383. BRIDGET BUCKLEY proceedingsdefend was indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 9th of July , in her own dwelling house, five guineas and a half, and a ten pound bank note , the property of John Chapman proceedingsvictim .

JOHN CHAPMAN < no role > sworn.

I am a seafaring man . On last Thursday night I was coming up Gravel-lane , where this woman lived, the watchman was just coming two o'clock, I saw this woman and asked her for a lodging; with that she came to me with a candle, and I went up stairs with her, and she said I could not stay there except I gave her two shillings for the lodging, I gave her two shillings, now, says I, I have property about me, I hope you will keep me from being robbed; and I asked her if she was a householder? she said, she was; and I shewed her what I had about me, five guineas and a half in gold, and a ten pound bank note; and I took the buckles out of my shoes and put them into my jacket pocket; after I had shewed her the money and note, I put them into my pocket again; the bank note wrapped up in an account of mine, I put in one of my breeches pockets, and I put my money, five guineas and a half, into the other, wrapped up in a bit of tea paper; then I put my clothes underneath the bed; I put my breeches below, and my jacket over them; I put them both between the bed sacking and the bed; I laid on them. Then she said she wanted some money, to get some liquor; and I gave her another shilling to fetch some; she went out and fetched some, and brought it back, and she wanted me to have some; but I never tasted it; so I don't know what liquor it was. Then I went to sleep, and somewhere about four o'clock I awoke; and she was gone from the room, and I missed the money and bank note, and I found my breeches had been taken from underneath my jacket, and put the other side of the bed, moved from where I left them; then I got up and went to the next door -

Q. When you went to sleep had she left the room? - No, she was in the room. I went into the next door and asked them if they knew any thing of the woman? they said they knew nothing of her; and then I thought that she had taken my buckles as well as my money, and I went back to see, and I found they were there; she did not take them away. I told the people next door that she had robbed me of five guineas and a half, and a ten pound bank note: I then went and put my clothes on and went in search of her myself, and could not find her, and I set George Forrester to seek after her, and he brought her to me in about an hour, and he found five guineas on her.

Q. How soon was she brought to you after you got up? - I was two hours looking for her myself; it might be three hours in the whole, after I got up, before I see the woman again; I found five guineas and a half in gold, and the account with my name on it, and threeshillings, and sixteen copper halfpence; the money was found under her right arm pit; I did not see the money on her myself, the tea paper was found on her that the money was in, but not with the money; after she was committed that gentleman found on her nine guineas, and six-pence besides.

Q. Have you ever found your bank note? - No, but I found the paper that it was wrapped up in.

Q. Do you know whether she has the whole of this house? - I asked her whether she was a householder? she said she was.

JOHN FORRESTER < no role > sworn.

I am one of the headboroughs of St. Paul's, Shadwell, I produce five guineas and a half, that I took out of the prisoner's right hand, from under her left arm pit, the money was in her hand, in this piece of paper, which has Chapman's account on it; she made a great struggle before I could get it, and then I went to search her further for the bank note, and she told me she had lost it in coming from New Gravel-lane, to the Bull's Head, opposite the Blue Coat-fields, and I searched her, and found this account paper; she said she lost the bank note in taking out some paper to light a pipe, as she was coming along in very great haste. After that I searched her further, and I found this paper under her arm, that the prosecutor said the bank note was in, I found her at the chandler's shop, opposite the Thistle and Crown, in St. George's-fields, she lives in Elbow-lane, New Gravel-lane.

Q. What may the distance be between the two places? - I look upon it, it is better than half a mile, by the way that she went, as I got information.

Q. Did you shew that paper to the prosecutor, in the presence of the prisoner? - Yes, and I brought the prisoner to the prosecutor, and he said that was the woman, he knew her immediately.

Q. Where was it he first saw the woman? - In my custody.

Q. Did he know you was an officer? - Yes.

Q. Did you produce the things that were taken from her? - Yes; and he told her she was a bad woman; and she said she did it through distress; he said she had taken from him a ten pound bank note, and five guineas and a half in gold.

Q. Did he speak to any money at all? - He don't know any money at all; he has not swore to any money.

Q. Did you see any more money taken from her except the five guineas and a half? - I did not.

JOSEPH HOLBROOK < no role > sworn.

I am servant to Mr. Newport, of New Prison, the woman was delivered to my custody, and I took and searched her; Thursday last, and I found eight guineas and two half guineas, tied up in the bottom of her shift, tucked up between her legs; she said she was very sorry that I had taken the money from her, that the money was her own property.

Q. To Prosecutor. See whether this is the paper in which you put your bank note? - Yes, it is, I cannot swear to the money, but I can swear to this bit of paper.

Q. Where had you been at this time? - I was coming from Fox's rendezvous house, I had been pressed, and they had given me my discharge; I had not drank any thing, I was not at all drunk.

Prisoner. There was no lock to my door, it was broke open, and another girl lived along with me, and I went out for a quartern of gin, and before I went out I told that girl that this man had got property about him, and desired her not to go out; and while I was out I stopped toget a pint of beer, and she stole away from my company, and went back into my own room, and when I came into the room, she was laying over the man, and she had his breeches in her hand, and I asked her what she was doing there, and told her that she had a deal of assurance to come into my room, when I desired her not to come, and she shewed me something in her hand, and said to me, did not I tell you that he had some property about him, and I blamed her for coming into my room, and then she gave me the note and money.

Q. To Prosecutor. Did you at any time see any other woman in the house? - Not a soul, but the prisoner at the bar.

GUILTY, Of stealing, but not in the dwelling house .

(Aged 37.)

Transported for seven years .

Tried by the first Middlesex Jury before Mr. RECORDER.