4. Thomas Good proceedingsdefend , was indicted for that he in a certain field, or open place near the king's highway, did make an assault upon Robert Butler proceedingsvictim , putting him in corporal fear and danger of his life, taking from him one silver watch, val. 6 l. one silver knee buckle val. 6 d. one linnen handkercheief val. 2 d. two pieces of foreign gold, val. 2 l. 14 s. two pieces, val. 3 l. 12 s. ten guineas, and 9 l. in money , the property of the said Robert, Oct. 15 .

Robert Butler < no role > . I live at Paddington, I was stopped the 15th of Oct. last, about 5 o'clock in the morning, I was late in receiving money behind the Exchange, so I staid till towards morning before I set out, thinking, then I should go safe; there were two men stopped me, they had both swords; the first man took my watch, my money, and a knee buckle out of my pocket; which by his own confession, was James Harrison < no role > , while they were taking that, the other behind me, which I take to be the Prisoner, took a handkerchief out of my coat pocket; I lost to the value of 26 l. they left me but 4 d. 1/2.

Q. How do you know the Prisoner to be one of the Men?

Butler. By the confession of himself and Harrison, when they were first taken.

Q. Who was taken up first?

Butler. We took Good first, I had advertised the watch; and I went to the maker Anthony Marsh < no role > , who took me to justice Mainwaring's, where the Prisoner confess'd this robbery, it was taken down in writing, and read to him.

Q. Did you see him sign it?

Butler. I did not my Lord.

Q. Did you get any of your things again?

Butler. No my Lord, they had sold the watch, but they could not give an account where.

James Harrison < no role > . The Prisoner, and myself, robbed Mr. Butler, we took his watch, and some money, silver and gold; I cannot tell how much, there was a good deal; Thomas Good < no role > took the watch; and I the money, and knee buckle; there were 36 s. Pieces, four guineas and some silver; after we had robbed him, we went into Holborn to a night house, then we got a coach, and went to the sign of the ship in Ratcliff, the Prisoner got most of the money from me, he was taken at that alehouse, and discovered it himself.

Q. What did you do with the watch?

Harrison I sold it on monday night, for two guineas, in a night house somewhere near the mansion house, I was very drunk; we did the robbery about five o'clock on Sunday morning.

Prisoner. I never took any of the money from him.

Mr. Ember. On the 15 of October last, about nine o'clock in the morning, I had been up at the New Crane about business, I saw two or three soldiers at this Ship alehouse door. The Prisoner and Harrison were two of them, Good the Prisoner was quarter'd there, I went home, Mr. Cleghorne came to me. I being constable of the parish, he said, he wish'd I would stop with him, he had got some soldiers which he suspected had been on the highway, they had got money, and were quarrelling about dividing it; I went, and we sat down and watch'd them, they were very quiet then, I went away, and told Mr. Cleghorne I'd call again in the evening; then they quarrelled about a watch, which they called a thing; said the landlord let me see the watch, so he took it and opened it, and took the maker's name, Anthony Marsh < no role > , No. 765.

Q. to the Prosecutor. Is that the name and No. of your watch you was robb'd of?

Butler. It was, my lord.

Ember. I went the next morning to Justice Manwaring's, and related what I had seen, and he said, I had all the reason in life to take them up, advising me so to do, and to advertise the watch. Upon this I took up the Prisoner, Harrison not being there; this was on the Thursday morning. I told him it was for a robbery on the highway, he said he knew of no robbery. I told him I had got Harrison in my custody, adding, he wants to be admitted an evidence, said I, the first that comes before the Justice may be admitted for ought I know. I had not got Harrison, but made use of such words to come at the affair; said the Prisoner, I went to drink some hot, I got a pot of hot, and after drinking a little of that he confessed the robbery; then he asked me where Harrison was ? we got out of him where Harrison was to be found, and we took him the next day, and he was secur'd in the Savoy, and before Justice Manwaring, he confessed about 20 robberies he had been in.

Ralph Cleghorne < no role > . I live at the sign of the Ship near Ratcliff-Cross, the Prisoner was billited on me about twenty days, or a month. On the 15th of October I was at church, when I came home, I saw the Prisoner and four more together.

