The Proceedings of the Old Bailey

 

640.   JOHN PRICE ,   JOHN ROBINSON , alias ROGERSON, alias ROBOTHAM ,   EDWARD RAINBOW , and   WILLIAM THOMAS RAINBOW , were indicted, the two first for breaking and entering the dwelling-house of   John Lambe ,   Edward Haycock , and   Thomas Lambe , about the hour of twelve in the night of the 10th of July , and burglariously stealing thirty pounds five ounces of silk, value 27l. 8s. nineteen pounds two ounces of silk, value 24l. 4s. one hundred and twenty pounds ten ounces of other silk, value 208l. 1s. one hundred and seveteen pounds three ounces of other silk, value 202l. 3s. one hundred and eleven pounds three ounces of other silk, value 183l. 9s. fourty-six pounds seven ounces of other silk, value 51l. 2s. and five hempen bags, value 5s. the property of the said John Lambe,   Edward Haycock , and   Thomas Lambe .

Second Count. Laying it to be the dwelling-house of   John Lambe and Thomas Lambe.

The other two prisoners were indicted for feloniously receiving, on the 11th of July , ninety-one pounds of silk, value 150l. 3s. fifty pounds of other silk, value 86l. 5s. twenty-six pounds of other silk, value 31l. 8s. seven pounds eight ounces of other silk, value 121. 18s one pound of other silk, value 18s. eleven pounds of other silk, value 9l. 18s. twenty-four pounds eight ounces of other silk, value 29l. 12s. eight pounds of other silk, value 10l. 2s. forty-three pounds of other silk, value 48l. 7s. and ten pounds of other silk, value 12l. 13s. being part of the before-mentioned goods, they knowing them to have been stolen .(The case was opened by Mr. Serjeant Best.)

THOMAS LAMBE sworn. - Examined by Mr. Fielding. Q. Be so good as tell as first the firm of your house? - A. John Lambe,   Edward Haycock , and   Thomas Lambe .

Q. Your house is in  Foster-lane ? - A. Yes, the house door is in  Bell-alley , and there is a door which opens into Foster-lane: On Friday morning, the 11th of July, about ten minutes after six o'clock, a young man who lives with us alarmed me; I came down stairs, and, on the first floor, there is a window was forced down; I saw that window fast the night before, and a screw in the shutter; I went to the ground floor, and found the door that leads into Bell-alley open, the lock had been violently forced off, and the chain taken off; the cellar-door was also unbolted where we kept our silk; I went down into the cellar, and found we had been robbed of the property mentioned in the indictment, to the amount of 752l. 11s.

Q. In how many packages was that silk? - A. In five hempen bags, about a yard square, and a yard and a half deep; there were no marks upon it, except a ticket, when we buy a bale of silk, we mark it 142, 143, and so on; it is written with a pen upon a piece of parchment or cartidge paper; there were loose tickets, and also marks upon the bags, the East-India marks, but I cannot tell what the exact marks were.

Court. Q. Whereabouts did you sleep? - A. In the front, and these goods were backwards.

Cross-examined by Mr. Raine. Q. Who are your partners? -  A. John Lambe and Edward Haycock.

Q. Have you no others? - A. None whatever,

Q. It was past six when you first discovered this? - A. Ten minutes or a quarter past six.

Q. Can you say what time the sun rose at that time? - A. No.

Q.Long before you rose? - A. Yes.

  THOMAS SAWYER sworn. - Examined by Mr. Knowlys. I am shopman to Messers. Lambe and Haycock: On the 11th of July I was alarmed by the maid-servant; I went down stairs, and saw the window by the sky-light open.

Q. How was that window secured? - A. By a screw in the shutter; the window and the shutter were both down when I saw them in the morning.

Q. Did you observe any thing particular about the sky-light? - A. Nothing, till about eleven o'clock in the morning; when the officers came, I observed seventeen or eighteen drops of tallow, and the lead over the pannel of the door had been cut, which leads into the kitchen.

