427. WILLIAM SINGLETON, alias DENCH proceedingsdefend , was indicted for feloniously stealing on the 28th of May , a silver tankard, value 5 l. a silver stand, value 2 l. eight silver table spoons, value 4 l. five silver desert spoons, value 4 l. 10 s. sixteen silver tea spoons, value 2 l. 18 s. a silver sauce ladle, value 14 s. a silver soup ladle, value 1 l. a silver strainer, value 18 s. six silver forks, value 3 l. a silver fish slice, value 3 s. two silver sauce spoons, value 3 s. a silver skewer, value 5 s. one silver cup, value 10 s. and one linen cloth, value 1 s. 6 d. the property of John Rawlinson proceedingsvictim , esq . in his dwelling house ; and RICHARD THOMPSON proceedingsdefend for feloniously receiving on the same day, five silver tea spoons, value 1 l. and one linen cloth, value 1 s. 6 d. part of the same goods, he knowing them to be stolen .

The case was stated by Mr. Pooley.

JOHN RAWLINSON < no role > . - Mr. Pooley. Where is your house. - A. No. 66, Great Russel-street, Bloomsbury . The prisoner came into my service as a footman , on the 13th of May last.

Q. How long did he live with you. - A I went out of town on the 27th of May; on the 29th I was called to town, upon intimation that he had left my service.

Q. When he came into your service was any part of your plate under his care. - A. It was particularly under his care, all the articles in the indictment; so much so that a few days after he came into my service he desired to have a list given him of the plate.

Q. Was there any silver spoons delivered to him. - A. Yes, about a dozen.

Q. Any desert spoons. - A. Yes, about a dozen or eleven.

Q. Any silver sauce ladle. - A. Yes, and a soup ladle; the tankard was not delivered to him.

Q. A silver wine strainer, - A. Yes, and he had six silver forks in his custody, and a silver fish slice, and four silver sauce spoons, a silver skewer, and a small silver cup.

Q. How lately before you went out of town had you seen them. - A. I had seen them all on the Monday, and part of them I saw on the Tuesday; I went out of town on the Wednesday morning. The silver tankard I had seen on the Monday in the stand.

Q. When you returned to town, upon information that you received, was this plate or any part of it gone. - A. It was all gone that is in the indictment, and the prisoner had left my service.

Q. Where was the plate kept by him. - A. It was kept in a cupboard which belonged to him exclusively, in the back kitchen.

Q. When you went out of town did you leave the prisoner in your service. - A. I did; when I returned he was gone, and the plate was gone. I returned on Saturday the 29th of May.

Q. How soon after the 29th of May were you informed of the prisoner. - A. On the Tuesday following, I saw him at Horsemonger-lane; in consequence of a letter I received, I went and saw him.

Q. Did you have any conversation with him about this transaction. - A. I had a good deal of conversation with him there about this transaction.

Q. Before he said any thing to you relative to this did you tell him it would be better for him to confess. - A. No; he told me if I would not hurt him he would make my loss good; I told him whether he made my loss good or not, I should prosecute him most severely; I said that over and over again to the prisoner in the jail. He told me that he had been instigated to rob me by Richard Thompson < no role > , a hair dresser in Great Barlow-street, Marybone ; that he had no particular reason for robbing me, that Thompson told him that gentleman's service was too bad for any body to live in now-a-days. He then told me that he had taken the plate to Thompson's house, and that Thompson had got two jews to purchase it.

Q. Did he tell you what plate he took from your house. - A. When he made his confession before the magistrate, he particularised every thing. At the time I had the conversation with him, he said only generally the plate. In consequence of that information I went to Union Hall, and got an officer, and went to Thompson's house on Tuesday morning after I had been with the prisoner. I found Thompson's house, he appeared to be a hair dresser.

Q. Was his name over the door. - A. I believe his name was over the door.

Q. When you went there for whom did you enquire. - A. I met with the prisoner Richard Thompson < no role > in the house, I asked him if his name was Thompson, he said yes. After some conversation about a horse, that has nothing to do with this prosecution, I asked him if he had any transaction with a gentleman's servant with regard to plate; he said that a hundred gentlemen's servants came to his house, but that he had no transaction of that kind. I then asked him if he knew of any gentleman's servant of the name of Dench; he said he knew no such person.

