284. Collumb Connel proceedingsdefend , of St Stephen Coleman-Street , was indicted for stealing a King Charles's Medal, value 4 s. a Silk Purse, work'd with Silver, val.6 d. a Silk Handkerchief, val.18 d. the Goods of Thoresby Cotton proceedingsvictim , May 31 .

Mr. Cotton. The Prisoner robbed me of several Things, at the late Fire in Swan Alley in Coleman-Street . He is a Watchman , and came to assist me, I ordered him to carry nothing away,'till I saw immediate Danger, and gave Directions for so doing. When the Fire was over, I miss'd a Silk Purse, a Silk Handkerchief, and a Silver Medal,- a King Charles's Medal I take it to be. The Night after the Fire, it was my Watch night,(I being a Constable) and about 12 at Night, the Purse and the Handkerchief were found on the Floor, in our Watch-house. I knew them to be mine, and suspecting the Prisoner to have dropped them, I took a Watchman with me, and went to the Prisoner's Stand; where I told him he must go with me to his own House, When we came there, I asked him if he knew any thing of the Purse and the Handkerchief? At first he told me No; but afterwards he confessed he took the Things out of my House, in the Extremity I was under, during the Fire, and own'd he had pawned the Medal for 4 s. at a Pawnbroker's in Grub-street. He went with me thither, and I had it again, upon paying Four Shillings and Three-half-pence. I had many other Things lost and destroy'd at that Time, which are not in the Indictment, and which I have heard nothing of.

William Gwynn < no role > . Mr. Cotton came to my Stand in a great Passion, and told me he suspected that Villain (the Prisoner) to have robbed him, for he had come to the Knowledge of a Purse, which had some Things in it, and no one had been at his House but the Prisoner. I advised him to carry him home from his Stand, to his (the Prisoner's) House. He did so; and upon his being asked about the Goods, he deny'd his knowing any thing of them, with Oaths and Imprecations; but Mr Cotton shewed him the Purse which was found in the Watch-house, and told him, if he would confess where all the Things were, he would only turn him out of the Watch-house for his Punishment. He then own'd he had dropped the Purse and the Handkerchief in the Watch-house. The next Morning Mr Cotton came to me, and told me, he missed other Things, and that the Prisoner had undone him, by destroying some Writings. Upon this we went to him again, and he own'd he had pawn'd the Medal, and carried us to the Pawnbroker's, where it was found, and Mr Cotton shewed it to the Prisoner, who own'd it to be the same he had pawn'd. It was a Medal of the same Stamp with this now produced, and I believe it to be the same.

Prisoner. I have nothing to say for myself but this. There was a Fire happened near Mr Cotton's, and I went to his House to assist him. Some of his Goods were pack'd up, and some were not. He and his Wife were in a great Flurry, and she desired me to help her; So I pack'd up 4 or 5 Beds, and put them into the Kitchen; but the Purse, the Medal, and the Handkerchief I put into my Pocket: and after the Fire was over Mrs Cotton gave me a Dram - I believe I drank 3 or 4, because I was in a great Sweat. Afterwards I pawn'd this Medal, for want of Money; but how much I had upon it I can't tell - I thought I had had but a Shilling, if I had more, I don't know what became of the rest of the Money. No body can say any thing else against me, and for this, I lie at the Mercy of the Court.

Mr Cotton. My Goods were brought down into the Kitchen: and as I am a Constable, and Sir Harcourt Masters's Beadle, I did Duty at the Fire, and ordered the Prisoner, not to carry any thing away from my House,'till I gave him Directions. I bid him pack up the Goods, but not remove them 'till I saw there was Occasion; and he being one of our Watchmen, I thought I could confide in him.

William Negus < no role > deposed, That the Prisoner confessed he had the Purse and the Handkerchief in his Possession; that there was some Writings in the Purse, and that he put them into his Pocket when he was packing up Mr Cotton's Goods. Guilty .

[Transportation. See summary.]