8, 9. (M.) James Wilkins proceedingsdefend and Robert Scott proceedingsdefend were indicted, for that they, together with George Wooley < no role > , not taken, did make an assault on Ambrose Dennis proceedingsvictim , on the King's highway, putting him in corporal fear and danger of his life, and taking from his person a pair of silver shoe-buckles, value 6 s. one gold ring, value 20 s. one pocketbook, value 1 s. 8 guineas, 1 half guinea, and 3 s. in money numbered, his property , Nov. 25 . *

Ambrose Dennis < no role > . I live in Leather-lane. On the 25th of November I was coming on my mare from Hampstead, between five and six in the evening, between the end of Fig-lane and Tottenham-court turnpike . I stopt at the end of the lane to give my mare some water; then I rode gently along. I had got about half way up the lane, when Wilkins came from the left-hand side with a cutlass in his hand, and laid hold of my mare. He was on foot. He held his cutlass up. There were two other men with him. With a good many oaths, they said, Stop, stop; your money, your watch. They were on each side of me: they laid hold of my knees. I saw two cutlasses, and a large horse pistol: he with the pistol is not taken. Scott asked me for any watch: I said I had never a one. I pulled out my money: it was loose, between 9 and 10 l. there were eight guineas and a half, and the rest in silver. I said, There are near ten guineas. Scott weighed it in his hand, and put it in his pocket: he almost pulled my shirt out of my breeches, to see for a watch. I said, for God's sake, gentlemen, do not destroy me; I have no watch: then he pulled my glove off, and took my ring, a gold ring, with a cornelian stone: then he took one buckle out of my shoe, and spoke to Wilkins, who was on the other side, and said they were silver; then Wilkins took the other. Scott had got at one of my spurs: I said, they are only plated; then he did not take it. They went to take my knee-buckles; they could not get them out. Scott said, see whether he has got ever a pocket-book. Wilkins felt in my pocket; it lay pretty low: he took it out with both hands from my breast-pocket, and tore all the lining, and almost pulled me from my mare. Then he said, D - n him, let him go. There were a note for 20 l. another 8 guineas, another 6 l. made payable to me or order. Neither pocketbook nor notes have been seen since. They took my whip from me, and ran down the road towards Fig-lane. There was a little cart coming caused them to go so soon, I imagine. I have seen the two prisoners since at New-Prison and the Gatehouse. I know them both: I had seen their persons before. I had seen Wilkins about Covent-Garden with the chairmen. That night I went to Sir John Fielding < no role > , and got two of his men, and we rode two or three hours after them. We went up to Hampstead, but could not meet with them: this was on a Monday night, and the prisoners were taken on the Friday following. I went to see Wilkins in New-Prison, and said, You used me very ill; you might have robbed me without using me so ill. I saw Scott in the Gatehouse the Sunday following. I knew them, and observed they knew me directly. When before Sir John Fielding < no role > , Wilkins told me where he had pawned the ring. Scott would say but very little, without Sir John would give him his oath. Wilkins said he should be hanged, and owned to every thing, to the very pieces of money he had taken from me. He said in New-Prison, Master, I know I shall be cropt. He was bragging what money they had got, and how they spent it in Covent-Garden among the boys, as he called them. He said, Master, I was the first that ran up to you with the cutlass: I said, I know you was. He mentioned three or four people that were along with him, and told me he would help me to my pocket-book: he said there were 8 s. in silver, besides 8 guineas and a half. When I asked him for my pocket-book, he said, Master, if you'll serve me, I'll serve you: let me see you another time, and I will let you have your pocket-book; it is safe enough: he sent me to Mr. Monk's, in Russel-street, where I found my ring; this he did when I was at the Brown Bear. Sir John asked him what he had done with my whip; he said he had flung it over the hedge, near Marybone: he said the buckles were sold; and then he said they examined the book, and they said, D - n it, it should tell no tales, and then threw it and notes and all into the fire together. I mentioned the book to Scott in the Gatehouse, and he owned it was burnt, and notes with it; and he owned to the pieces of money, just as Wilkins had done, and that he took one buckle out of my shoe, and my ring off (the ring produced and deposed to).

Edward Timperall < no role > . I bought a pair of silver shoe-buckles of Wilkins.

Q. What are you?

Timperall. I am a silver-smith, and live in Russel-court. I think I bought them on the Tuesday night after the robbery. I heard him own that he sold them to me, before Sir John, and mentioned the pieces of money I gave him for them, which were a five and-threepenny-piece, 1 s. and 3 d. in halfpence; that was at the rate of 5 s. an ounce (the buckles produced and deposed to).

