828. MARGARET MURRAY proceedingsdefend was indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 15th day of July last, one pair of gold sleeve buttons, value 10 s. two stone rings set in gold, value 5 s. and seven guineas, value 7 l. 7 s. the property of Richard Oliver proceedingsvictim , privily from his person .

The witnesses examined apart at the request of the Prisoner.

RICHARD OLIVER < no role > sworn.

I am a musician ; on the morning of the 16th of July, I lost seven guineas, a pair of gold sleeve buttons, and two stone rings set in gold, they were taken from me by the prisoner; I was walking down Bow-street, I believe it was between two and three, but I cannot be particular to the hour.

Court. What made you out at that time? - I had been with a friend that came from Margate, and staid drinking with him a little late; I saw this woman and five others come up to the Brown Bear < no role > , they asked me for something to drink; I said no, and they asked me another question, which I suppose I need not mention to the Court; the prisoner asked me if I would wish today with her; I had not any objection; we walked up Bow-street, and went into Mertlet's-court, and a watchman was coming down, and she made use of the expression, here is an old scout coming, it will not do here; so we went to Duke's-court , and there she began to take liberties which it is not decent to mention in Court: we did not go to any house, we were talking together about four or five minutes, and I felt a twitch at my breeches, and I immediately cast my eye down, and saw my pocket inside out; I took hold immediately of her gown, says I, you must give me my money again, you have seven guineas in one paper, you have two gold rings and a pair of sleeve buttons in another; she denied it, and used some very scurrilous language, and insisted to go; I told her I insisted on her going to the watch-house, without she gave me my money again, and I called a watchman, and took her to the watch-house: In struggling to get from me, I do not know whether she threw the paper, but I saw it on the ground by her petticoats; I picked it up, and dropped the gold sleeve buttons; I told the watchman to take care of them, and I described them.

Court. But whether she dropped the paper or not you do not know? - I was close by her petticoats, and in the scuffle, I suppose, she must have dropped it: we took her to the watch-house and had her searched, and two other women came rubbing against her, and said, what was the matter? I told them to keep clear of the woman, they would not leave her, so I took all to the watch-house; the watchman searched the prisoner in another room, but I was not there.

Prisoner. I do not know the Gentleman now, and I cannot recollect I ever saw him before.

Prosecutor. I never quitted my hold till she was in custody.

HENRY BAMBRIDGE < no role > sworn.

Here are seven guineas and a pair of gold sleeve buttons, the buttons were given me by one Sullivan, a watchman; on the 15th of July, about twenty minutes or a quarter before four, being in the watch-house, the prosecutor brought in the prisoner and two more women, and said, he had been robbed; he desired to have the prisoner searched, for he said, she was the nearest to him, and had her hands about his breeches; I searched them all; I stripped the prisoner naked to her shift, she said it was indelicate to go any further, I said, I must go a step further, and searched her private parts; I was attempting to search that particular part, and she put her hand herself there, and pulled out these seven guineas, and gave them to me; she denied it twenty times before, but when she produced it, she desired it might be given to the Gentleman again, the Gentleman wanted his rings, and if he could have got them, all would have been well, but they were never found.

Court to Prosecutor. Were the rings in the paper with the sleeve buttons? - They were.

JAMES SULLIVAN < no role > sworn.

On the 15th of August, I picked up in Bow-street, Covent-garden, a pair of buttons very much like these, I gave them to Bambridge.

(The buttons deposed to)

PRISONER's DEFENCE.

I told Mr. Bambridge, I had no money belonging to me, but what was my own; a person was sick, and she desired me to get her a drop of something, this was between twelve and one, I live in Wild-street, and I came to the Brown-bear, to get a quartern of brandy; I saw three or four women and a man, I do not now know the prosecutor: a married Gentleman that I have a child by, gave me a few guineas, to get some things, and to go to service, and happening to have it about me, the Gentleman said, I must be the person that robbed him.

GUILTY, Of stealing but not privately .

To be confined to hard labour six months in the house of correction .

Tried by the second Middlesex Jury before Mr. Baron HOTHAM < no role > .