  JANE SMITH sworn. - Examined by Mr. Serjeant Best. I fastened the door and the window on the night of the 10th; I put up the shutter, and put in a screw; I got up about ten minutes past six, and found the shutter gone; I did not take particular notice of the sky-light; upon the ledges of the window there was some dust, and apparently some marks of men's feet.

  JOHN TAYLOR sworn. - Examined by Mr. Fielding. I am a green-grocer, in Noble-street, about 50 yards from the prosecutors: On the morning of the 11th of July, between four and five o'clock, I saw a cart.

Q. Was it quite light at that time? - A. It was; I saw a green cart, a little country cart, exactly opposite to Bell-alley; I saw a man fitting in the cart; he sat there a minute or two, and another man came to him in a blue coat; he went away, and then the man in the cart, who had a light-coloured coat on, went away with the cart, and came back again in a few minutes.

Q. Was the cart then driven by the same man? - A. Yes.

Q. Had you an opportunity of seeing his person? - A. No, I had not, I only saw his back, I was going to market; I did not see any thing particular, except the cart standing there; I left it there.

Q. When you saw the prisoner before the Lord-Mayor, what was your opinion then? - A. I was not near enough to make any observation of them; Price had the same coloured coat on.

Q. Which was it that had a light-coloured coat on when you saw him before the Lord-Maylor? - A.Price; and the prisoner, Robinson, had a brown coat on before the Lord-Mayor.

  FREDERICK WHEATLEY sworn. - I am a gold seal-marker and jeweller; I live at No. 27, Tash-street, Gray's-inn-lane; the prisoner, Price, lives in Little Tash-street.

Q. Does your house command a view of his? - A.Yes: On the 11th of July, Friday morning, I was up about five o`clock at business, with the window open, and I saw Price and another man come to the door; they stood at the door some time.

Q. Is the other man here? - A. No; he goes by the name of Bob, I do not know his sirname; after they had stood at the door some little time, they went in again, and left the door ajar; then they came out again and I saw a tall man come in a chaise-cart, or a country-cart, like a higler's cart.

Q. Did you observe the colour of that cart? - A. It was green.

Q. Do you know the man? - A. Yes.

Q. Is he here? - A. Yes, that is him, next to Price, his name is Robinson, he had five bags in the body of cart; he tumbled them out as quick as he could, and they fell soft upon the ground; when Price, and the other man that came to the door before he came up, took them in as fast as ever they could; when Robinson had chucked the last bag out, when there were about two to get into the house, he drove off; then Price and the other man took the remainder in.

Q. You say the bags fell soft, explain that? - A. As if they contained linen, or something soft in them; in the course of the day I saw Price very busy running backwards and forwards.

Q. Did you observe any thing particular towards the afternoon of that day? - A. Yes; about four o'clock I observed Price go out with a white apron on, like a porter, and Robinson, and this other man, Bob, in their shirt sleeves, each of them with one of those bags upon their shoulders; they went down Tash-street.

Q. Did you observe any body at Price's house in the course of the day? - A. I saw a genteel man in black, with his hair powdered, go backwards and forwards two or three times in the afternoon before the first bag went away; I did not know who that was.

Q. Do you know a girl of the name of Sarah King? - A. Yes; I know her about the neighbourhood.

Q. Do you know if she was at Price's house that day? - A. Yes, she was; she went out of Price's house either before or immediately after the bags went out, but I cannot exactly say which.

Cross-examined by Mr. Raine. Q. You did not know the prisoner Robinson's name? - A. No.

Q. Where were you at this time? - A. Up two pair of stairs, the front room.

Q. Where you engaged at your business at the time? - A. Yes; but seeing this transaction, engaged my attention.

Q. For the whole day? - A.No, I did not see all that they did, but most of what they did that day.(   Sarah King , thirteen years of age, was called, but not knowing the nature of an oath, was not sworn.)

