The Proceedings of the Old Bailey

 

153. (L.)   John Warner , was indicted for

stealing one man's great coat made of woollen cloth, one man's jacket made of woollen cloth, the goods of   William King , value 5 s. each , February 13 . ||

  William King . I am a fisherman , and my vessel lay at  Billingsgate . Last Thursday was se'nnight I had my great coat laid over me and my jacket under my head; I left my brother in the boat, who came and told me, about six o'clock at night, a man had robbed my boat; I went, and the prisoner was stopped with the coat and jacket. I asked him why he robbed me; he said, because he was bedeviled.

  William Godfrey . I was charged with the prisoner, who said, going along, it was the first time he ever had done such a thing.

  Charles Walford . About six o'clock the boy called out in his smack, stop thief! saying, he'd give any body a shilling to stop that man, for he had ran away with his brother's cloaths. The prisoner was running over the vessels, and I saw him drop the cloaths about two vessels from the prosecutor's vessel; we took hold of him, and he said he was only playing the rogue. The coat and jacket were produced in court, and deposed to.

Prisoner. I was going to sea, or I had not taken them.

Guilty .

[Transportation. See summary.]