287. JOHN HARDING proceedingsdefend and JOSEPH POCOCK proceedingsdefend were indicted for burglariously breaking and entering the dwelling house of William Stevens proceedingsvictim , about the hour of eleven in the night, on the 20th of January last, and burglariously stealing therein, ten yards of velveteen, value 2 l. 15 s. eight yards of Prince's-stuff, value 40 s. nine yards of cotton, value 28 s. sixteen yards of casimere, value 6 l. 3 s. twenty-four yards of fancy sattin, value 7 l. 4 s. 6 d. seven yards of velveret, value32 s. 6 d. a waistcoat, value 10 s. three quarters of a yard of cotton and worsted stuff, value 6 s. four yards of silk shagg, value 10 s. sixteen yards of black sattin, value 6 l. 19 s. 6 d. a waistcoat shape, value 10 s. another ditto, value 14 s. six yards of swan-down, value 2 l. 17 s. his property.

WILLIAM GIBBS < no role > sworn.

On Saturday the 17th of January, previous to the robbery, the prisoner at the bar, Pocock, came to purchase a half-mourning sattin waistcoat, at the shop of William Stevens < no role > ; I shewed him some patterns, and he said they were not thick enough, and I shewed him some others which he did not like; he told me what he thought he should like, and I promised to get him one in the course of the week; I afterwards perceived him going backwards and forwards; I saw him on the Monday, and I saw him again on the Tuesday near the Pantheon, about eight o'clock the evening of the robbery; I went into the city, the shop is No. 352, in Oxford-street, I had been out, I left nobody when I went out, the house had not been opened above fourteen days, I slept in the shop; I returned from the city about a quarter past eleven in the evening; when I went out, I fastened the door and windows quite secure, I double locked the street-door; when I came home, on putting the key to the door, I found it unlocked, it appeared to have been opened by a key, it was not forced; I went in and found the half door under the counter had been forced open, and a shutter was taken down; there were sundry articles taken away; I made this inventory of the goods after I came from Justice Read's; I found nobody in the house on my return from the city, nor there were no implements of house-breaking found; in consequence of one Reynolds being taken up, he made a discovery; it was on the 26th, and these men were taken.

JOHN DIXON < no role > sworn.

On the 27th of January I found these things at the prisoner Harding's lodgings, I received some information from the patrol, and I went to a house in Drury-lane; Harding was in bed there; it was after seven o'clock in the morning; while we were searching the house Pocock knocked at the door, and we took him into custody; I found these things in a chest by the bedside, some other things were found which Harding claimed, and I gave him them; by information I went to Pocock's lodgings, to a court near Chancery-lane, it is called Chichester-rents; we went up two pair of stairs, and there I found these other things, a piece of prince's stuff, and some remnants of sattin; there was some soap in the room, which Pocock claimed; when Pocock knew I was going to his lodging, he told me to tell his wife where he was; I know nothing further, but here are some other things, some given me by Watkins, and the others by Reynolds.

JOHN WATKINS < no role > sworn.

I am a coach-joiner, I gave these pieces of goods to Dixon, I bought them of Reynolds about the latter end of January, I had had them a week before; I gave them to Dixon, they are two waistcoat pieces.

Gibbs. This piece that was found at Harding's it is a shape for a waistcoat, I know it by the shop mark, it is Mr. Stevens's; this sattin I believe to be ours, and the piece of stuff, but there is no mark, I am sure the shape for a waistcoat was in the shop; these that were found at Pocock's I believe to be ours, we lost such kind of stuff, and the same quantity.

Mr. Garrow, Prisoner's Counsel. Mr. Stevens lived in Leadenhall-street at the time? - Yes.

How often had any body slept there? - I slept there ten nights, I slept there before the robbery.

STEPHEN REYNOLDS < no role > sworn.