Q. Had he been constant in that house o'nights?

Cleghorne. He had then been out three or four days, and he told me he had been upon duty; these soldiers had called for a half crown bowl of punch, my wife did not care to make it, fearing they had no money; said one of them. are you afraid of your money, come give me change for this moidore? she took it, and said it was a 36 s. piece, said he, no it is not; from this I had a suspicion they had been robbing somebody. I went and acquainted the constable directly, he came with me, and found them a little quiet, said he, let them drink on, you'll see more by and by; at last they called for a pot of flip, and our servant went in, and saw Harrison give Good something, and said, give me two guineas; when I went in, I saw the gold lying on the table, they began to renew the discourse about the thing again which I had heard before: Harrison said to Good, d - n you, if you will not let me have the thing I'll draw my sword upon you; says he, either give me two guineas or the thing : I said, what thing is that? says he, nothing at all. After some words said Harrison, by G - d it is a watch, said I, I insist upon your delivering the man the watch or money, he delivered the watch, and Harrison gave him half-a-crown. I pulled out my watch and said to him, what o'clock is it by yours, said he it is down, said I, let me wind it up for you; I took it, and likewise the name and No. as before-mentioned, and returned it to Harrison again; after that, fearing I should mistake, I said I had not set it, so I took it again, and look'd at the name and No. then I sent to the constable, but before he came they were all gone; Harrison had the watch, I told the constable about it, and I said I'd go to the watchmaker and see if he could inform me who bought that watch of him, but as my wife was not very well, the constable proposed to go.

Prisoner's Defence. I was taken before Justice Manwaring, and they said they would admit me an evidence, I impeached Aldridge, Harrison, and Robert Hickson < no role > .

Guilty .

Death .

5. Robert Hickson proceedingsdefend and Thomas Good < no role > , was a 2 d time indicted, for that they in a certain field or open place, near the king's highway, upon Elick Bull proceedingsvictim did make an assault, putting him in corporal fear and danger of his life, and taking one silver watch, val. 50 s. and 11 s. and three half-pence in money numbered , the goods of the said Robert, did steal, take and carry away, Oct. 8 .

Elick Bull. I live upon Blackheath, I am a miller ; I was coming over the fields near Bow-common Oct. 8. about half an hour after 6 in the evening, from Bromley to Limehouse, and we were stopp'd by three soldiers .

Q. We, who is we?

Bull. There was James Belsham < no role > with me.

Q. Do you know the two Prisoners at the bar ?

Bull. I believe the two Prisoners were two of the men that robb'd me, but I will not positively swear to them. They confest the things.

Q. Tell the court how you was robb'd?

Bull. They came up to us and bid us stand, and I believe James Harrison < no role > to be the man who took my watch and money, both he and Thomas Good < no role > the Prisoner, told me they sold my watch to a Jew, at the Black-Boy in Shoemaker-Row, he is a schoolmaster, they call him Rabby, for 16 s. and a pot of beer, I went to him, and gave 15 s. for it, and had it again.

James Belsham < no role > . I cannot positively swear to the Prisoners, but I believe them to be two of the men that robb'd Elick Bull and I. They robb'd him of a watch and 11 s. and three half-pence, and me of a watch and 9 s. they were all dressed in soldier's cloaths.

Q. How arm'd?

Belsham. With long swords; they put their hands to our pockets, and took out our watches and money.

Q. Was it light?

Belsham. Light enough to discern their cloaths, and see them rob us.

James Harrison < no role > . I was in company with the two Prisoners, it is eight weeks ago last Sunday, since in a field near Bow Common about 7 o'clock at night.

Q. What was done there?

Harrison. We stopp'd these two gentlemen and robb'd them.

Q. What was done to Elick Bull?

Harrison. I took his watch from him, and some silver and half-pence, and Thomas Good < no role > he took the other things from the other witness, but the watch that Good took, he never own'd to us he had taken; we ask'd him if he had taken a watch from him, but he said he had not; then we all went together that night through White-Chapel, to a house in Shoemaker-Row, the Black-Boy, and sold the watch taken from Elick Bull, for 16 s. and a full pot, and divided the money.

Q. What oad you for your share?

Harrison. We had about 18 s. each.

Both Guilty .

Death .