  RICHARD TIPPER sworn. - Examined by Mr. Serjeant Best. I am an officer: On Saturday, the 12th of July, in the evening, I went to the house of the prisoner Price, in Little Tash-street, with Sapwell, Read, and a Mr. Osborne, clerk to Mr. Lambe; we found Mrs. Price, Mr. Price was not at home; we searched the house, and upon searching the house, below stairs in the kitchen, I found some pieces of wrappers, which were wet; I called Mr. Osborne to look at them, which he did; upon searching further, Sapwell found, in my presence, a centrebit, some knives and forks, and table-cloths; I went away, and left my brother officers there; when I returned, I brought Price in with me, I found him within nine or ten yards of his house, Mr. Sawyer was with me; I said, Johnny, I am glad to see you, you are the man I have been looking for; he said, very well; and I immediately took him into his own house; I searched him, I observed his left-hand come quick from his pocket; I immediately seized his hand, and found it clenched very tight, I got his hand open; says I, Jack, what have you got in your hand, I must see; upon that I opened it by main strength; and in his hand I found a Banknote of fifty pounds.

Q. Did you observe any writing upon that Banknote? - A. Not then; I believe it was on Sunday, the next day; I then saw some writing, but I cannot say what it was; I have kept the note in my custody, (produces it); it has Walpole and Co. upon the front of it; on the Monday morning I went to Messrs. Walpole and Company's.

Q. Did you afterwards go to the house of the Rainbows? - A. Yes; in company with Sapwell and Mr. Osborne; we went first to the father's house,   Edward Rainbow , in Queen-street, Cheapside.

Q. Before you went to Rainbow's, had you seen young Mr. Frith? - A. I had; Mr. Rainbow was not at home; I afterwards found young Mr. Rainbow at home; I asked him if he knew any thing of a fifty pound note having been in his possession within a few days; I did not shew him the note; he strictly denied knowing anything of it.

Q. Did you say any thing to him about any silk? - A. I cannot recollect that I did; at that time, he said, his father would be at home in a very little while, in the course of half an hour; I told him I must request of him to be so obliging as to stop with me till his father came home; I shut the door, and was in a little bit of a warehouse, with young Mr. Rainbow; during that time, somebody knocked at the door, which was Mr. Rainbow's porter; I thought it my duty to stop him, which I did, and desired him to go into the kitchen, his name was Wright; young Mr. Rainbow then went to the door, and said, here is my father coming; and he then came in; that might be in about half an hour; I asked Mr. Rainbow, sen. if he knew any thing of a 50l. note having been in his possession within the course of a few days, or whether he had paid a 50l. note away; he hesitated a great deal, and said he knew nothing of any such note; I told him a 50l. note was a heavyish one, it was not like a one or a two-pound note; it was very odd he did not recollect it; I then asked him if he knew Mr. Frith; he said he did; I asked him if he had not received a 50l. note of Mr. Frith, in part of 200l.; he then recollected something of it, and explained to me what he had received that 50l. part of the 200l. for; he told me that a person had been with him with a sample of silk.

Q. Had you then asked him whether he had purchased any silk? - A. Not till after this; he said a person had offered him a sample of silk, and he had purchased it, and given 200l. for it; I then asked him if he knew the person; he said he did; I asked him his name; he said his name was Burdett; I asked him where the silk was; he said he had purchased it, but he had not received it yet; I told him I thought it a little mysterious that a man like Mr. Rainbow should pay 200l. without seeing the quantity of silk or the quality; he said so it was, he had done it; I told him I could not be satisfied that he could give 200l. without receiving the silk; he strictly denied, upon his honour, that he had received the silk; I asked him how he could put that confidence in Mr. Burdett; he said it was through a Mr. Sansum; that through his acquaintance with Mr. Sansum he became acquainted with Burdett.

Q. Did he say any thing about being recommended by Sansum? - A. No, I cannot recollect any thing about recommendation; I then heard a knock at the door, I went to the door and it was Sapwell; we had some conversation, and then I sent him away; I told both Mr. Rainbows that I expected Mr. Lambe; they then seemed to be agitated; Mr. Rainbow, the father, informed me that it was something singular that he had not received the silk, for he had been that morning up to Mr. Burdett's.

