145. JEREMIAH BOWERS proceedingsdefend was indicted for stealing, on the 3d of March last, a wooden box, value 6 d. and a cotton gown, value 5 s. and divers other things , the property of Mary Page proceedingsvictim .

WILLIAM SMITH < no role > sworn.

I am a school-boy, I live in Cold Bath-fields, my father is a coach-master, I know the prisoner, I saw him in Smithfield on Thursday, the 3d of March, between seven and eight in the evening, he was a stranger to me, I was coming from the Spread Eagle, Grace-church-street; I was going through Smithfield with a wooden box, and two men came behind me, and knocked the box from under my arm; it fell to the ground; the said Jeremiah Bowers < no role > picked it up, and put it on the head of the other man who was in company with him; he said to him d - n you, be off, it is your box; Frances Gray < no role > laid hold of him by the collar, and said he should not have it, she was with me at the time; she was then servant to my father; the prisoner struck her with a stick across the head; he then run away, after striking her several times; the other man run away with the box; I do not know the contents of the box.

Jury. What age are you, my boy? - I am fourteen.

Mr. Garrow, Prisoner's Counsel. The first thing you met with was, one of the men struck the box out of your hand; did you ever get your goods again? - No.

FRANCES GRAY < no role > sworn.

On Thursday, the 3d of March, I was with the other witness; in coming back through Smithfield, the prisoner knocked the box out of Smith's hand; I went to pick it up, and the prisoner at the bar took it up, and put it upon the other man's head, and said it was his box; I told him it was not his box, and neither should he have it; then he upp'd with his stick and struck me, and the other went off with the box, and the prisoner went off; I saw him again at the Justice's, Clerkenwell-green; I knew him immediately, I did not know the contents of the box, it was a wooden box.

MARY PAGE < no role > sworn.

I was in company with the two last witnesses, I am positive the prisoner at the bar was the man; on coming through Smithfield I saw two men behind us, and they knocked the box from under the boy's arm; it was the prisoner that pushed it from under his arm upon the pavement; then he picked it up, and put it on the other man's head; Gray and the boy had hold of thebox, and there was a scuffle with the boy and Gray, and the prisoner struck Frances Gray < no role > on the head, he hit her several times; then the man ran off with the box, and the prisoner went away.

THOMAS SMITH < no role > sworn.

I know nothing of the robbery, I was bound over with my son.

JOHN LUCY < no role > sworn.

I apprehended the prisoner on the 4th of March, the day after the robbery.

Court to Mary Page < no role > . Do you know the contents of the box? - Yes, it is my property, I packed it up myself at Chatham; there was one cotton gown, and all the articles that is in the indictment were in the box; it was given to the boy at the Spread Eagle, who took it under his arm; I came by the Chatham coach on Tuesday, and left the box till I called for it on the Friday; it was screwed down with two screws.

Prisoner. I leave it to my counsel.

The prisoner called three witnesses who gave him a good character.

GUILTY ,

Of stealing, but not violently.

Tried by the London Jury before Mr. RECORDER.

[Transportation. See summary.]