629. The said THOMAS COMPTON, otherwise COLEMAN proceedingsdefend was again indicted for feloniously stealing on the 2d of August last, 16 live ducks, price 20 s. the property of John Morgan proceedingsvictim .

SARAH MORGAN < no role > sworn.

I am wife to John Morgan < no role > , we lost sixteen ducks on the 2d of August, we live at West-end , these men that are here found the ducks upon the prisoner.

WILLIAM PICKERING < no role > sworn.

I know the prisoner, on the 2d of August, about five in the morning, I saw the prisoner and another man who escaped, I was in a field the back of Welling's farm, the other side of the New-road, just above Marybone turnpike, and I took the prisoner.

Prisoner. Why do you not tell the truth and say who was with me?

Court. Did you take the prisoner with the ducks upon him? - The ducks he dropped when I stopped him, I saw him with them in his hand, and he carried them some way before he dropped them, Mrs. Morgan saw these ducks at the Rotation office in Litchfield-street.

Court to Mrs. Morgan. Can you be positive to these ducks being your husband's property? - Yes, I have sworn to them, and they are here now.

When did you see them? - The night before, I saw them fastened up in their pen.

PRISONER's DEFENCE.

There was another man that run away from me, I had been down to Kilburn with the waggon, the waggoner staid for his bills, and I went down on the other side Kilburn turnpike, he gave me a shilling for going with his waggon, I was coming home the nearest way and overtook this man, and I walked side by side with him till I came to the ditch, and in getting over the ditch, he asked me to lay hold of the basket, and these two men came up, I heard the ducks quack, and thought it would fall on me, so I ran as well as him, I did not know the man, I did not steal them, I have no witnesses.

JOHN WILSON < no role > sworn.

I saw the prisoner at the bar with the bag on his shoulders, in the field in Mr. Welling's farm, the back of his house, we saw him and another stand together, and they made off round the hedge, I said to Mr. Pickering, them look like two suspicious persons, we saw the prisoner walking with the bag on his shoulders three or four hundred yards, we pursued after him, and when he saw me come to the top of the third field, he goes over the ditch, and there they threw them down, he threw down the bag, and the other man threw down the basket, we took him about three or four hundred yards off, when he dropped them, I saw him drop them and pull his shoes off, he had his shoes off when we took him.

GUILTY .

Transported for seven years .

Tried by the first Middlesex Jury before Mr. Justice ASHURST.