Q. Did you ask him so distinctly that he knew the name of the person you mentioned. - A. He answered distinctly that he knew no such person. The officers then proceeded to search him; in one of his coat pockets they found five tea spoons, which I have no doubt are mine. I then told him that we had been directed to his house by Singleton; he then broke out in a passion, and said, as the rascal has betrayed poor Thompson, I will now tell the whole truth of it.

Q. Was that after the spoons were taken out of his pocket. - A. Yes, after taking the spoons out of his pocket.

Court. Did you tell him it would be better for him to confess. - A. Oh no, certainly not. He then said that Singleton brought the plate to him, and that he advised him to take it back.

Q. Did he mention the name of Singleton or Dench. - A. I cannot say, I used the name of Dench first, but I used both the names after; the officers then proceeded to search his wife and the house; I do not think that we went into any further particulars.

Q. Was there a crest on the plate that you lost. - A. There was a shell-drake with a shell in his mouth.

Q. Was there any crest on the plate that was taken out of his pocket - A. Yes; on one or two of the spoons (the spoons produced).

Q. Are these the spoons that were found in his pocket. - A. They are.

Q. Have you got the fellow to them. - A. I have.

Q. Is there any mark, independent of your crest, by which you know them. - A. There is the mark of the broad arrow, which I understand is the polisher's mark, which is upon all the five that were found upon him.

Q. Can you observe any of the crest upon all of them. - A. Upon two the shell-drake is quite distinct.

Q. Have you any doubt of their being your property. - A. Not the smallest.

Q. About what is the value of this plate that was taken from you to sell. - A. Between twenty and thirty pounds.

Q. Do you know the cloth - A. I have since seen the rest of the cloths, which correspond with it; my servant knows it.

Cross-examined by Mr. Knapp. How long did this person live with you. - A. From the 13th of May till the 27th, I went out of town.

Q. He came to you with a good character, I presume. - A. I took him with a good character from major - , as to honesty and sobriety.

Q. He had the complete controul of the plate. - A. Yes, of all that is in the list.

Q. Therefore he might take it at different times, as he had the controul of it; it is impossible for you to say whether they were taken at one time or no. - A. I know that they were there on the Monday.

Q. But whether some part of the plate was taken at one part of the day, and some at the other, it is impossible for you to say. - A. Certainly; I cannot say, I was out of town.

Q. Was there any thing observed respecting this man's conduct and behaviour while he was with you. - A. No, he seemed very desirous to do his duty, I must confess.

Q. Any appearance of derangement in him. - A. No, he was rather a stupid man, and a heavy appearance.

Q. Had it occurred to you at any time to suppose him at all deranged. - A. O no, clearly not deranged; I thought him a stupid fellow.

Mr. Pooley. What is the value of the tankard. - A. Five pounds; I think it is worth that to sell for old silver.

Q. Have you any doubt of its being worth forty shillings. - A. I have no doubt of it.

CHARITY COMMON < no role > . - Mr. Pooley. Do you live with Mr. Rawlinson. - A. I did, and I do know.

Q. Was the prisoner Singleton servant to Mr. Rawlinson. - A. Yes.

Q. On Thursday the 28th of May last, what time did he go out on that morning. - A. At half past eleven o'clock, and returned about ten minutes before four.

Q. Where is the plate kept. - A. In a closet in the back kitchen.

Q. Had he the care of it. - A. Yes, my mistress gave him a list of it in my presence.

Q. Had you in the course of that morning seen any of the plate. - A. Yes, I saw a quantity of plate in the tin tray, and the silver tankard lay before it on the table; I saw it several times in the day, because he left the door open.

Q. When was the latest time that you saw it. - A. At three o'clock the tin tray appeared to be as full of plate as ever it was.