Q. Was that after you had mentioned the name of Mr. Lambe? - A. No, before; then Mr. Lambe came in with Mr. Osborne; they had not been in long, before Mr. Rainbow, sen. acknowledged his having the silk.

Q. What did he say? - A. He said that he had the silk; and added, my son shall go over with you, it is at his house; his son took down the key, and I went with him to No. 24, College-hill; when I came there the door was a little way upon the jar, with the chain upon it; it was an empty house; young Mr. Rainbow knocked at the door, and a kind of chair-woman came and opened it; upon that young Mr. Rainbow went up stairs, and Sap

well and I followed him into the one pair of stairs, and at the further end of the room young Mr. Rainbow opened a cupboard, and there we found five bags of silk; it has been locked up in the Marshal's office ever since.

Cross-examined by Mr. Raine. Q. You are a City officer, and have been many years? - A. Yes.

Q. You are well known to be a City officer? - A. Yes.

Q.When you apprehend persons you always take what property they have upon them? - A. Yes.

Q.You sometimes find people very unwilling to part with property which afterwards turns out to be their own? - A. Sometimes we do.

Q. When you went to Price's house you found some pieces of wrapping in the kitchen? - A. Yes, wet. Q. Was it canvas? - A. It was something of that sort.

Cross-examined by Mr. Garrow. Q. Your conversation with young Rainbow was confined to his having had in his possession a 50l. note? - A. Yes.

  THOMAS SAPWELL sworn. - Examined by Mr. Fielding. I went with Tipper on the Saturday night, to Price's house; he was not at home; I staid in the house while Tipper went out; he brought in Price with him, and I saw Tipper take something out of his hand, which I believe was a 50l. note; I found a centre-bit, a saw, and a steel.

Q. Did you find any keys? - A. No, I did not; Tipper then secured him and took him to the Poultry Compter; he returned about half past twelve; I took Mrs. Price up stairs to search her, and while I was up stairs with her, I heard Tipper call, Tom, Tom, come down! I went down and there was Tipper and Read had got Robinson in custody; I searched him, and in his job I found 65l. in notes; I asked him how he came by them; he told me he took them in trade; I asked him what trade he was, and he said, a private soap-maker; then he was taken to the Poultry Compter.

Q. What became of the notes? - A.They are in my possession; (produces them;) two of 20l. two of 10l. and a 5l. On the Monday morning, about nine o'clock, I went with Tipper and Mr. Osborne to Mr. Walpole's, a banker, in Lombard-street, to enquire about a 50l. note; then we went to the house of Mr. Rainbow, the elder; Mr. Rainbow was out; I went to the Lord-Mayor to get a search-warrant; I then returned to Mr. Rainbow's; I knocked at the door, and Tipper opened it; I went in, and found Tipper and the two Mr. Rainbows; I did not hear any thing that passed, because I went into the kitchen to apprehend the porter; I then went with young Mr. Rainbow and Tipper and Mr. Osborne, to a house, No. 24, College-hill, where young Mr. Rainbow took out the key of a closet, and shewed us the five bags; I took them to the Mansion-house, and there they have remained, in the Marshal's office, under our seals ever since.

Cross-examined by Mr. Raine. Q. Robinson told you he was a soap-maker? - A. Yes.

Q. Did not that turn out to be true? - A. I do not know; I have not heard.

Q. Have you enquired? - A. Yes; but every body told me, no.

Cross examined by Mr. Knapp. Q. When you went to the house on College-hill, with young Mr. Rainbow, you went by the direction of his father? - A. We did.

- OSBORNE sworn. - Examined by Mr. Knowlys. I am book-keeper to the prosecutors.

