542. RICHARD DAVID CRUTCHER , otherwise CROUCHER proceedingsdefend , was indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 23d of August , a pair of half boots, value 12s. the property of Noah Meadows proceedingsvictim .

NOAH MEADOWS < no role > This name instance is in set 36390. sworn. - I am a boot and shoe-maker , No. 15, St. Martin's-le-grand : On the 23d of August, the prisoner came into my shop, about nine o'clock at night, for a pair of boots, andI shewed him some half boots; he said, he wanted whole boots; I shewed him a pair of whole boots, they were too little; I told him, I would make him a pair; he replied, that he could not wait for that, he was going out of town at six o'clock in the morning; I told him, if he would wait a little while, I would fetch him some more in; I desired one of my men to wait in the shop; I likewise called my sister up to watch too; during that time the prisoner sat right opposite the shop-door; I went out for some more boots, and when I returned back, he was run out, and there was nobody in the shop but my sister; my apprentice was gone after him.

Cross-examined by Mr. Knowlys. Q. Had you ever seen this gentleman before? - A. No.

Q. You did not know his family, or what his behaviour in life had been before this? - A. No; he was an entire stranger to me.

SAMUEL MEADOWS < no role > This name instance is in set 36390. sworn. - I am nephew and apprentice to the last witness; I was out on an errand about nine o'clock, and when I came in, the prisoner was in the shop; I gave a man out some work, and discharged him; the prisoner moved his chair from the front of the door to the side of the shop, where the boots hung; he sat one or two minutes, and then he got up, and said, he could not stop any longer; then he went out directly; my aunt sent me out after him; I saw him turn down King's-head-court, I overtook him just before he got to the bottom; I said, sir, come back; and I got before him; I saw the boots in his hands, and I holloaed, stop thief; he ran away, and here is the man that took him; I never lost fight of him but while he turned the corners; we brought him back to the shop.

Cross-examined by Mr. Knowlys. Q. Was he walking or running, when you first overtook him? - A. He was running.

Q. Was he dressed like a gentleman, as he is now? - A. Yes; but he had a blue coat on then, with his hair powdered.

Q. You did not know any thing of this gentleman or his connections before? - A. No.

WILLIAM HAWKES < no role > sworn. - I am a porter at the Bull-and-Mouth-Inn: On the 23d of August, coming along St. Martin's-le-grand, about a quarter past nine o'clock, I heard the cry of stop thief; I saw the prisoner running up the court, but seeing him so much of a gentleman, I let him pass, till the last witness came up, and said, that man in the blue coat has stole a pair of boots from our shop, and then I ran after him, and brought him back to Mr. Meadows's; he wanted very much to take Mr. Meadows aside into a private room; Mr. Meadows refused, and said, if he had any thing to say, he must say it there before the people; he told them he had not stole the boots, but if he would let him go, he would pay him for them; a constable was sent for, and he was taken to the watchhouse.

Cross-examined by Mr. Knowlys. Q. You had never seen this gentleman before? - A. No.

Q.Therefore you knew nothing of his family or connections? - A. No. (The boots were produced by the constable, and deposed to by the prosecutor).

For the Prisoner.

JOHN WOODCOCK < no role > sworn. - Examined by Mr. Knowlys. - I live in Manchester-buildings, near Westminster-bridge; I am a musician at the Theatre-Royal; I have known the gentleman at the bar twenty years.

Q. Is he a man in a decent situation of life? - A.Very respectable indeed.

Q. He has a wife, and daughters grown up? - A. Yes.

Q. What character has be home among his neighbours, for honesty and integrity? - A. He always bore the character of an honest man; I have been very intimate in the family.

Q. Have you any reason to know whether this gentleman has at all times enjoyed his intellects in perfection? - A. I think, from some circumstances, for five or six years past, he has not been collected or in his mind.

Q. Was he in any situation of necessity, that should induce him to take any little articles of this fort? - A. Very much to the contrary; he has been away from his family for a week or ten days, and more, at a time, suddenly, and perfectly unaccountable to his family.