Q. When he came in about ten minutes before four, where did he go to. - A. When he came I opened the door and let him in; he asked me if he had been wanted during his absence; I told him he had been wanted, he said he could not help it. I left him in the back kitchen, where the plate was; I went to the front kitchen; I had not been many minutes there before I heard a loud noise, as if it was the sound of glass; there was a great quantity of glass in the cupboard where the plate stood; I went into the kitchen to him, he was standing before the cupboard, with the door open where the plate and the glass were kept. I asked him what he had been smashing, he said nothing; I then returned into the front kitchen, I was there two or three minutes, I went into the back kitchen again; he was standing in the same situation wish his arm projected out. I went into the front kitchen, and in two or three minutes he followed me; he took a mahogany knife tray out of the closet in the kitchen, and went up stairs into the parlour; he put his knife tray down in the parlour, very loud; I heard it. I heard him walking over the passage; he went out and slammed the street door to very loud. I saw the top of his head and shoulders as he was crossing the street.

Court. What time of the day was this. - A. Just after four o'clock. About six in the evening I went to the cupboard where the plate was kept, to006. for my mistress, the other servant being out; I missed the whole of the plate; I went there to get the tea spoons.

Mr. Pooley. From three o'clock to the time that you missed it, was any other person there but the prisoner. A. No one; I was there the whole time.

Q. Have you seen any cloth that was found. - A. Yes. (the cloth produced).

Q. Was there any cloth missing. - A. Yes, on the 28th of May when the plate was missing; it is a linen cloth, there was a dozen glass clothes, half a dozen of one sort and half a dozen of another, put into the drawer a little before he came in; they were perfectly clean when I missed the plate. It is dirty now.

Q. Look at Thompson, did you see him about the house at that time. - A. No.

Court What servants were in the house besides you and the prisoner. - A. Two nursery maids and the house maid; they were all up stairs at that time.

Q. Nobody had come in the street door in the mean time had they. - A. No person but our own family.

RICHARD BETHEL LLOYD < no role > . - Mr. Pooley. You are an officer belonging to Union hall in the Borough. - A. I am.

Q. Have you got any confession of the prisoner. - A. I have, it is signed by the prisoner; I did not see him sign it, I know it to be the signature of the magistrate.

(The confession read in court, signed William Singleton < no role > ; written before us, T. Evance, and W. Holland.)

The examinant saith that his real name is William Singleton, but he having deserted from the ninth regiment of light dragoons, he has since gone by the name of Dench; that about five or six weeks ago he went into the service of Mr. Rawlinson, with whom he continued till Thursday evening last, the 28th of May, when he left the service without giving any intimation of so doing; and took away the several articles of plate, a silver tankard, a silver stand, eight silver table spoons, a silver skewer, six silver forks, nine silver tea spoons, two silver salt spoons, all of which he wrapped up in a cloth, now produced by the constable, and after leaving his master's house, he went to Thompson an hair dresser, with whom he had been acquainted for some time; that he asked Thompson what he should do with the plate, and whether he should not take it back again; Thompson said by no means take it back, if you do it will hang you; that he put the whole of the plate in a basket, and went out with it, and returned and said that he had seen a jew, and directed him, the examinant, to go with him to a clothes shop, where the examinant saw the jew, who looked at the plate, said it was worth two guineas; examinant said he would not take two guineas, he would have eight; the jew gave two guineas and a half, which he took. When Thompson brought the plate back the examinant looked at the plate to see if it was all there; that there was another jew present who did not take any part in the business, except lending the money; that Thompson returned from the jew, and told him he had sold the plate for two guineas and a half; that having his master's clothes on, he said I can put you in a way to get other clothes, you must go on the road; that same evening he bought a pistol, and on Sunday afternoon Thompson hired a horse for the examinant; he rid over Kew bridge, he met a man, examinant stopped him, and robbed him of his watch.

Q. (to Lloyd) Did you go to the house of Thompson. - A I did, I saw him in his house in Barlow-street, Marybone; he keeps a hair dresser's shop. Mr. Rawlinson went in first and we followed; Mr. Rawlinson asked him if he knew a gentleman's servant; he described the clothes that he wore, he said he did not; he asked him if he knew a person of the name of Dench, he denied any knowledge at all of that name.