Q. Did you go, and when was it, to the house of the Rainbows? - A. It was on Monday morning the 14th of July, about ten o'clock; I found Tipper and both the Mr. Rainbows together; immediately that I entered, old Mr. Rainbow asked me how I did, and acknowledged he had bought the silk; I asked him who he had bought it of; he said he had bought it of a man of the name of Burdett; but that he had not yet got the silk; he said that Burdett had asked him two hundred pounds for it; he said his reply was, that he had not the money by him, but he would procure it; and that he had borrowed two hundred pounds, by which he had paid for the silk; the officers interrogated him very much to let them know where the silk was; after much interrogation, he said it was at his son's house; his son was by at the time; and immediately that he had made that reply, the officers desired young Mr. Rainbow to walk out with them; while the officers were gone out with young Mr. Rainbow, I asked old Mr. Rainbow who this Burdett was; he told me he knew but little of him, that he had seen him two or three times before; I then asked him if there was any Book China, which was a particular article among the rest that we lost two bales of; he told me he could not tell, for he had not seen it; I then asked him what weight it was; he said he did not know, perhaps 200lb., perhaps 300lb. and perhaps more I told him it was very odd that he should trust a man with two hundred pounds, and buy such a quantity of silk, that he knew nothing about; he said it was so. and that he trusted this man through the recommendation of a person of the the name of Sansum; immediately after that almost, the officers returned.

Q. Did you accompany Tipper and Sapwell, or either of them, to trace these notes? - A. Yes; I went with them, to Walpole and Co.'s, in Lombard-street, whole name was written upon the 50l. note, that was on the Monday morning about nine

o'clock; we afterwards went to the Bank to trace the other notes.

Cross-examined by Mr. Gurney. Q. The conversation which passed from the officers was with Mr. Rainbow, senior? - A. And junior, both.

 Q. Young Mr . Rainbow was there; but the conversation was with Mr. Rainbow, senior? - A. Yes.

Q.The house at College-hill, which the officers went to, your understood had been taken by him for his son, who was just married? - A. Yes; he acknowledged that he had taken that house.

Q. And that he had not yet gone to reside? - A. Yes.

  THOMAS TAYLOR sworn. - Examined by Mr. Serjeant Best. I live at No. 31, Queen-street, Cheapside, next door to Mr. Rainbow.

Q. Do you know William-   Thomas Rainbow ? - A. Yes.

Q. Have you known him long? - A. I have known him by sight these twelve months.

Q. Did you see him on the 11th of July? - A. Yes, I saw him in a hackney-coach pass my door; as he passed me he put the window half way up; the coach stopped at his door; I did not see any body in the coach but him; I saw him push a bale out before him; then I took no further notice.

Cross-examined by Mr. Garrow. Q. I take it that whenever you have given an account of this business you have always given the same account? - A. Yes.

Q.If any body supposed you had said that you saw young. Mr. Rainbow with three people in the coach, and the coach full of goods, they must have very wool-gatherings heads? - A. I think so.

Q.However, the occurrence that you saw, was putting up the window, stopping at his father's door, and putting out a bale of goods? - A. Yes.

Q. Do you know that young Mr. Rainbow is a servant to his father? - A. I do not.

Q. You don't know much of the family, perhaps? - A. No.

  GEORGE WRIGHT sworn. - Examined by Mr. Fielding. I am porter to Mr. Rainbow: On Monday the 12th July. I carried four bundles from Mr. Rainbow's, different sorts of bundles; some bigger and some less; I carried them to the corner of Cloak-lane, College-hill.

Q.What number? - A. I do not know; there are no inhabitants in the house.

Q. By whose direction did you take them there? - A. The Mr. Rainbows were both together.

Q. When, were they brought into the house? - A. I do not know.

Q. What part of the house did you take them from? - A. I took them from the door up one pair of stairs at the other house.

Q.Where did they come from before you took them from the door? - A.I saw them tumbled down stairs by young Mr. Rainbow.

Q.It was an empty house? - A. Yes.

Q. Where is the warehouse in wich goods are generally put? - A. In the front of the house; the ground floor.

Cross-examined by Mr Knapp. Q. Old Mr. Rainbow was your master? - A. Yes.