Rich. Church. On the 25th or 26th of Novemb. between 7 and nine in the evening, I had occasion to come through Catherine-court; there I saw Wilkins dressed in a sailor's jacket and trousers, he asked several people to go into an alehouse, and said he would treat them; after that he came out, and went away; and in less than a quarter of an hour he came back again, dressed in a blue surtout coat, with a hanger by his side: he drew it out, and flourished it about in the court 3 or 4 times. He talked to several people, but what he said I do not know. After seeing some advertisements about this robbery, I gave information of this to Sir John, and went in quest of him with some of Sir John's people; and on the Friday morning we apprehended him in a court that turns out of Cross-lane up into Holbourn. He seemed at first as if he knew nothing of the matter: at last he was in tears and said he would own every thing, when we came to take him to New-Prison: then he desired us to send for Mr. Dennis. He said, going along, he knew he was a dying man; and when he came into this court, he would plead guilty. We had apprehended some suspicious people, and one of them said he knew something of Scott; so we went and took him (this was before we took Wilkins): we took him in Catherine-court, up two or three pair of stairs: he informed us where Wilkins lodged: Scott mentioned him, George Wooley < no role > a painter, and one Bryan an anchor-smith: he said they brought him into it; he told partly where we might find them, but we apprehended Wilkins first: by that time the others got scent of us, and were gone. I searched Scott, and found a steel watch-chain and seal upon him (produced in court). || Scott said but little about this robbery, but that Wilkins had the things.

|| The chain and seal were owned by Mr. Lines, who had another indictment against them for a highway robbery.

William Haliburton < no role > This name instance is in set 1083. This set is in the group(s): BowStreetOfficers . . I was along with the last witness at the apprehending the two prisoners. Scott told us where to find Wilkins and the rest: he said he was shot by one of his own gang in the knee: he was lame: we took him in a chair: we found Wilkins, but the other two got away. Scott desired to be admitted evidence. We found some powder and slugs in Wilkins's pocket: I asked him where the pistols were: he said George Wooley < no role > had them; go to such a place, and you'll find him: we went, but he was gone. I heard him say several times he was a dead man, and he hoped Sir John would give him a good book or two, and desired me to go over from the Brown Bear for a book.

Wilkins's defence.

The two last evidences are bad men, one goes to bawdy houses to take up girls; and the other is one of Sir John's thief-takers, that does this for the reward. I belong to the seas, I always did my duty in the East and West-Indies, at Belleisle, and other places. I inlisted as an East-India soldier to go there, and met with Robert Scott < no role > ; he swore he would inlist along with me, which he did: we went up to Catherine-street, I had got plenty of money; we went in backwards into the Globe, then he asked me to go and take a walk. I asked him where he was going, he said he would go and take his leave of his father; Wooley was with us, he saw a gentleman coming, he said we will cross out of the road, for this is dirty; he jumped up to the horse and clapt a pistol to the man's breast, and swore he would blow our brains out if we did not stand along with him. The gentleman rode off, I stood trembling. Wooley met another gentleman after that, and desired him to stand immediately: he came up to me and said, You rascal, if you do not lay hold of this, I will blow your brains out. There I stood shaking, fearing my life. What he took from the man, I know no more than the child unborn. When we came back, he said, Here go and sell those buckles, and when you come back I will treat you with a pot out of it; I went and sold them for 6 s. and 6 d. and gave Wooley the money: he was to have come to me the next morning, but instead of that, these gentlemen came and took me. I am as innocent as the child unborn.

Scott's defence.

Wooley got me in when I was fuddled, and because I would not go along with him, he shot me through the knee with a horse-pistol; Wilkins and he had like to have shot me.

To Scott's character.

John Shaw < no role > . I have employed his father 24 years, the prisoner has been best part of his time at sea, I never knew him to do any thing of this sort before.

Joseph Wade < no role > . I have known him from his youth, he was an unlucky boy, but I never knew of any theft by him.

William Treeketchin < no role > . I have known the family ten years, I never heard any thing amiss of him till this affair; he has fallen into very bad company.

George Ainsworth < no role > . I have known him about two or three years, I believe him to be a very honest man.

John Nickolls < no role > . Scott was my apprentice; he behaved himself very faithful during that time, I never heard any thing ill of him before this.

Q. How long has he been out of his time?

Nickolls. About three years.

John Ives < no role > . I have known him 20 years, I never knew he was guilty of any misdemeanor, he was a little wild.

Both Guilty . Death .

There was another indictment against them.