298. CHARLES ALLEN proceedingsdefend and MARY GOODALL proceedingsdefend were indicted for feloniously making an assault on Thomas Pearce proceedingsvictim , on the 25th of March , putting him in fear, and feloniously taking from his person, and against his will a man's hat, value 5 s. and 4 s. 6 d. in monies numbered; the goods and monies of the said Thomas Pearce < no role > .

THOMAS PEARCE < no role > sworn.

I am a patrole belonging to Bow-street , to Sir Sampson Wright. I was going out the 25th of March, between ten and eleven at night, and going down Drury-lane I was knocked down, and I lost a new hat and four shillings and sixpence in money, I cannot say positively who knocked me down; the money was in my left hand breeches pocket; I laid there bleeding on the ground; I had no senses till the people came and took me up; I know the prisoner at the bar very well, I have known the woman a good many years, she has been an unfortunate woman on the town; the man I believe is no better than he should be, but there was another man that was with them, that had a green coat on and a crape on his hat, and he knocked me down, and then these two robbed me,

Q. What is Charles Allen? - He is nothing better than a pickpocket.

Q. How near were the prisoner to you when you was knocked down? - The man in a green coat and black crape came before me and knocked me down, and this Mary Goodall < no role > and Charles Allen < no role > stood over me, and rifled me; I was senseless.

Q. How do you know they rifled you then? - Because I can prove it by evidence.

Q. You could not see the prisoner behind you? - But I could the man before me, that knocked me down; I saw three come out of a public house the corner of Brownlow-street, they came out of that public house before I came near them, I was within two doors of Brownlow-street when they came out, and these two came behind me and the other stood before me and knocked me down; I had no conversation at all with them; the woman was dressed just as she is now.

Q. Are you sure they were the persons behind? - I am; there was no other persons about, I believe there was an animosity to me because I was the under keeper of Bridewell, to Mr. Smith; I had that place for twenty years; I left it in the year 1782, when my brother died, they both knew me; I was as sober as I am now.

Q. Tell me how many times you had been drinking that night, since you was out? - None at all.

Q. Did you see nobody near you at the time? - Nobody was near me but the prisoners and the other man.

JOHN MILLER < no role > sworn.

I am an officer belonging to Bow-street; I went by information where one of these men where that robbed this Pearce two days after the robbery. On the 27th of March I went into the Golden Hart in Parker's-lane, there I found the prisoner at the bar playing at shove halfpenny; on his head I found this hat; he said, he found it. (The hat produced and deposed to by Pearce, he having put his name inside of it.)

Jury to Pearce. Is it your own writing? - I wrote it myself, because we lay under a predicament by being knocked down, and I did it to know my hat again.

RICHARD DICKEN < no role > sworn.

I draw beer at the public house at Mr. Gordon's, the sign of the Sun, the corner of Brownlow-street; I remember this 25th of March, when this man was knocked down, the prisoners at the bar, Charles Allen < no role > , and the young woman, was at our house that night, they left the house about half after ten, they all went out together, I believe there was five of them.

Q. Do you remember a man in a green coat? - Yes, there was a short man in a green coat and a black crape about his hat, the same night I was going out with a pot of beer, and I heard that the patrole was knocked down, I know him; I was coming out of the house with a pot of beer, and I saw the old gentleman laying down at the end of the door, and I went to pick him up, and the woman was laying down by his side, when he got up his hat was gone; the woman lay on his left side, and with one hand about his arm, and the other hand was by his left hand pocket, there was nobody with me; when I got up to him one of them called her, and she made answer and said, damn him let him lay, I will have no more to do with him.

Prisoner Goodall. I will not deny drinking in the house, it was pretty nigh eleven o'clock when I came out, and I went home about my business; I am innocent of the robbery, and I leave you to judge whether I would rob this man knowing him so many years.

Prisoner Allen. I was at this public house, and when I came out there was a mob at the door; I saw a man laying on the ground and thought he was in liquor, so I took no notice at all of him, but went towards my own home, and I saw this hat lay and I picked it up.

George Allen < no role > , GUILTY . Death . (Aged 22.)

Mary Goodall < no role > , GUILTY . Death . (Aged 20.)

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