690. JAMES PULET proceedingsdefend , PETER WOODCOCK proceedingsdefend , NICHOLAS ENGLISH proceedingsdefend and FRANCIS JOYCE proceedingsdefend , were indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 16th of June last, one silver watch, value 50 s. one metal chain and seal, value 1 s. and one gold seal, value 40 s. the property of Letitia Bowman proceedingsvictim in her dwelling house .

The witnesses examined apart at the request of the prisoners.

LETITIA BOWMAN < no role > sworn.

What are you? - A widow .

Where do you live? - Near the two mile stone Kingsland road , the prisoners stole my watch on the 16th of June, I neither saw them nor heard them.

JOHN BARROW < no role > sworn.

I am a Shipwright, I was nailing a board up at a wash-house in Kingsland road on the 16th of June, and I saw four men run down and look back which gave me suspicion they had done something wrong, then I run to the front part of the house, and heard Mrs. Bowman say she had lost her watch, I followed the four prisoners and I asked M'Gie to go with me and he did, this was about 150 yards from the prosecutrix.

Prisoner Joyce. Did you see me in company with these three lads? - Yes, I saw you all within the distance of me and you now.

WILLIAM < no role > M'GIE sworn.

I am a Bricklayer, I know the prosecutrix's house, I pursued the prisoners with Barrow, and I assisted in taking the prisoner Joyce who had the watch, I called out stop thief; the other three were all before him, I saw the others apprehended; the prisoners were all in company.

Court. Was there any alarm given? - Yes.

Were they near enough to hear the cry? - Yes, I gave the cry within thirty yards, and the prisoner Joyce when he heard the cry, he threw away the watch out of a black silk handkerchief among some cabbage plants.

JOHN MOORE < no role > This name instance is in set 1412. This set is in the group(s): GarrowsClients . sworn.

I assisted in apprehending the prisoners all but Joyce, I picked up the property after I saw him throw it over the pales, which is the watch which I have in my pocket, it has been in my possession ever since.

Prisoner Joyce. Was I in company with these three? - They all passed me before I knew they were thieves, and they were all in company together and were all in a sweat, Joyce in particular, the other three prisoners were three fields ahead, and were apprehended twenty minutes after the other young man was taken.

(The watch deposed to.)

Prosecutrix. I am positive it is mine, as the outside case has been in the family ninety years, I looked at my watch at half after one, and in three minutes after I found it was gone, it hung in the front room on the ground floor, they had thirty feet and a half to come into my premises before they took it, the gold seal cost three guineas and a half, it was an onyx; that is not here.

PRISONER PULET's DEFENCE.

This young man and I were going to the New-river to bathe, and we met this young man, when we came there, they said if we went in we should go to the watch-house, then we went to Hackney Marsh, and just as we got a little way past the shoulder of mutton and cat, we heard the cry of stop thief, we were making all the haste we could, and we looked back and saw somebody stop this young man; then we stopped about two minutes and then we walked on, and then a parcel of gentlemen came runing a cross the fields, and one of the gentlemen came up to me with a knife, and said he would cut my head off, and he took us back to the public house, the young man said that he did not know us, and that we were not along with him.

PRISONER WOODCOCK's DEFENCE.

I am a very hard working lad, I met these two young fellows.

Prisoner English. I say the same he has said.

PRISONER JOYCE's DEFENCE.

I was by myself when I was taken, I saw these three young lads before me, I did not know them, I was going to see my sister.

The Prisoner English called three witnesses to his character.

Court to Jury. This is an old watch and worth little more than the silver, and the gold seal has not been produced to you.

ALL FOUR GUILTY Of stealing to the value of 39 s .

Each to be transported for seven years .

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