677, 678. (1st M.) JOHN COLEBY proceedingsdefend and CHARLES JONES proceedingsdefend were indicted for breaking and entering the dwelling house of Lancelot Keatt < no role > , on the 22d of September, about the hour of two in the night, and stealing a watch with a metal case covered with shagreen, value 40 s. a watch chain, value 2 s. three silver tea spoons, value 3 s. a pair of silver tea tongs, value 2 s. a pebble seal set in gold, value 40 s. a pair of silver sleeve buttons, value 1 s. two half crowns and two shillings and two-pence in money, numbered, the property of the said Lancelot . +

Lancelot Keatt proceedingsvictim . My house was broke open on the 22d of September in the night; when I came down in the morning I found my back door and window broke open, and the iron bars of the window were taken out, through which I apprehend the people that did the fact got into my house. I am certain that both door and window were fast when I went to bed at night; I had taken particular notice of the fastenings that night, because I had suspicion of some mischief being designed from what had passed before. I lost the things mentioned in the indictment (repeating them.)

Q. What time did you discover that your house was broke open?

Keatt. Before six o'clock in the morning; it was then light.

Nicholas Bond < no role > . I am clerk to Sir John Fielding < no role > ; the next morning after the house was broke open, I was informed the two prisoners were gone down to the water side; I went thither and saw them setting off in a boat; I called to the waterman to come back to shore; I think but I am not sure that I saw one of the prisoners slip something out of the boat into the water; I had the Thames searched, and there was a handkerchief found there, which was brought to Guildhall at Westminster; it contained the metal watch and some other things mentioned in the indictment.

John Heley < no role > . I am one of Sir John Fielding < no role > 's men; I was with Mr. Bond; we pursued the prisoners down to the water side, where I saw the prisoners in a boat going off from shore; we called to the waterman to come back; the prisoners were very desirous of going off; I think I saw something thrown overboard, but I am not certain. I searched the prisoners, and in the pocket of one of them I found two half crowns, but that was not any part of the prosecutor's money; the goods were brought up afterwards by a waterman, whose name is Dodsley. I have had them in my custody ever since.

Francis Sayer < no role > . I am a waterman; last Friday was three weeks, between eleven and twelve o'clock, I took the two prisoners into my boat on the lower side of Westminster Bridge; when I got about a boat and a half's length from the shore, Mr. Bond and Mr. Heley called to me to come back; the prisoners wanted me to row on; I saw the prisoner Jones slide a reddish handkerchief by the larboard side of the boat into the river; I did not at that time ask him what he had thrown into the water because I was flurried.

Q. from one of the prisoners. Whether there were not other boats with people about at the time that might have put the handkerchief into the river?

Sayer. There were other boats about the shore, but I did not see any that had any passengers in them.

William Dodsley < no role > , jun. I took up the handkerchief about the middle of the second arch of Westminster Bridge; at that time it was low water; I saw people groping about with hooks in order to discover something; I stripped and went into the water and struck it with my foot; I took it up and delivered it afterwards to my father; that was the same handkerchief that is produced; I know it by some holes at the corners; I could tell by the feel there was money and a watch in it.

William Dodsley < no role > , sen. I received the handkerchief of my son; there was the metal watch and the chain in it, three tea spoons, two salt spoons, the tea tongs, the gold sleeve buttons, and the silver sleeve buttons, two rings, two King William and Queen Mary's half crowns, a Dutch gilder, and some other pieces of money. Mr. Bond desired me to carry them to Guildhall, Westminster, and afterwards to Sir John Fielding < no role > 's; at Sir John's, Mr. Heley took them from me, but I kept them from Friday to Wednesday, by Sir John Fielding < no role > 's order; then I delivered them to Heley.

(The goods being produced were deposed to by the prosecutor.)

John Heley < no role > . These are the goods and handkerchief I received of Dodsley.

Q. from Coleby. If you did not offer to deliver the handkerchief to my wife if she would give you six guineas?

Heley. I did not make that offer to her; she tempted me to dispose of them in that or some such manner; I refused her offer and would not do it; I carried them to Sir John Fielding < no role > 's; I kept the handkerchief from Friday till Wednesday, and then delivered it to Heley.

Both guilty . Death .