The King
agt:
John Dimer< no role > als Dimond< no role >

Thomas Sherer< no role > Collector of His Majesty's Customs in and for the Port of Southampton , maketh
Oath that in Pursuance of an Order from the Honourable the Commissioners of His Majesty's Customs dated the Ninth
day of February last past, he this Deponent did on the Twelfth of the same month go over to Wilchberry in
the County Wills the place of Abode of James Plowden< no role > Esqr : one of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace for
the County of Hants, and did apply to the said Mr: Plowden in Order to find [..] Daniel Chater< no role > upon whose
Informative a Warrant had been granted by him against John Dimer< no role > Alias Dimond [..] as One of the Parsons
concern'd in bucking Open the Customhouse at Poole, and who thereupon had been Apprehended and Committed to Jail
at Chichseter; & that at Fording bridge in this County the said Chater being sine for, came to the said Mr: Plowden
and this Deponent, and at their Desire Consented to go to Chichseter (this Deponent being directed by the Commissioners
of the Customs to send the said Chater to Mr: Balling at Chichester aforesaid in Order to have the said Dimer
Committed for the Felony Charged upon him by the said Chater) and this Deponent further saith that on the
thirteenth of the same Month he sett out with the said Chater from Fording bridge aforesaid, and the same
Evening came to Southampton ; & that the next Morning (Vizt. the fourteenth day of February last past) about
Seven of the Clock he this Deponent sent forward the said Chater accompany'd by William Galley< no role > Senr: an
officer of the Customs of this Port, with Directions to proceed to Chichester and there attend Mr: Battine and deliver
him a Letter which this Deponent had wrote on the Occasion of said Chater's being sent to himAnd
this Deponent further saith that on the Twenty second day of the said Month of February he sent a Messenger
over to Chichester with a Letter to the Collector of that Port to know if the said Chater and Galley were Arrived there [..]
but receivd for [..] ever that neither of them had been seen or heard off there, Aand since that there has been
reason to Apprehend by several Circumstances that upon the said fourteenth day of February last past they
the said Daniel Chater< no role > and William Galley< no role > were met with upon the Road at or near Rowlands Castle in the
said County of Hants by some Smuglers, and by them violently Assembled and have either been Murderd
or forceably Carryed off and detained by the said Smuglers and not since found, so that the said Chater
who is a Material Witness for the Crown being not yet to be heard off cannot be produced to give his
Evidence this Sessions against the said Dimer alias Dimond said to be now under Confinement in
Newgate, And this Deponent further saith that he is informd and Apprehends that without the
Evidence of the said Daniel Chater< no role > the Crown cannot safely proceed to the Tryal of the said Defendant

Tho Sherer< no role > .

Sworn at the Town & County
of Southampton this Twenty first
day of May 1748 before

Mark Noble< no role >

A Comissioner of His Majties
Court of Kings Bench at Westmr