Q.   Young Mr . Rainbow never did any thing but by the direction of his father? - A. I never saw any otherwise.

Q. If You had been desired to tumble them down stairs, you would have done it? - A. Yes.

  JOSEPH FRITH sworn. - Examined by Mr. Knowlys. I am a school-master, and live in Thames-street.

Q. Do you know old Mr. Rainbow? - A. Yes. and the young one: On the 11th of July I lent Mr. Rainbow two hundred pounds; I paid it him in a 100l. note, a 50l. a 30l. and the rest smaller notes.

Q. Where did you get those Bank-notes? - A. I received them at Walpole and Co.'s, bankers, in Lombard-street.

Q. Before you parted with them had you written any thing upon them? - A. Yes, I wrote Walpole and Co. upon the front of the notes.

Q. Look at that 50l? - A. That is my handwriting.

Q. That was one of the notes that you advanced to Mr. Rainbow? - A. I presume it must be; I got them from Messrs. Walpole's in change for a draft or 180l. of Bruckshaw and Co.'s stock-brokers, at the Royal Exchage.

Cross-examined by Mr. Garrow. Q.If you had not the highest opinion of Mr. Rainbow's integrity you would not have lent him the money? - A.Certainly not; I have known him fourteen years; I should as soon suspect-you now to be guilty of the foul crime of murder, as Mr. Rainbow be guilty of any thing dishonourable.

Jury. Q. Had you received any other 50l. Banknotes of Walpole and Co. recently before that? - A.No, I cannot say that I had.

Q. Was young Mr. Rainbow in partnership with his father? - A. I do not know any thing of their concerns in business.

Mr. Garrow. (To Wright.) Q. You were asked about these things being up stars: the warehouse was rather small, was it not? - A. Yes.

Q. Was it not common for goods to be kept up stairs when the warehouse was full? - A. I never saw any thing of the kind.

Q. The prisoner desires me to ask of you this question, whether, while you were his porter, you do not know that he kept goods that came into his shop in the fair way of his trade, up stairs? - A. I never knew any thing of the kind.

  DAVID PRICE sworn. - Examined by Mr. Serjeant

Best. I am a clerk in the Bank. (Produces a one hundred pound note.)

Q. Do you know by whom that was brought to the Bank? - A. No; the person who brought it, wrote the name,   John Rogers , No. 6, King-street, Holborn.

Q.Look round, and see if you can see the person? - A.No; I should not know the person if I was to see him. (The note read, with Walpole and Co. written upon the face of it.)

Frith. This my hand-writing, and I believe it to be the note that I sent to Mr. Rainbow.

Q.(To Price.) What change did you give for that 100l. note? - A.Three twenties, two tens and four fives; I cannot tell the numbers without the book.

  WILLIAM SEABROOK sworn. - Examined by Mr. Serjeant Best. I am a clerk in the Bank. (Produces the Bank-book).

Mr. Raine. Q. Who made that entry? - A. I did.

Q. From what? - A.From the note.

Q. Who gave you the note? - A. I cannot say.

Q. You had not the note from Mr. Price then? - A. No; I had it usually from the person who brings it.

Mr. Serjeant Best. Be so good as tell us the numbers and sum of the notes which you gave in exchange for the 100l.? - A.Three twenties, two tens, and four fives; the three twenties were No. 8729 to 8731, dated the 27th of June; the tens were No. 6588, 6589, dated the 28th of June; the four fives were No. 1156, 1157, 1158, 1159, dated the 30th of June, all of them of the present year. (Mr. Shelton read three of the notes taken from the prisoners, No. 8730, 8731, and 6589.)

Q. Look round, and see if you know either of the prisoners at the bar? - A. It is impossible to say that, so many persons as we see.

Mr. Serjeant Best. (To Tipper.) Q. Did you go to No. 6, King-street, Halborn? - A. I Did; I enquired for person of the name of Rogerson, but no such person lived there; in the lower part of the house there were a few mattrasses, and there were lodgers in the upper part.