Q. Had you any search warrant. - A. Collingburn had the search warrant. I asked Thompson myself generally whether he had any transaction with any gentleman's servant about any plate, he said he had not; I desired my brother officer to shew the search warrant, then I proceeded to search Thompson, in his left hand coat pocket I found wrapped up in paper these five tea spoons (producing them); I observed the crest rubbed out; I asked him how that came, and what he would say to having these in his pocket; he said as the damned villain has betrayed poor Thompson, I will tell all I know about it. I then asked him how the crest became obliterated, he said they were in the same manner then as when the young fellow had left them with him; he said he had left the spoons with him for five shillings that he owed him for dressing and shaving him. He begged to tell all he knew. I told him it was useless, the young man was in custody; upon a duplicate being found by my brother officer in his wife's pocket, he said that he had no more transaction with the young man; he had lent him a basket; that he had no transaction with the plate; the spoons and the duplicate of the ladle were all that he had, they were left him for five shillings. (The spoons produced)

Q. What are these spoons worth, are they worth three or four shillings. - A. They are worth a great deal more than that, there are five of them. On that day we took Thompson and his wife in custody, his wife directed us to go back to the house, and we should find the cloth; we found it on the ground in the middle of the room; she said that was the cloth that he brought the plate to their house in.

WILLIAM COLLINGBURN < no role > . - Mr. Pooley. You are one of the officers of Union-street. - A. I am; I went with the last witness to Thompson's house; I was present, and heard every thing that was said by Thompson. I know no more than what Lloyd has stated. I produce the duplicate I found in Thompson's wife's pocket.

NICHOLAS MORRITT < no role > . - Mr. Pooley. Look at that duplicate, does it refer to that soup ladle you have in your hand. - A. Yes, it was pledged by Thompson's wife. I produce the ladle.

Q. What are these spoons and the ladle worth. - A. About a guinea.

Q. (to prosecutor) Look at that ladle, is that yours. - A. I have lost two ladles precisely like this, but the crest is obliterated.

Court. Was the crest obliterated while it was in your possession. - A. No. I have great reason to believe it is mine.

Cross-examined by Mr. Knapp. But you do not mean to swear positively that it is yours. - A. I certainly cannot swear positively.

Court. What is the mark that is left. - A. The work that the crest stands upon, that is so upon all my plate.

ANN HARDEST < no role > . - Mr. Pooley. You I believe live cook with major Harriot. - A. Yes.

Q. Did the prisoner Singleton at any time live there while you was there. - A. Yes.

Q. Look at the other prisoner, do you know him. - A. Yes, he came to visit Dench while he was living with major Harriot, he stopped there about a quarter of an hour and cut my hair; I am sure he is the man.

Singleton left his defence to his counsel called four witnesses, who gave him a good character.

Thompson's Defence. I will speak the truth and nothing but the truth. He came to my shop on Friday the 29th of May, between twelve and one at noon; I had not seen him then for better than five weeks; I have cut his hair but four times; when he came in the shop, I sat the chair for him, he said he did not want any thing, he only wanted to speak to me; I went out with him; going along he asked me if I had any money in my pocket, I said, I have six-pence, that will do he says; we went into a public house, he said he had some plate, he opened it, I would not look at it; when I went out of the public house, he followed me into my shop. I was sent for to a gentleman, when I returned I found he had opened the plate to my wife, and Mrs. Mesbin; I saw the plate was broke and disfigured: he wanted me to go to a jew and sell the plate; I would not go, nor would I pawn it; I told him the pawnbroker knew me very well, and would not take it in. After that I met a jew passing my shop, I told him there was a gentleman's servant had got some plate, he said he would buy it. Then he wanted me to go to speak to the jew or my wife; my wife would not, nor would I; then he took it himself. These five tea spoons in the flurry he was in were put on the bureau; the plate he took out in my basket, and sold to a jew for two guineas, and he left the spoons.

SINGLETON, alias DENCH, GUILTY - DEATH , aged 24.

THOMPSON, GUILTY , aged 43.

Transported for Fourteen Years .

Second Middlesex jury, before Mr. Justice Chambre.