John Possnett< no role > , otherwise Jones< no role > , Will. Moody< no role > , and others, were indicted for breaking and entering the dwelling house of John Wood< no role > , on the second day of December , about the hour of three in the morning, and stealing a pair of silver shoe-buckles, a pair of silver knee-buckles, a leather pocketbook, a canvass bag, twelve guineas, six crown pieces, and 3l. 18s. in money, numbered, the property of the said John Wood< no role > , in his dwelling house.

To this indictment they pleaded not guilty, and for trial put themselves on God and their country.

John Jones< no role > alledged in his defence, that he was a coachman , drove Lord Harrington, Judge Advocate General Gould, and other noblemen and gentlemen; that he was out of place at that time, and that his mother allowed him eight shillings per week till he could get a place; that he went to Chelsea to his aunt, for this money that was allowed him, and asked Moody and Burkett to go with him, which they did, and met Settle on the way: That he returned to Mrs. Haydon's, at the Hole in the Wall , and lay that night with a soldier that was quartered there.

On the evidence of John Wood< no role > the prosecutor, John Settle< no role > , one of the accomplices, H. Wright, John Merideath< no role > , and others, with corroberating circumstances, Jones was found guilty of the charge laid in his indictment, and sentenced by the law to be hanged by the neck till dead.

The account given by John Possnett< no role > , alias Jones< no role > , of himself, is as follows: "That he, John Possnett< no role > , alias Jones< no role > , when a child, was taken by Mr. Possnett (whose Sirname he went by) who took all the care of him that man, in his situation could, being taught to read, write, and blow the French-horn. When he left school, Mr. Possnett took him to be an assistant in his house, the sole management of which he often entrusted him with, being a barber's shop, and also a public house , where, from his connection and acquaintance with gentlemens servants, he was induced, and had a desire to go into service, which he did as a coachman , in which station he lived for six years, with some noblemen. During this time he got a large and numerous acquaintance among those of his profession; some of whom were not the best of men, whose chief scheme and design of life was to impose on the unwary and unthinking part of mankind, of which number Jones was one, and consequently an easy prey to them. Having an unkle a master builder, he took a liking to the plaistering trade , at which he wrought, when not otherwise engaged; and this was his first entrance into a course of life, which favoured in any manner of dishonesty or wickedness; for when he and his fellow labourers quitted work, they generally went to drink, riot, and debauchery, at notorious bad and improper houses, where he got into such an acquaintance and company of men and women, as led him to his miserable and unhappy end. At one of those houses of resort, he got acquainted with Moody, being a carpenter , and consequently a brother of the building trade; by him he was introduced to Burkett and Settle, who kept a bull , by baiting of which they generally made money, and was supported by a company or club of bull-baiters, who, not being very good accomptants, engaged Jones as their clerk or secretary , which brought him into a stricter acquaintance and intimacy with them; and at last, by custom, he became too familiar with their evil practices, and