Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. suffering a great misfortune, beyond help [? a message from the deity].

1812

Vaux Vocab. of the Flash Lang. in McLachlan (1964) 268: Upon any great misfortune befalling a man, as being apprehended on a very serious charge, receiving a wound supposed to be mortal, &c., his friends will say, Poor fellow, I believe he’s spoke to, meaning it is all over with him.

2. arrested, sentenced to death.

a.1790		H.T. Potter New Dict. Cant (1795) n.p.: spoke to taken by an officer.
1809		G. Andrewes Dict. Sl. and Cant n.p.: Spoke to he’s taken by the officers; cast for death; dead.
1812		see sense 1.
1821		Flash Dict. [as cit. 1809].
1835		G. Kent Modern Flash Dict. [as cit. 1809].
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open 125: Spoke to, he’s taken by the officers, cast for death.

3. (also spoke with) robbed; stolen; the type of robbery can be added; thus spoke to upon the screw/crack/sneak/hoist/buz.

1800		Sporting Mag. Apr. XVI 26/2: None of the parties spoke to on the road able to swear positively.
1801		Sporting Mag. Nov. XIX 87/2: He supposed they were spoke to (pointing to the goods). [Ibid.] 88/2: These goods are all spoke to, and if any body sees them and me, I shall be taken up.
1809		G. Andrewes Dict. Sl. and Cant n.p.: Spoke with to rob.
1812		Vaux Vocab. of the Flash Lang. in McLachlan (1964) 268: spoke to: alluding to any person or place that has been already robbed, they say, that place, or person, has been spoke to before [...] Spoke to upon the screw, crack, sneak, hoist, buz, &c. &c., means robbed upon either of those particular suits or games.
1821		Flash Dict. [as cit. 1809].
1835		G. Kent Modern Flash Dict. [as cit. 1809].
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open [as cit. 1809].