The Proceedings of the Old Bailey

 

266.   WILLIAM SMITH was indicted for stealing a woollen surtout coat, value 10 s. the property of   William Orme , May 7th .

  WILLIAM ORME sworn.

On the 7th of this month I lost a surtout coat from my lodging before I was up; I had left it in the Kitchen the night before; my landlord's servant came up to me in the morning, and asked if I had taken my coat up with me; I said no; she said then it was stolen. She alarmed her master, who pursued the prisoner, and took him with the coat upon him.

  JAMES BOWKER sworn.

I keep a publick-house. The prisoner came in for a pennyworth of purl; he sent the maid backwards to me for change, which gave him an opportunity to take the coat; she called out to me and told me he had got Mr. Ormes's great coat, and was gone up the Old Change with it; I went after him and desired him to come back; I said he had something that he had borrowed; he said it was nothing but an old coat. He had it wrapped round him under his coat.

(The coat was produced in court and deposed to by the prosecutor.)

PRISONER's DEFENCE.

I was going out and found the coat at the door.

Bowker. I saw the coat hang on the curtain-rod while he was in the house; there was nobody else in the house.

GUILTY .

Tried by the London Jury before Mr. RECORDER.

[Branding. See summary.]

[Imprisonment. See summary.]