5, 6, 7. (M.) Dennis Shields proceedingsdefend , Caleb Rich proceedingsdefend , and Jane Fleming proceedingsdefend , spinster , were indicted, the two first, for that they, on the 18th of October , about the hour of 7 in the evening, in the dwelling-house of Thomas Symonds proceedingsvictim , did break and enter, and stealing three paste shoe buckles set in silver, value 30 s. five paste breast buckles set in silver, value 20 s. the property of the said Thomas, in his dwelling-house , and the other for receiving two paste shoe buckles, part of the said goods, knowing them to have been stolen , October 19 . *

Thomas Symonds < no role > . I am a jeweller , and live in the Strand . On the 18th of October, about 7 in the evening, I was in a little parlour behind my shop. The door between the parlour and shop was open; the shop door to the street was shut; the window-shutters were not up; I heard nothing of the window break, the coaches making such a noise. I went into the shop to serve a customer, and there saw the outside sash was broke; this was just after the shop window-shutters were shut up, by a porter that shuts up several of the neighbours windows; he had not observed the broken glass. I looked and missed three paste shoe buckles and eleven breast buckles.

Q. Are you sure that glass was whole that afternoon?

Symonds. I am sure it was whole when it was dark. A lad came to me the next morning, and told me he knew who broke my windows, and if I would go with him in the evening he would shew me the persons: so that lad, the constable, and I, went the next night where he had seen them about, and found Dennis Shields < no role > in the Strand by St. Clement's church; the constable searched him, and took a wire from him with a hook at the end of it, a proper instrument to hook things to them through the hole.

Thomas Wynn < no role > . I live in Shire-lane, Temple bar.

Q. How old are you?

Wynn. I am between 13 and 14 years of age. On the 18th of October, I had been out on an errand; I saw Shields and two others at this window; he was nibbling at the glass with something in his hand. I stood still a little time: he bid me go along, or he would half kill me; so I went on my way home. Hearing of this, I went and told the gentleman of it. I had seen Shields twice before. The others I never saw before to my knowledge.

Q. What errand had you been upon?

Wynn. I had been to a cobler for some shoes.

Q. Whereabouts is this shop?

Wynn. It is between the New Church and St. Clement's.

James Brown < no role > . I am between 14 and 15 years of age. I live with my father and mother in the Strand.

Q. How long have you known the prisoners?

Brown. I have known them about three quarters of a year. I have seen Dennis Shields < no role > at the play-houses lighting of links, and Rich used to be there every night with him. On the 18th of October at night, I was with them. I met Shields at the top of Fleet-market, about two o'clock that afternoon, along with another lad. We went down upon the keys in Thames-street, and staid till four in the afternoon; then we came to the Fleet-market again: there one of the boys broke a window, and a man took him and put him in Bridewell. Then we went to the Strand, and there met Rich about six o'clock. Then we went to the prosecutor's window. Shields broke it.

Q. Had you any intent upon that particular window before?

Brown. Shields told me about four that afternoon, he knew of a very good place where we might get some silver breast-buckles, and we told Rich of it when we met him. Shields broke a little bit of the window with a knife: then he pushed the glass in with his hand. He had a wire, with which he hooked out five breast-buckles. We went a little way. He gave Rich one: then Shields and I went back again, and got six more, and a pair of silver shoe-buckles and an odd one. Then we went to St. Giles's. I do not know where Rich went. Shields gave the buckles to a girl to put by for him all night. He broke the stones out of the odd shoe-buckle against a post that had iron upon it, and sold the silver for old silver to a silversmith near Leicester-fields for 1 s. He went to bed with that girl, and I went and lay on a bulk by Whitehall: and the next morning I went, as we had appointed, to him. He was in bed with the girl, in the Coal-yard, St. Giles's.

Q. What is the girl's name?

Brown. I do not know. She gave him the buckles again in the bag, which he had delivered them in to her: then we met an old cloaths woman in Drury-lane. We shewed her the buckles. She said she would give 6 s. for them. She went towards Justice Fielding's, and we did not chuse to follow her. Then we went into Eagle-court to Jane Fleming < no role > , and asked her if the would buy a pair of shoe-buckles. She said she did not care to buy them; she was afraid we stole them. No, said Shields, never mind that; they are not stolen: you shall have them for 5 s. so she gave 5 s. for them. She was a little in liquor. When I went to take some of them out of the window, Shields said, Stand away with your clumsy hands, you can do nothing. Shields desired a young woman that was with her to go and pawn some breast-buckles, and she pawned three breast-buckles for 7 s. and he gave me 3 s. 6 d. of the money. We bought some ham and bread with the other shilling which we had of the silver-smith. I did not see him afterwards till before Sir John Fielding < no role > .

Q. How came you to be taken up?

Brown. One Wilkins took me up, on suspicion of stealing 90 guineas and a suit of cloaths. He is now in Newgate for a robbery. He said if I would confess, he would let me go. Shields was taken the night after we got the buckles. I had been here and discharged that very day we took them. I was charged with stealing some silver spoons ~, but not tried.

~ The prosecutor not appear,ing he was discharged.

Prosecutor. I found the glass shoved in as the lad has said.

Edward Barnard < no role > . I am a constable. I took up Shields, whom they call Sweepey, in the Strand, the 19th of October, by the direction of Thomas Wynn < no role > . I searched him, and found a wire twisted up, a knife, and this bag, upon him (produced).

Brown. This bag I found by the Royal Exchange, and gave it to Shields. This is the same he put the buckles in, and this wire is what he used to hook things out of windows with.

Q. to prosecutor. Who took Fleming up?

Prosecutor. One Wilkins took up Brown, Rich, and she; but he is since confined in Newgate.

Robert Needham < no role > . I am a pawn-broker, and live in Russel-street, Covent-Garden. Jane Fleming < no role > pledged these buckles with me (producing a pair of paste shoe-buckles) on the 19th of October; I think in the forenoon about 11 o'clock. I lent her 9 s. upon them. She lives in Eagle-court, and is a girl of the town. I have known her two years or better.

Q. Could you think such buckles as these belonged to her?

Needham. There is hardly one in twenty of those sort of girls but what have such buckles.

Prosecutor. These are my buckles; they are worth 20 s.

Shields's defence.

I know nothing at all about it.

Rich's defence.

I never had any of the buckles, nor offered to take any, only one that Shields gave me.

Fleming's defence.

I was coming down Catherine-street. The boys met me. They asked me if I would buy a pair of buckles: they asked 5 s. for them, and I gave it them for them. I never saw them before nor after I bought them of Shields. I wanting a little money, went and pledged them for 9 s. I once lived servant with a stationer in the Strand, before I was a girl of the town.

Shields guilty of stealing only . T .

Rich and Fleming Acquitted .