362. MARGARET BUCKNELL , alias BROWN proceedingsdefend , was indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 6th of May , twenty-five yards of black silk lace, value 25 s. the property of Archibald Macaulay proceedingsvictim .

BETTY BEAUMONT < no role > sworn. - I am shopwoman to Mr. Macaulay.

Q. Do you remember the prisoner coming into your master's shop on the 6th of May? - A. Perfectly well, it was between three and four o'clock, and another lady with her; the prisoner enquired of the boy to look at some British lace; he was the only one in the shop; I was in the adjoining room; the door being open, I heard every thing, and by the glass I saw every thing, that passed; he shewed her a draw of British lace; they did not approve of that; she asked to look at some real lace; the boy shewed her a draw of real lace; she did not make choice of what he shewed her; he went to the window to fetch a card from there; she did not approve of that, but she made choice of one in the drawer, and agreed with him for seventeen yards, which he cut off for her; she had not money to pay for the whole of the lace; she desired it might be put by and she would call the next day; she gave the boy one shilling and sixpence towards the payment.

Q. Did you miss any lace? - A. We did not miss any at all.

Q. Was there a quantity of lace lying about the counter? - A. None, but what was in the drawer, she and the other woman sat upon two stools by the side of the counter, and the drawer was between the two women; the prisoner was the person that cheapened the lace.

Q. Did the other woman offer to buy any? - A. I believe the lace that was to be bought was for the other; I believe it was the prisoner that gave the one shilling and sixpence.

Q. Was she intoxicated at all? - A. It appeared to me so; she had a very odd behaviour with her, and had a great deal of action with her hands; they were very genteel people, and very well dressed; the other woman had on a white dress and long sleeves, and a feather in each of their hats.

STEPHEN MACAULY < no role > sworn. - Q. How many cards of lace might you shew the prisoner? - A. Several.

Q. Were any cards of lace on the counter, or were they all in the drawer? - A. I took some of them out to shew them.

Q. Did you miss any? - A. I did not.

Q. Which of them appeared to be most dealing for the lace? - A. The prisoner was the person that cheapened.

- KINCADE sworn. - I live in Fort-street, in the old Artillery-ground; I am a silk manufacturer; on the 6th of May, about half past five, Iassed the prisoner at the bar in White-Lion-street; she was apparently very well dressed; she being very much intoxicated, abused the passengers as they went along; it attracted my attention, seeing a woman so well dressed, and so very abusive, that I crossed the way, to see who or what she might be; knowing where the beadle of the district lived, I went and knocked at his door, and he came down; I sent for an officer by him, and immediately gave him charge of this woman on suspicion that she was a shop-lifter.

Q. What reason had you? - A. This lace, with this ticket, which appeared to be a shop-mark, was hanging somewhere under her clothes, with the ticket to it; I ordered her to be taken to Worship-street, I gave particular charge that she should not drop the lace; I went with her to the office, and it was taken from her there; there was another card of lace which the officer took from her at the Office.

CHARLES COWLING < no role > sworn. - I am one of the headboroughs of Norton-Falgate; I was fetched from my house, about half past five o'clock, on the sixth of May, to take the prisoner in charge, on suspicion of her being a shop-lifter, by Mr. Kincade; I asked her if she had any lace about her; she said, yes, it was her own, and if I, or any body took it away from her, she would swear a robbery against them; I took her to the next place to the Office, the Office being shut up, and there she dropped the two cards of lace; I picked up one, and Mr. Kincade picked up the other.

DANIEL BISHOP < no role > sworn. - I am an officer of Worship-street, when the prisoner was brought there, I was going to search her; she dropped the cards of lace, which were picked up by the witnesses; I was present at the time that she said it was her own; I searched her, and in her pocket I found a half guinea, a key, and a duplicate. (The property produced and identified by Mrs. Beaumont.

GUILTY, aged 34.

Of stealing only .

Confined one year in the House of Correction , and fined 1 s.

Second Middlesex Jury, before Mr. Justice Grose.