I was taken up and charged with felony, and then I gave information of this robbery. Between eight and nine o'clock on Tuesday the 20th of January, I, Pocock, and Harding, went to this place in order to rob this shop; Pocock unlocked thedoor with a pick-lock key, we all three watched the young man Mr. Gibbs out of the shop, as far as Long-acre; we told Harding to keep watching him; me and Pocock then went back, and left Harding watching of him; Pocock unlocked the door with a pick-lock key, we both went in, broke open the shutters under the counter, we went on the other side, and filled our pockets with the waistcoat preces, and such like; we staid there about a quarter of an hour; from there we went to No. 10, in Cumberland-street, to my lodgings, I did not see Harding < no role > any more that night; at the corner of the street I met Mrs. Ford, who cohabits with me, I touched her on the arm, and asked her to come home, which she did; then me and Pocock went back and fetched some more pieces, we divided the pieces into three parts, some of them we cut, and others we took whole, one piece for me, another for Harding, and another for Pocock; Pocock took his part away that night, and said he would call the next morning for Harding's, and the next morning Pocock and his wife came about ten o'clock, and they took away Harding's part; there was a piece of bombazeen, and Pocock gave me six shillings for my part to make his wife a gown; there were marks on the things which I tore off and burnt in presence of Pocock.

Mr. Garrow. It is not very difficult to guess what way of life you are in? - Hardly, since I have been committing these depredations.

How long have you been a thief, a notorious thief? - I have been a very bad man some time.

Give me an answer, guess a little how long have you been a thief? - I cannot guess, I am in hope to leave it off.

Nothing will make you leave it off but a halter; how many robberies have you committed within this twelvemonth last? - Nothing but these three robberies, and picking pockets a little, and such like; I think I should use the gentlemen very wrong if I was to say I was an honest man, I have worked at my trade, and I can't say I have been honest.

What other trade have you worked at than that of picking pockets and other depredations? - I am a shoemaker.

You have not worked at that lately? - Yes, I have.

Who is this Mrs. Ford; I suppose Mrs. Ford is a rib of yours? - A rib of mine!

Yes, bone of your bone? - That I believe is from scripture.

What, have you had any thing to do with scripture? - I hope so, though I have been so bad a man.

You may go down.

ELIZABETH FORD < no role > sworn.

I live in Cumberland-street, on the 20th of January, about eleven o'clock at night, I met the last witness, and we went home; and when we got there I saw him and Pocock take several things, some waistcoat pieces out of their pockets; they went out again, and in about a quarter of an hour they brought some more, they separated them into three parts, they said one part was for Mr. Harding; he was not there; I did not see him that night.

Mr. Garrow. How long have you lived with Reynolds? - About twelve months.

What trade has he carried on during that time? - A shoemaker.

Has he worked regularly? - Yes.

I caution you, that if you make such answers you are liable to be committed, and tried; don't you know that he has not done a day's work within these twelve months? - He has worked within these five months; I don't know anything of the robberies, only of his bringing the things home.

Why have not you picked out the marks from the handkerchiefs you knew to be stolen? - No, never. I have worked myself at glove-making.

Tell me any one person that you have worked for? - I have worked for Mrs. Lacie, in Well-street, lately.

What since he was taken up, I suppose? - Yes.

That may be; but name any person youhave worked for within two months before he was taken up? - I worked for Mrs. Rayner regularly when she had work to do.

Did you never see any of his tools; his dubs? - I do not know what you mean.

His pick-lock keys? - There were some things Mr. Dixon found.

Why, you have seen them before Dixon found them? - Yes, I have.

Where used he to keep his lash? - I do not know what you mean; Do you mean his last?

No, his last, no; his cutlass, I mean; he did not use his last much? - I never saw one.

Where did he keep his rook, his crow? - I do not know.

Have you taken any other thief into your keeping since? - No.

FOR THE PRISONER POCOCK.

RICHARD JONES < no role > sworn.

I live next door to where Pocock lived in Holborn; I am a tin-plate worker; the prisoner was a breeches-maker; I observed him very attentive, and at work in the shop very often.

- WARDEN sworn.

I live in Holborn; I have known Pocock four years; he was always an honest industrious man.

WILLIAM HALL < no role > sworn.

I am a cheesemonger; I live in the Strand; I have known the prisoner 16 or 17 years; I would have trusted him with any thing I had.

JOHN HARDING < no role > , JOSEPH POCOCK < no role > ,

NOT GUILTY .

Tried by the first Middlesex Jury before Mr. RECORDER.