650. JOHN DICKMAN proceedingsdefend was indicted for stealing, on the 30th of August , seven pounds weight of moist sugar, value 3 s. the goods of persons unknown .

WILLIAM WELLS < no role > sworn.

I saw this prisoner at the bar on board a lighter; he was down the fore scuttle; it was about eight o'clock in the morning he was there some little time, he then came up with a great coat rolled up together, seeing the great coat rolled up in that manner I supposed that he had something that he should not have, the lighter was loaded with sugar; he put his great coat down and sat there for some little trifle of time and at last he came on shore, when he came on shore I stopped him and asked him what he had got there in his great coat? he told me he had got some scrapings. I told him if he had nothing but scrapings I had nothing to do with it, but I must be satisfied, accordingly I took the handkerchief from his great coat, and it proved to be clear sugar, he had seven pounds; I then took him to the compter; another person and I went on board the lighter about an hour after, and found an hogshead broke open and plundered, and we found an handkerchief containing a quarter of an hundred in a locker on board of the lighter.

Q. You don't know to whom it belonged? - I do not.

Mr. Knowlys. What name was there at the lighter? - The Brothers I believe.

Q. The owner's name is always on the lighter? - I don't know that the name is on a key lighter.

Q. Did you make any enquiries about who the lighter belonged to? - No.

Q. Has this lighter property of different people on board? - Yes.

Q. Are the lightermen answerable for the property? - I understand it as such; we reckon it always as belonging to personsunknown until it has passed the King's beam.

Q. If a lighter has any name on it is there any difficulty to find out the owner? - No, I don't say that it is, but that is not our business.

THOMAS HUNTER < no role > sworn.

I am an officer to a West India merchant; Wells told me that he had stopped this man, and I went into the lighter and saw an hogshead that had sugar taken out of it.

Q. Do you know who that lighter belonged to? - I believe it belonged to the owners of Ralph's key; it belongs to Mr. Willop, and they entered it on the King's books.

Not GUILTY .

Tried by the London Jury before Mr. RECORDER.