  JOHN TOM sworn. - Examined by Mr. Knowlys. I am clerk in the house of Walpole and company: On the 11th July, I paid a draft of one hundred and eighty pounds to Mr.   Joseph Firth , (produces his book;) It was draft of Bruckshaw and Company; I paid him a 100l. note, No. 1215, dated the 9th of July, 1800; the 5ol. was No. 2625, dated the 10th of July 1800.

Mr. Shelton. They correspond.

- SANSUM sworn. - Examined by Mr. Serjeant Best Q. Do you know Mr. Rainbow the elder? - A. Yes.

Q. Do you know Mr. Burdett? - A. Yes.

Q. Did you ever recommend him to Mr. Rainbow? - A. I never did.

Q.You are sure of that? - A. Yes.

Cross-examined by Mr. Garrow. Q. You do know Burdett? - A. I dined with him once in company with Mr. Rainbow, in Thames-street.

Q. Then If he has said he became acquainted with Burdett in your comapny, it was strictly true? - A. Yes.

Mr. Serjeant Best. Q.What is Burdett - do you know? - A. A Sheriff's-officer.

Mr. Garrow. Q. And I belive you know that he has absconded? - A. I have heard so. (One bag of silk produced.)

Mr. Fielding. (To Lambe.) Q. Be so good as look at that silk - are you able to say that that is a parcel of the silk taken from your house? - A. Yes, I am.

Q. From experience in business, it is an easy matter upon the inspection of such an article as that, to be able to say? - A. I took very particular fabric, and if differed very materially from the fabric that I have had before, and I sent for our broker; I firmly believe it is the identical silk; I saw the other bags at the Mansion house, but I cannot speak to them so positively as I can to this.

Jury. Q. Had this bag the tickets on them that you mentioned? - A. No; these are not our bags, they have been changed.

Mr. Fielding. Q. What was the value of the silk? - A. Four hundred pounds.

Q. With the duty upon it? - A. Yes.

Q. What is the value without the duty? - A. I do not exactly know what duty it pays.

Q. There were different denominations of silk lost from your house? - A. Yes, ninety-three pounds eight ounces of Friuli silk; the quantity of Friuli silk that we lost, and the quantity found, corresponded, as near as possible; and the China silk, I believe, will agree to an ounce.

- BANBURY sworn. - Examined by Mr. Fielding. I am a silk broker, and have been many years.

Q. Do you remember examining a quantity of silk with Mr. Lambe, that you had bought for him? - A. Yes; I recollect this silk perfectly, it is a very peculiar silk.

Q. But, in general, in the examination of an article, is it of a nature for you to say upon, being produced, whether that is the article or not? - A. In some kind of silks there is a difficulty, particularly in China; but I never-saw a bale like this in my life before, either in size, quality, or throw; I am almost positive it is the same.

Q.Whereabouts is the value of four hundred

pounds worth of silk, without the duty? - A. About three hundred pounds.

  EDWARD HAYCOCK sworn. - Examined by Mr. Knowlys. Q. You are one of the partners in this house? - A. Yes.

Q. You take the department of manufacturing the silk chiefly? - A. Yes; part of this bale was sent to me to Coventry, and I afterwards saw it at the Mansion-house; I am positive it is the same silk.

  JOHN LAMBE sworn. - Examined by Mr. Fielding. Q. You are a partner in this house? - A. Yes.

Q.Look at that silk - is there about that any mark by which you can say that that is a parcel lost from your house? - A. I believe it from the colour, and from the completion of the silk, it is out on condition, it is unlike most other silk that comes under our examination.

Cross-examined by Mr. Garrow. Q. From what cause do you suppose it came out of condition; from the long voyage, I suppose? - A. Yes.

