twenty shillings and six pence. So I was committed to jail, and tried on the woman's swearing that I, with the unknown person, robbed her, and threatened her life. The person's name that was in the chaise is Berry, the woman's name. Jones; the man well known to be thief-catcher, the woman of as bad a character as need be.

His friends, as soon as they found what a scrape he had got into, being alarmed by his sending to acquaint them of his being committed, resolved to see him, that they might know whether his calamity deserved their assistance, or no. They went to him, and received the account, as above, from which he never varied from first to last. The account he give of the matter encouraged them to enquire further into it, that they might find whether his story was true, or not, before they applied to seek any interest to save his life. They went to enquire for the prosecutrix, but she was not to be found, tho' they enquired at the house where she lived, in Brooker's-alley, in Drury-lane, as she said upon the trial; nor could Kidden's friends meet with any one in her neighbourhood, that had heard of her being robbed at all.

Upon their second enquiry they found out where she lived, and then the people of the house had heard something of a robbery committed on her, but she was not to be seen. Her character being enquired into was reported such, as (I shall only say what they told me) encouraged them to believe the young fellow's story true, and then they did endeavour to save his life, but their application had not the desired effect. However, their enquiry was sufficient to satisfy them in their own minds, that his declaring himself innocent of the crime laid to his charge, did not proceed from a wicked design to conceal the truth, but was truth itself. They are satisfied with the justice of the conviction, and sentence, and own, they should have done as was done, had they been to have given their opinion upon such evidence as appeared to the court against Kidden; but as various circumstances convinced them, that his new friend had trepanned him, and laid a scheme to take away his life, they did all they could to save him, but could not, for want of that knowledge of the matter they got at when it was too late, and could not come at sooner, because some people were not so readily to be met with. Kidden declared to the last, that he knew not of any intent to rob, and went only on the errand of the expected jobb, that he never touched her cloaths, nor her hand, though she swore he held up her arms, while the other robbed her; he declared to the last, as a dying man, that he was 30 yards distant at least, when he looked back, and saw the other man about robbing the woman, if any robbery there was. He declar'd, his innocence to the last, and died resigned to the will of the Almighty, who only can turn his sorrow into joy. As this affair was transacted on the road to Stamford-hill , some persons