897. WILLIAM POPE proceedingsdefend was indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 31st of October , fifty pound weight of lead , the property of the Royal College of Surgeons of London proceedingsvictim .

The case was stated by Mr. Gurney.

Mr. Gurney produced the charter of the Royal College of Surgeons, it says they shall be called the Royal College of Surgeons of London.

MARY LOMACK < no role > . Q. Your husband I believe was in the service of the College of Surgeons. - A. Yes assistant, superintendant of the museum. On Thursday the 31st of October, I was at one of the windows of the house in Lincoln's Inn Fields , a quarter before eight in the morning, I saw the prisoner and another man coming into the yard at the front of the house, and walked backwards and forwards there about three minutes, the other man looked hard at me through the window. I kept the prisoner in my eye, then in about five minutes after the prisoner walked past the window with something in his apron, which he endeavoured to conceal. I was some distance, I saw before he got out of the yard that what he was carrying appeared to be a great weight. I suspected one of the pieces of lead was gone, there were eight pieces of lead in the hall. I had seen them about ten minutes before in the hall, they had been sent in the night before. I sent my child for my husband, and watched the way the prisoner went, the other man went off first.

Q. Did your husband go in pursuit of him. - A. Yes. I saw him in about seven or eight minutes, he was brought back.

JOHN LOMACK < no role > . Q. You are the husband of the last witness. - A. Yes. I pursued the prisoner and overtook him, he had the lead in a leather apron carrying it on his shoulder, I collared him, he resisted three or four minutes, the lead dropped in the scuffle, and then he begged of me to let him go, that I did not do. I left the lead in Mr. Wilds shop, opposite of whose house I took him, I took the prisoner to the watch-house. I am certain there were eight pieces of lead in the hall. I went to look in the hall before I pursued him, and one was gone. I have the lead in my care. This is the apron it was tied up in, and this is the lead.

MR. WELLS. The lead was desposited in my shop and the same lead I delivered back again.

WILLIAM GOOD < no role > . I am a plumber, employed by the Royal College of Surgeons. On the night before this was done I sent in eight pieces of lead, it was their property. I have examined this piece of lead, it corresponds with one of the pieces to make up the eight, it is about half an hundred weight, it is worth fifteen shillings.

Prisoner's Defence. I am innocent of stealing the lead. I was hired to carry it.

GUILTY , aged 45.

Transported for Seven Years .

Second Middlesex jury, before Mr. Recorder.