Q. Was he, when he had his intellects completely, an attentive husband and master of a family? - A. Yes.

Court. Q. What is he? - A. He has lived at Leominster in a very extensive way.

Court. Q. How does he live now? - A.Upon his fortune; he lived at Leominster as a shopkeeper fourteen or fifteen years.

Court. Q. What instances of his derangement have you known? - A. I think his taking five or six shillings worth of money out of his till, and throwing it among the multitude, is a proof of derangement; and taking these boots, when he had guineas in his pocket, and dismissing, for five months together, a favourite daughter from his own house, for no cause upon earth.

Court. Q. What cause did he assign for dismissing his daughter? - A.None at all; I never asked him the question; for he was so irritable in his disposition, that it was rather dangerous to enter into a detail upon his family concerns.

Q. What age is his daughter? - A. The eldest about twenty, and the other turned of seventeen;no girls, I believe, were ever better educated; they have had a very liberal education.

STEPHEN INSOLK sworn. - Examined by Mr. Knowlys. I was house-steward to Lord Bateman, at the time I was acquainted with Mr. Croucher; I have now property of my own, and live upon my fortune; I have known the gentleman at the bar about seven years.

Q.What has been his character for honesty and integrity? - A. He was a man of strict honesty and integrity.

Q. Have you observed any marks of derangement in him? - A. Not so much in London as in the country, when I was with my Lord Bateman; I have been given to understand from Mrs. Croucher, that he is at times deranged; and from what has passed in the country at different times, and what my friends have communicated to me respecting him, I have reason to believe he is so.

Q. Was he in that situation, with respect to circumstances, that he was in want of eighteen or twenty guineas? - A.Certainly not.

Q. Do you know what was the state of the moon on the 23d of August? - A. No.

Mr. Knowlys. It appears, from the almanack, that there was a new moon the day before.

SAMPSON HODGKINSON sworn. - Examined by Mr. Knowlys. I am a druggist, on Snow-hill, near Holborn-bridge; I have known the gentleman at the bar since the beginning of the year 1786; I have not known him so well since the year 1790; at that time I always considered him as a man of probity and honesty.

JOHN HAWTHORNE < no role > sworn. - Examined by Mr. Knowlys. I am collector for the stewards of the Sons of the Clergy, and several other public charities; I have known the gentleman at the bar twenty-two years; he is perfectly honest, and of perfect integrity.

Q. Have you had any reason to know the state of his intellects for the last four or five years? - A. Yes; he has threatened to buy a pair of pistols, insisting that I should fire at him, or he would fire at me, for no reason upon earth; and his wife has been obliged to swear the peace against him.

Q. Had you ever any quarrel or cause of animosity with each other? - A.Never.

Q. In the general course of his life, has he been an affectionate husband, and a tender father? - A. Yes, he has.

Q. From your observation of him, do you believe that he was occasionally deranged, or not? - A.Certainly.

Q.Except upon those occasions, is he a man whose conduct and general character has gained your esteem or not? - A.It has.

Court. Q. His wife has swore the peace against him? - A. Yes.

Q. Do you mean to say, that they were an affectionate couple before that? - A. He has been in this kind of way for these two or three years past, jumping suddenly up from his dinner, and going away.

Q. Was he given to drinking at all? - A. Yes, very much so; I have seen him very often in liquor, and look as wild as he could possibly look; in fact, he was not bearable when he had any liquor.

Q. Upon the whole of your observations of this man's conduct, do you believe him to be deranged in his mind? - A.Positively I do, at times; Some years ago, he collected rents for me of an estate that I have in Radnorshire; I was coming down Holborn, and met the waggoner; I asked him if he knew Mr. Croucher, and he said, what, mad Croucher!

Court. (To Hawkes.) Q. Was the prisoner searched when he was brought back? - A. Yes, by the constable.

Constable. I searched the prisoner, and found upon him about two or three shillings; I do not think he had more.

Q. Was he sober? - A. He looked just as he does now, rather wild.

NOT GUILTY .

Tried by the first Middlesex Jury, before Mr. COMMON SERJEANT.