185. THOMAS WILLIAMS proceedingsdefend was indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 8th of February , a cotton gown, value 5 s. the property of Richard Middleton proceedingsvictim .

HANNAH MIDDLETON < no role > sworn.

I am the wife of Richard Middleton < no role > ; I lost a gown on Friday, the 8th of February.

WILLIAM SMITH < no role > sworn.

I am a green grocer; on the 8th of February, between three and four o'clock, I was standing at the door; I saw the prisoner come out of the house, No. 6, Bow-street, Bloomsbury , with this gown under his left arm; a gentlewoman came down stairs, and cried, stop thief! he was taken by another person and brought back; I am sure he is the person.

JOHN BEAMISH < no role > sworn.

I belong to the General Insurance-Office; I know nothing but taking the prisoner into custody and searching him; he had nothing but some duplicates upon him, his own property.

Mr. Garrow. Was he drunk or sober? - He appeared to be in liquor.

JOHN ASP < no role > sworn.

I am a shoemaker; I saw the prisoner go into the house, No. 6, Bow-street, the door was open; I did not see him come out; upon the alarm I pursued him, and found him in a necessary in Church-street; he had nothing about him but some duplicates; I knew him to be the same man I saw go into the prosecutor's house; when I saw him in the necessary, he was standing up in the soil; when I took him to the Justice's, they took him to a pump and washed him.

Middleton. Smith picked up the gown and gave it me; it was hanging at the back of the door in my bed-room, the back room up two pair of stairs; I was sitting in the front room; there was a little boy in bed in the room gave the alarm.

(The gown was produced in Court, and deposed to by the prosecutrix.)

PRISONER's DEFENCE.

I know nothing of the gown; I was in liquor when I was taken.

The prisoner called two witnesses, who gave him a good character.

GUILTY .

Imprisoned six months .

Tried by the first Middlesex Jury before Mr. ROSE.