam Goodridge on His Own Person, in ... Joseph Jackman No preview available - 2017 |
The Sham-Robbery: Committed by Elijah Putnam Goodridge, on His Own Person ... Joseph Jackman No preview available - 2020 |
The Sham-Robbery: Committed by Elijah Putnam Goodridge on His Own Person, in ... Joseph Jackman No preview available - 2016 |
Common terms and phrases
appeared arrested asked Balch Bangor barrel bed-room blood Boston bridge brought called Capt Carter cellar chamber Coffin's Commonwealth counterfeit court Danvers Davis December defendants deposed District of Maine dollar bill door doubloons Ebenezer Pearson Exeter fence fired gentlemen Goodridge's ground hand heard Hoit horse hour James Pike John Pearson Joseph Jackman jury Kennistons Ketland Knapp knew Laban Levi locks look louis d'ors Major Goodridge Major Leavitt marks Miss morning Mosely never New-York Newbury Newburyport night nine o'clock pair of pistols papers Pearson examined Pearson's house person pieces of gold pocket book pocket pistol Portland portmanteau Potter prisoners prosecutor recollect returned ridge robbed robbery rods saw Goodridge side sleigh Solicitor-General Spofford Spooner suspicion Taber Tabor tell testified thing Thomas Curtis thought told took trial Upton watch Webster witch hazel witnesses wound
Popular passages
Page 78 - ... there being, too, not above five or six dwelling-houses, full of people, within the hearing of the report of a pistol ; these circumstances were all so favorable to their safety, that the robbers sat down to look over the prosecutor's papers, carefully examined the contents of his pocketbook and portmanteau, and took only the things which they needed ! There was money belonging to other persons. The robbers did not take it. They found out it was not the prosecutor's, and left it. It may be said...
Page 73 - But, on the threshold of the inquiry, every one puts the question, What motive had the prosecutor to be guilty of the abominable conduct of feigning a robbery? It is difficult to assign motives. The jury do not know enough of his character or circumstances. Such things have happened, and may happen again. Suppose he owed money in Boston, and had it not to pay? Who knows how high he might estimate the value of a plausible apology? Some men have also a whimsical ambition of distinction. There is no...
Page 81 - Goodridge searched here with his conjurer, he was on this spot, alone and unobserved, as he thought. Whether he did not, at that time, drop his gold into the snow, the jury will judge. When he came to this search, he proposed something very ridiculous. He proposed that all persons about to assist in the search should be examined, to see that they had nothing which they could put into Pearson's possession, for the purpose of being found there. But how was this examination to be made? Why, truly, Goodridge...
Page 79 - ... to leave any wound or scratch on him. A second time he is knocked down, kicked, stamped upon, choked, and in every way abused and beaten till sense had departed, and the breath of life hardly remained; and yet no wound, bruise, discoloration, or mark of injury was found to result from all this. Except the wound in his hand, and a few slight punctures in his left arm, apparently made with his own penknife, which was found open on the spot, there was no wound or mark which the surgeons, upon repeated...
Page 70 - In the first place, it was impossible to believe a robbery of this sort to have been committed by three or four men without previous arrangement and concert, and of course without the knowledge of the fact that Goodridge would be there, and that he had money. They did not go on the highway, in such a place, in a cold...
Page 71 - ... it next to impossible that the defendants could have been parties to such a combination, or even that they could have any knowledge of the existence of any such man...
Page 78 - ... been so carefully deposited under his clothes. Was it likely, that, having found money in the places where it is ordinarily carried, robbers should proceed to search for more, where they had no reason to suppose more would be found ? Goodridge says that no person knew of his having put his bank-notes in that situation.
Page 76 - ... robbers, and therefore took the utmost pains to keep his pistols well loaded and in good order. To account for the pains he took about loading his pistols at Exeter, he says it was his invariable practice, every day after he left Bangor, to discharge and load again one or both of his pistols ; that he never missed doing this ; that he avoided doing it at the inns, lest he should create suspicion, but that he did it, while alone, on the road, every day. How far this was probable the jury would...
Page 81 - Goodridge says now, that he thought he should find it, if the conjurer's instruments were properly prepared. He professes to have full faith in the art. Was this folly, or fraud, or a strange mixture of both ? Pretty soon after the last search, gold pieces were actually found near Mr. Pearson's house, in the manner stated by the female witness. How came they there ? Did the robber deposit them there ? That is not possible. Did he accidentally leave them there ? Why should not a robber take as good...
Page 78 - ... so remote, so unfrequented; they were so far from the highway, at least one full rod; there were so few persons passing, probably not more than four or five then in the road, within hearing of the pistols and the cries of Goodridge; there being, too, not above five or six dwelling-houses, full of people, within the hearing of the report of a pistol; these circumstances were all so favorable to their safety, that the robbers sat down to look over the prosecutor's papers, carefully examined the...