466. JOSEPH BOWLAS proceedingsdefend was indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 28th of February , one cloth great coat, value 10 s. the goods of the Right Honourable Welbore Ellis proceedingsvictim , privily in his stable .

EDWARD WELLER < no role > sworn.

I am coachman to the Honourable Welbore Ellis; between the 28th of February, and the 1st of March, a great coat belonging to him was lost out of my stable; I came in about half past eight, on the 28th of February, and hung up my great coat, and I missed it the next day; in the course of three or four days, I was sent for to the Justice's, there I found it; it was very much broke, and wore under the arm, I can swear to the coat; I never saw the prisoner ll I saw him at the Justice's.

Was your stable door locked or opened? - It is always open when we clean the carriage, but locked when we are not there, I received it from Blacketer.

WILLIAM BLACKETER < no role > sworn.

I saw the prisoner standing with two more, with the great coat under his arm, that was the 28th of February, beteen eight and nine in the evening, after the office was over, he was standing in the passage, joining to the watering house in St. Giles's, I went up to look who it was, I was not certain whether it was the prisoner, and as soon as be saw me come up to him, he run away, and he flung the box coat at the back of the water tub, and I pursued him, and I fell down, it was very slippy, he got up, I told him, says I, I know you perfectly well, and if I do not take you now, I shall take you at another time; he was taken about a week or a fortnight after by Dixon and Mumford, I am quite sure of the man, I took the coat.

Mr. Peatt Prisoner's Council. How long have you known the prisoner? - This twelve month.

How came you there? - I go by frequently.

By whose desire was you there? - By my own desire, going along about my business.

Do you know where the prisoner lives? - I know he works there, but I do not know where he lives.

Is not his master's house near there? - Yes.

Are you connected at all with the gentlemen at the Public Office, in Litchfield-street? - I know them all, I met him promiscuously.

Do you know Mr. Messenger? - Yes.

What is the prisoner? - I always looked upon him to be a waterman.

Is it usual for such men to take care of great coats? - I believe it is.

What conversation passed between you and Messenger, concerning this man? - None at all.

He did not desire you to fix this man with this property? - Never.

PRISONER's DEFENCE.

Two men came by on the Monday night, and called me out of the public house, and asked me to buy a great coat, yes, say I if it is worth my money, I gave him half-a-crown directly, and he pulled it, if his back; Blacketer said you have been on this rigg a good while, and Mr. Messenger shall do for you, if it cost him have pounds; I have witnesses that Mrs. Messenger sent for me, and said I will learn you to false swear against my husband; these two men came innocently to me, and called me out, and in a minute or two after Blacketer was behind.

(The prisoner's witnesses ordered to be examined apart.)

THOMAS HART < no role > sworn.

I am a coachman.

Mr. Peatt. Where do you live? - At present at St. Giles's, with Mr. Monk; I have been waterman there lately.

Do you know Messenger? - Yes.

A gentleman of Litchfield Office? - Yes Sir, I believe he is.

Usually called a runner? - Yes.

Court. Were you present when the prisoner was taken up by Blacketer? - No.

THOMAS LEWIS < no role > This name instance is in set 1546. This set is in the group(s): GarrowsClients . sworn.

I am a coach joiner, I live in St. Giles's, at the Rose and Crown, I work for Mr. M'Dougal, I know so far as this, I was in the public house, drinking a pint of beer, two men came in and called the prisoner out, that was on the 28th of March, about eight at night.

Court. What day of the week was it? - I cannot say.

How do you know it was on the 28th of March? - I took notice of it when he was taken up.

How long was this night before the prisoner was taken up? - I do not know, I remember hearing he was taken up.

How do you know what day of the month it was? - I heard say it was the 28th of March.

Who had you heard say so? - I remember the word being spoke.

When? - A week ago.

Who spoke it? - I heard it spoke in the room, nobody told me to speak about it, I heard it in his master's room, where the prisoner worked.

Who were present when the 28th of March was talked of? - Several people were present.

Name some of them? - They are not here now.

Who were they? - They were strange people to me.

What was they saying about the 28th of March? - They were talking about Bowlas, about his being taken up, I do not know any otherways, only by that

Then it might be a twelvemonth ago for anything you know? - Yes.

Be careful of what you say, if you swear false, I shall order you to be committed? - I was at the Rose and Crown, in Broad Saint Giles's, and a man opened the tap room door, and called Bowlas out, he was sitting by the fire in a chair, drinking, he was a waterman; we had done work, he had not been out five minutes before he came in again by himself, he brought nothing in with him, I did not go out with him at all, I saw nothing afterwards.

- MONK sworn.

I keep the watering house, I have known the prisoner seven or eight months, I am his master, he always behaved very well since he worked for me, he was very sober and diligent.

Court. What character does he bear as to honesty? - I cannot say I ever found him guilty of any misdemeanor in my life, he might have robbed me, he has carried forty and fifty pounds of mine at a time.

JOHN BURGESS < no role > sworn.

I have known him these twelve months, never heard any thing but an honest character, he has watered my horses, and taken care of my coach, I never heard any harm of him in my life.

CHARLES DRURY < no role > sworn.

I am a coach master, have known him a twelvemonth, never knew any thing but an honest character of him.

Prisoner. At the time the men brought the coat to me for sale, my master was present and Mr. Blacketer declared the same before the Justice.

Blacketer. I saw the prisoner standing with two men, but I heard no conversation.

GUILTY 10 d.

Whipped .

Tried by the first Middlesex Jury before Mr. RECORDER.