State Trials, Political and Social Volume II Part 10

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--If they did go; who did he mean by they?

APPLEGATE--My lord Warwick and captain Coote that were in the other chairs; there was n.o.body else to speak to.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--Was there any talk of fighting or quarrelling?

APPLEGATE--No, indeed, I do not know of any difference there was between them.

LORD HIGH STEWARD--My lord Warwick, will your lordship ask this witness any questions?

EARL OF WARWICK--My lord, I desire he may be asked, Whether I did not endeavour to put off the going into Leicester-fields, and to have all things let alone till to-morrow.

APPLEGATE--My lord, I cannot say any thing of that; but I did hear my lord Mohun beg heartily of captain Coote to go home, and let the business alone till another time; and indeed I think, I never heard a man beg more heartily for an alms at a door, than he did, that they might not go into the fields then; but I cannot say that I heard any thing that my lord of Warwick said about it.

LORD HIGH STEWARD--Will your lordship ask him any other questions?

EARL OF WARWICK--No, my lord.

Catro, who was the second chairman who carried Lord Mohun's chair, corroborated Applegate's evidence. Palmer, Jackson, and Edwards were three chairmen who had helped to carry French, James, and Dockwra to Leicester Fields; but they had nothing to add to the evidence already given.

_Pomfret_ was a servant at the Bagnio in Long Acre. In answer to the Attorney-General he said:--

My lord, on Sunday the 30th of October last, between two and three in the morning, there came to my master's door the earl of Warwick, and knocked at the door, and there was capt. French with him; and when they were let in, my lord of Warwick told me that capt. French was wounded, and he himself had a wound, and he desired that my master might be called up for to dress the wounds; especially, because capt. French was very much wounded; which accordingly was done in about a quarter of an hour after they were brought in.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--Did he desire to be concealed when he was come in?

LORD HIGH STEWARD--Of whom do you speak, Mr. Attorney?

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--My lord of Warwick.

POMFRET--He did desire, that if any body asked for him, it should be said he was not there.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--Pray in what condition did my lord of Warwick seem to be in at that time?

POMFRET--He seemed to be very much concerned at that time, and his right hand, in which he had his sword, and which was drawn, was very much b.l.o.o.d.y.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--Was the sword b.l.o.o.d.y that he had in his hand?

POMFRET--The blade was b.l.o.o.d.y; but whether it was all over b.l.o.o.d.y, I cannot tell; there was besides some blood upon the sh.e.l.l; it was very near all over b.l.o.o.d.y, as I remember.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--Pray, friend, consider what you swore at the Coroner's Inquest about the blood upon the sword.

POMFRET--Indeed I cannot say it was b.l.o.o.d.y all along the blade; but there was blood upon the sh.e.l.l, and there was blood upon the inside: it was so, to the best of my remembrance.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--What condition was Mr. French's sword in?

POMFRET--He had a drawn sword in his hand, but I did not perceive it had any blood upon it; it was a large blade.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--How do you know what sort of sword Mr.

French's was, and in what condition it was?

POMFRET--He desired me to take notice of it next morning, and I did so; and there was no blood upon it.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--How came you to be desired to take notice of what pa.s.sed there about the swords?

POMFRET--My lord, there was three of them the next day, and one, it was said, was Mr. Coote's, and another of them was my lord of Warwick's, which I do believe was b.l.o.o.d.y from the point upwards, very near; but I cannot directly say but that was afterwards.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--Who brought in that sword that you say was Mr. Coote's?

POMFRET--To the best of my remembrance, capt. Dockwra brought it in; it was almost half an hour after my lord Warwick and capt. French came in to the house, when they came thither.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--They, who do you mean?

POMFRET--Captain James and he.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--Were they let in presently?

POMFRET--No, my lord of Warwick had desired that they might be private there; but when they knocked at the door, my lord of Warwick desired to know who they were; and when it was understood that they were Mr. James and Mr. Dockwra, they were let in by my lord's order.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--Pray, which of all the four brought in any sword in a scabbard?

POMFRET--It was captain Dockwra.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--Pray, did they appear to be all of a party?

POMFRET--They were glad to see one another; and they talked a pretty while together; but indeed I cannot say I heard what they talked.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--Pray, do you remember my lord of Warwick's sword, and what there was upon it?

POMFRET--It was a steel sword, water-gilt, and as near as I can remember, there was blood upon it for the most part from the point upward.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--And what did appear upon Mr. French's sword?

POMFRET--There was water and dirt, but there was no blood at all.

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

POMFRET--They all continued about half an hour; and then went away, all but Mr. French, who staid there.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--What then became of the others?

POMFRET--Mr. James, Mr. Dockwra, and my lord of Warwick went away; and my lord of Warwick desired particularly, that we would all take care of Mr. French, for he was his particular friend; and Mr. French continued there till Sunday about one of the clock.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--Was there any discourse at that time about Mr. Coote?

POMFRET--Not that I heard of, one word.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL--Was there any notice taken of any quarrel that happened between any body, and who?

POMFRET--No, indeed, I did not hear them take notice of any quarrel at all between any body.