Q. Any other silk being out of condition from the same cause, would have the same appearance? - A. Yes.

  Edward Rainbow 's defence. My Lord, and Gentleman of the Jury, it has already been related to you with respect to Burdett coming to me and telling me that it was smuggled from on board a ship belonging to a person that he was intimately acquainted with; I told him I could not speak to him them, for my wife had been run over the day before, and the surgeon was then up stairs; he called again in about an hour and a half, and I bought the silk of him, for which I paid him 348l. I borrowed 200l. of it my friend, Mr. Frith; I never had the smallest suspicion of its having been stolen; I never had my name called in question before.

William-Thomas Rainbow's defence. My Lord, and Gentleman of the Jury. My feelings this day you will better conceive than I can express: I served my time to my father, and have been servant to him ever since; I could not conceive, nor do I believe that my father was a person who could do that which was wrong, or which could implicate him, who must be the dearest to him, his son. My Lord and Gentleman, I have been married three months last Monday; my father took this house at College-Hill for me; I was only his servant, and acted under my father's direction; I believe solemnly, as I stand at this bar, and as I believe that I shall stand before the bar of the Almighty, that my father had no idea of this transaction being illegal.

For the Prisoner.

- TATLOCK sworn. - Examined by Mr. Garrow. I have been engaged in the silk trade twenty years, as a silk broker.

Q. It is your business, I take it, to attend to the quality and nature of different sorts of silk? - A. Yes.

Q. Look at that silk; from your judgement, and skill in the trade, I desire you to tell my Lord, and the Jury, whether that silk, having been in your possession yesterday, or the day before, without any ticket upon it, or any distinguishing mark, do you think you could, conscientiously, swear to its being the same silk, from its colour, from its texture, or any thing else intrinsic in the silk? - A. The fabricator of this silk sends a great quantity to market; we call these Burgams, but it being out of condition, I should thing it impossible for any person to swear to it on that account.

Q. Suppose a large quantity manufactured by the same manufacturer, would not long package have the same effect? - A. No; frequently same parts will be out of condition, and other parts not; but this silk is finer than this fabricator generally sends to market.

Q. Supposing I was to take this silk, and lock it up for a week, could you, at the end of that time, be able to swear to it? - A. Certainly not.

Cross-examined by Mr. Serjeant Best. Q. You say this silk is finer than the fabricator usually sends to market? - A. Yes; it is smarter in the throw, it has had more work in the mill.

Mr. Garrow. Q. Do you know Mr. Rainbow? - A. Yes; I have known him some years; his transactions with me always marked the character of an honest man.

The prisoners, Rainbows, called twenty-four other witnesses, who gave them an excellent character.

Mr. Garrow. stated, that he had a list of one hundred and eighty witnesses, who were attending to speak to their character.

For the prisoner Robinson.

- LAMB sworn. - I am a tallow-chandler, at Dock-head: I have known Robinson three years; he always bore a good character.

Cross-examined by Mr. Serjeant Best. Q. How long have you known him? - A.Three years.

Q.Has he been at home during all that time? - A.I never knew where he lived; being a private soap-boiler, I never wished to inquire; he used to come to my shop.

Did he come regularly, week by week? - A. Sometimes he would not come for a fortnight, when he was afraid of being found out.

Court. Q. I wish to know what a private soapboiler is? - A.That is boiling the soap without paying the duty.

  HENRY ORGER sworn. - Examined by Mr. Raine.

I am a tallow-chandler, in the Borough: I have known Robinson two years, he was always very honest; I have sold him stuff, and he always paid me for what he had.

Q. Do you know where he lives? - A. No.

Court. Q. Do you know that you come here, in the face of your country, to speak to the character of a man for honesty, whom you know to have been in the habit of defrauding the country, and the fair trader? - A. He always paid me very honestly.

Court. It is most abominably impudent.

The Jury having retired about half an hour,returned with the following verdict:

Price, GUILTY Death . (Aged 32.)

Robinson, GUILTY Death . (Aged 28.)

E. Rainbow, GUILTY . (Aged 55.)

Transported for fourteen years .

W. T. Rainbow, NOT GUILTY .

Tried by the London Jury, before Mr.   Baron HOTHAM .