281. (L.) Robert Robertson proceedingsdefend , was indicted for stealing one pair of silver buckles, value 16 s . the property of Thomas Harding proceedingsvictim , April 17 . ++

Thomas Harding < no role > . I keep a goldsmith's shop in the Minories . On Friday the 17th of April, about two o'clock, I was standing at my shop door, I observed a great hole broke in my glass case, and instead of a pair of silver buckle, I found this marble (holding one in his hand) and the buckles gone.

Q. When had you seen the buckles there before ?

Harding. That very morning a goldsmith from Maidstone had cheapened them.

Q. Was the glass whole before?

Harding. There was only a little crack; I sent my servant for the glazier a while he was mending it came a chimney-sweeper boy, and asked me if I had lost any silver buckles; I said I had lost one pair; he said he had seen two boys in Beggars-Alley, Heydon-Square, and one of them was putting a great pair of silver buckles in his shoes ; I did not give any regard to it. About half an hour after a woman, whose name was Jane Hughes < no role > , from Rosemary-Lane, came and asked a neighbour of mine, of the same business as I am, if he had lost any buckles; he said my neighbour has; then he said to me, Harding, I believe I have found your buckles; then she asked me what marks them I had lost had. I said T. H. and produced the stamp that made them; then she gave the buckles to me, and said they were my property. (He produced them sealed up with Justice Rickard's seal, having had them in his custody ever since ; he opens them and deposes them to be-his property.) I went to Rosemary-Lane as she directed me, and saw the prisoner in custody, and gave the constable charge of him, and took him before Justice Rickard's ; there is one Jacob Ashley < no role > now in custody, who desired to be admitted evidence against the prisoner ; he is but about twelve years old, the prisoner is about fourteen or fifteen.

Jane Hughes < no role > . I keep an old cloaths shop in Johnson's Change, Rosemary-Lane. On the 17th of April, about two o'clock, the prisoner and a girl came to my house, and she asked me if I would buy a pair of silver buckles; they both looked very suspicious of not coming honestly by them; the boy delivered the buckles; she asked sixteen shillings for them; the boy said they were his own, and if I would buy them, he'd buy a frock of me, which was hanging up; I said I must go and weigh them: I went out and brought in a neighbour : he took the prisoner, and the girl got off: then I took the buckles, and went about to enquire of the silversmiths who had lost such, and the third shop I called at was the prosecutor's ; I asked him if he had lost any buckles ; he said he had; I asked what marks were on them; he said T. H. then I said, here they are, and delivered them to him. (She is shewed the buckles, but can't say they are the same, but that they were like them, and had the same mark.)

James Goddard < no role > . I am sixteen years of age the 5th of this month. I was coming along Goodman's-fields, on Friday the 17th of April, about twelve or one in the afternoon, there was a little boy dropped a marble, I took it up, he wanted it, I would not let him have it; then he called to the prisoner, who was before, and he came back to lick me: as we were going to fight, I saw a pair of silver buckles in his shoes, and as I was going by the prosecutor's door, I asked him if he had lost a pair of silver buckles: he said yes : then I told him I had seen a boy with a pair in Haydon-yard.

Prisoner's defence.

A girl was going along with another boy, he called me by my name, and said, Bob, I want to speak with you: I said, for what: he said, will you do a thing for me : what is that, said I? said he, I have got a pair of buckles, if you'll sell them for me, I'll give you something: I said I did not know where to sell them: he said he'd send the girl with me : I was unwilling, but at last I went with her, and asked sixteen shillings for them; the woman went out the while. she said she staid a long while, I have a good mind to go away: said I, did you steal them any where? no, she said; then the woman and a man came in, they took hold on me, and the mean while the girl ran away.

Acquitted .