608. RICHARD JACOBS proceedingsdefend was indicted for burglariously and feloniously breaking and entering the dwelling house of Edward Thompson proceedingsvictim , about the hour of eight in the night, on the 10th day of March, 1784 ; and burglariously stealing therein, one silver milk pot, value, 36 s. two silver salts, value 30 s. one silver pepper castor, value 10 s. one pair of silver tea tongs, value 5 s. five silver table spoons, value 50 s. six silver tea spoons, value 15 s. one watch with the inside case made of gold, and the outside case made of green shagreen, value 10 l. one pair of stone shoe buckles set in silver, value 30 s. one pair of steel shoe buckles, value 3 s. one silver purse, value 2 s. one crown piece, value 5 s. two half crowns, value 5 s. and one silver three-pence, value 3 d. his property .

EDWARD THOMPSON < no role > sworn.

I live at Islington , in a house of my own, which was broke open on the 10th of March, 1784, I was not at home when the robbery was committed; I have got some of the things again, which are here, the two initial letters of my name, and a crust are upon them , they are all marked, and from those marks I am sure they are my property; I was within a little of home when the thieves went away, about a hundred yards from the door, I had been smoaking a pipe at a house in the Upper Street , I heard of the robbery at past seven o'clock.

In what part of your house were these things kept? - In different parts of the house, some were in the beaufet in the back parlour, we generally carry them up of a night, we make use of part of them every day.

Can you say you saw any of them that day? - They are brought down every day; my wife and my maid were in the house at the time the robbery was committed, no part of the house was broke.

ELIZABETH THOMPSON < no role > sworn.

I am wife of the last witness, I was at home in the fore parlour, there was a gentle knock at the door, and before the door was opened they said there was a letter, the door was opened, and in rushed four or five, I do not know how many men into the passage, four came into the room first, two staid in the parlour with me, and two went up stairs, and they stole the things mentioned; then I saw them take this salt cellar, they went into the back parlour, to the cupboard, and took this milk pot, the spoons, and tongs.

Jury. Did you see the prisoner at the bar? - I think I do remember his face, but he was in the room but a very little time, he was one of them that went up stairs, I am as sure as I can be to the best of my knowledge, I cannot say any further; I had an opportunity of observing the faces of those that were in the room with me , but the prisoner went up stairs, I could not know them that went up stairs.

Court. Then you cannot speak to the person of the prisoner? - No, I cannot, I saw them take these spoons, and the milk pot, I am sure all this plate was in the house at the time they entered it , and there was a watch hanging by the chimney side, that was gone.

What is the value of that plate? - I do not know the value, let anybody value it.

What is the value of the watch? - Ten guineas, I believe.

ANN MARTIN < no role > sworn.

I am servant to Mr. Thompson, I was there on the 10th of March, 1784; a quarter past seven in the evening, there was a small knock at the door, I was in the fore parlour with my mistress; my mistress said, somebody knocks at the door, I went to the door, and before I opened it, I called who is there, and a man said he had a letter of importance, which letter I have now in my pocket. (Produced, being a sheet of blank paper addressed to Miss Young, Islington.) With that I opened the door, and a man presented the letter, I had a candle in my hand when I saw the direction I told him it was not for us or anybody in the house, and he did not give me the letter into my hand, but they all rushed in; and to the best of my knowledge, I always thought there were six, but it appeared by evidence upon the last trial there were but five; when they entered the passage, I shrieked out Lord Jesus! we shall all be killed, and one of the men seized me by the throat, I cannot say who he was, whilst I was leaning my back against the passage, I begged of them to let me go into the parlour; one of them had hold of one arm, and the other of the other, and they led me into the fore parlour, and my mistress schrieked out, and one of them had gags, and swore he would gag us; another man, a tall one, who has turned evidence, had a cutlass, and said he would cut her down; I saw more than four in the room, two of them left the room, and those that were left in the room, one had a pistol, and the other a cutlass; we heard the others up stairs in the rooms, pulling the drawers about; some time after that, a short man came down in fustian breeches and jacket, he was pock-fretted; he could not open the desk immediately, and he took the tongs and wrenched it, but what he took out I did not then know; this was in the back parlour.

Did you see the prisoner there? - I saw that man to the best of my knowledge among them in the parlour, for he struck me when I came here to-day, I have not seen him since; it strikes me he is the man that had the gags in his hands.

Do you imagine he is one of the men that stood in the parlour all the time? - No, he was not, I am perfectly sure of that, I should have known them three seven years after, I have not such a perfect knowledge of him, I have no great doubt of it.

Have you any? - I cannot directly say to the face of the man, but he is remarkably like the man in his make about the shoulders, I think he is the man that had the gags; I have not so striking a likeness of him as I have of the other three: the plate was always kept in a little round basket, what we used at dinner, and the child had got some of the plate out, and was playing with the basket; there was one salt-seller, and two spoons, and the old pepper-caster, the rest were in the back parlour of the beaufet .

JOHN SAYER < no role > sworn.

On the 10th of March, 1784, M'Donald , and I, and Grubb, and Young, were coming along Broad St. Giles's, at the end of Drury-lane, four or five men passed me, I was before M'Donald and Young, I passed them, and looked back to see if they offered to stop them, but they did not; by the light of the tallow-chandlers shop I saw a bundle in the prisoner's right hand, I did not know him before, I immediately turned back and caught hold of him; I asked him what he had got there, he immediately swung it round to Ganby who was convicted before for this robbery; I snatched hold of Ganby, but Jacobs had the plate in his possession still; he was taken and searched, as the others will tell you, Young had the place, and he gave it the prosecutor; I saw the plate, but I did not mark it; Ganby had nothing but a pair of steel buckles, while we went to tell the prosecutor, and shew him this watch, which was likewise in the bundle which the prisoner had; the prisoner got out of the watch-house .

What time was it? - About nine o'clock.

Prisoner. I have nothing to say, my Lord, I understand these people will swear anything, they are swearing for the reward.

CHARLES YOUNG < no role > sworn.

About nine, in Drury-lane, the prisoner and three others were walking and talking, Sayer laid hold of Ganby, and took the plate out of the prisoner's hand, we put him in the watch-house that night, and took him before a magistrate, and while we went to Islington to acquaint Mr. Thompson, he broke out; this is the same plate, I marked it with a Y, and the mark is here now.

What is the value of that plate that lays there? - Twenty pounds.

DENNIS < no role > M'DONALD sworn.

I was with the rest of them, on the 10th of March, 1784, about nine in the evening we met the prisoner, and three more with a bundle; I took hold of the prisoner's coat, and he struck me; I went to search the prisoner's lodgings, and here is a chest of his wearing apparel, and a ring; I am threatened to have an action brought against me for the things.

Court. You may be very easy about such actions as these; I have tried one or two of them at Westminster, but they generally receive the fate they deserve.

Prisoner. I have witnesses to my character.

The witnesses called, but none appeared.

GUILTY Death .

Tried by the first Middlesex Jury before Mr. Justice BULLER.