503. + Jane Price proceedingsdefend was indicted for stealing a Silver Watch, value 50 s. the Property of George Puckford proceedingsvictim , privately from his Person , July 10 .

George Puckford < no role > . On the 10th of July I lost my Watch, just going into Well Close-Square; I went into the Blue Anchor Alehouse , to speak to the Woman of the House; and when I came out again, the Prisoner followed me from that Door to the turning going down into the Square; I went with her to her House , and when I was in, she shut the Door upon me, and said, You must make me drink; I put my Hand into my Pocket, to give her Three-pence; and, at the same Time, I felt her put her Hand to my Side - I had my Watch when I went into the House - I had not been in the House above a Quarter of a Minute - there was another Woman, but she was at the other End of the Room - there was no body near me but the Prisoner - as soon as the Woman came in with the Pot of Beer; the Prisoner took it in her Hand, and drank, Here, says she, take hold of it or I will throw it upon you, and she run away directly; I gave the Pot into the other Woman's Hand, and whipt out at the Door directly after her; I followed the Prisoner till she was out of Sight, and could not overtake her; somebody asked me what I would give, if they took her; I said, I would give half a Crown; and in about eight or ten Minutes Time the Prisoner was brought to me; she laughed at me, and said, Sir, I suppose you want your Watch; yes, said I, I do; then, said she, Sir, you must pay half a Guinea for it; I told her if I must pay half a Guinea, I would, and I told her I could go to the House that I came from, and get it, but they would not let me go; there was a Man in the Crowd that offered to lend me half a Guinea, but I would not accept of it: As soon as I saw her, I took her by the Arm, and held her, till a Constable took Charge of her; then she would have pulled her Apron or her Handkerchief off her Neck, and have given me in lieu of my Watch, she offered me both - from the Time I missed my Watch to the Time I saw her again, might be upwards of twenty-one or twenty-two Minutes - she said; she had pawned the Watch, but did not say where she had pawned it.

Thomas Webb < no role > . About the 10th of July last, I took Charge of the Prisoner in Well Close-Square; she was charged with stealing a Watch from Mr Puckford; I asked her whether she had the Watch or no; she said she knew nothing of the Watch, nor never saw it; I said, my Dear, I will go with you into the first Publick-House I come to, and if you know any thing of the Watch you had better tell me; I went into a Publick-House with her and searched her, but I found no Watch, only Three-pence Half-penny, which was tied up in the Corner of her Handkerchief. She said she believed Mr Puckford had been in Company with another Woman; I asked her again, whether she knew any thing of it; she said she would say nothing before such a Mob; I went with her into a private Room, and then she told me the Watch was pawned for Half a Guinea; - she said she did not pawn it, but she knew who did, and where; I came to Mr Puckford and told him the Watch was pawned for Half a Guinea, and that he might have it again paying the Half Guinea; he desired I would lend him Half a Guinea; I told him I had no Money about me; but a Friend of mine said, he would lend me a Guinea. Mr Puckford agreed, that I should go with the Prisoner to the Place, which was about two hundred Yards, it was the Sign of the White-Horse, (it is often called the Yorkshire-Gray ) in Rag-Fair, one Mr Smith keeps the House; it is a House where a great many of these People resort. When the Prisoner came into the House, she asked for the Watch; she whispered the People of the House, but I did not hear what she said; she said, if I would give the Money to any of the People there, I should have the Watch; but I would not trust the Money with them, for I did not know but the Money might be gone as well as the Watch; I gave a Guinea to the Daughter of the Man of the House to change, and I got the Watch from this Alehouse, and I paid a Shilling for Interest, besides the Half Guinea.

Q. What are Alehouse-keepers Pawnbrokers?

Webb. It was a Demand they made.

Q. Why, it had not been pawned above half an Hour.

Elizabeth Silvester < no role > . I live at the Blue Anchor Alehouse with my Mother, she keeps the House; Mr Puckford came to tell me that two young Men from Deptford were to come and see me.

Q. Was Mr Puckford in Liquor?

Silvester. He was not drunk, - he was neither drunk nor sober; he was middling.

Thomas Webb < no role > . (The Constable) Mr Puckford was very much in Liquor, and by all Circumstances, he had another Woman in his Company, before he was in Company with the Prisoner - the Prisoner told me so; she said, he had been upon the Bed with another Woman.

Jane Lee < no role > . I have known the Prisoner eight Years; she goes out buying and selling old Cloaths; her Father is a very honest Man - I never saw any Harm of her, but by buying and selling old Cloaths; I was always conversant with her, and lived in her Father's House - I live in Well Close Square.

Puckford. That is the Woman that fetched the Beer - I am very sure of it, and here are Witnesses will swear it.

Prisoner. There were three or four more Women with him. Acquitted .