454. JOHN DODRIDGE proceedingsdefend was indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 24th day of August , a wooden chest, value 6 d. and eighty-one pound of tea, value 10 l. the goods of Edward Eagleton proceedingsvictim , privately, in his dwelling house .

JOHN WRIGHT < no role > sworn.

I live shopman with Mr. Eagleton; he is a tea dealer in Cheapside ; Mr. Constable came on the 25th of August and enquired if we had not lost a chest of tea; we examined our stock and found the tea deficient; we knew the number of the chest; it was 4683; I saw the chest at Hercules' Court, in Threadneedle-street, about twelve o'clock the same day; it was delivered to Mr. Hunt, he is a constable (looks at a paper); the box contained about eighty-two pounds: I never saw the prisoner about our house.

WILLIAM RENSHAW < no role > sworn.

I am a ticket porter; on the 24th of August, about nine o'clock in the evening, I saw the prisoner and two men coming along Cornhill; I followed them through Finch Lane; they went up Threadneedle-street; they pitched the box; I suspected they had stole it, and ran for Hunt, and he took the prisoner; the box was on the prisoner's back; he could not carry it, but dropped it: he said before the Lord Mayor that they gave him 6 d. to carry it.

WILLIAM HUNT < no role > sworn.

I was called by Renshaw; when I went to lay hold of the prisoner he had the box on his shoulders and threw it down; he ran away; I took the chest of tea to my house; I have kept it ever since (produced); there was tea in it, the chest was stove by falling.

Wright. This seems to be the same; it is marked 4683; there are two initial letters, G. C. they signification are of the ship the General Coote; we had three chests by the same ship; they were amongothers in the front shop.

PRISONER's DEFENCE.

I know nothing about it; they asked me to cary it, and said they would give me 6 d. I said I would if I could, but it was too heavy.

Court. What is the value of the tea? - don't over value it, place it rather under than over the mark? - It is worth at least 10 l. my Lord.

The prisoner called four witnesses to his character.

GUILTY, 39 s.

Tried by the London Jury before Mr. RECORDER.

[Transportation. See summary.]