so, informing him of several Circumstances as to the Manner of committing the Fact, but said he had been drawn into it by ill Company. Jonathan Wild, depos’d, The Prosecutor came to him, and desir’d him to enquire after his Goods that had been stolen, telling him he suspected the Prisoner to have been concern’d in the Robbery, he having before committed some Robberies in the Neighbourhood.  That inquiring after him, and having heard of him before, he was inform’d that he was an Acquaintance of Joseph Blake, alias Blewskins, and William Field:  Whereupon he sent for William Field, who came to him; upon which he told him, if he would make an ingenuous Confession, he believ’d he could prevail with the Court to make him an Evidence.  That he did make a Discovery of the Prisoner, upon which he was apprehended, and also of others since convicted, and gave an Account of some Parcels of the Cloth, which were found accordingly. William Field depos’d, That the Prisoner told him, and Joseph Blake, that he knew a Ken where they might get something of Worth.  That they went to take a View of the Prosecutor’s House, but disprov’d of the Attempt, as not thinking it easy to be perform’d; But the Prisoner perswaded them that it might easily be done, he knowing the House, he having liv’d with the Prosecutor.  That thereupon he cut the Cellar Bar, went into the Cellar, got into the Shop, and brought out three Parcels of Cloth, which they carried away.  The Prisoner had also confest the Fact when he was apprehended, and before the Justice.  The Fact being plainly prov’d, the Jury found him guilty of the Indictment.

Sentence of Death was pronounc’d upon him accordingly.  Several other Prosecutions might have been brought against him, but this was thought sufficient to rid the World of so Capital an Offender:  He beg’d earnestly for Transportation, to the most extream Foot of his Majesty’s Dominions; and pleaded Youth, and Ignorance as the Motive which had precipitated him into the Guilt; but the Court deaf to his Importunities, as knowing him, and his repeated Crimes to be equally flagrant, gave him no satisfactory Answer:  He return’d to his dismal Abode the Condemn’d Hold, where were Nine more unhappy Wretches in as dreadful Circumstances as himself.  The Court being at Windsor, the Malefactors had a longer Respite than is usual; during that Recess, James Harman, Lumley, Davis and Sheppard agreed upon an Escape, concerted Measures, and provided Instruments to make it effectual; but put off the Execution of their Design, on Account the two Gentlemen having their hopes of Life daily renewed by the favourable Answers they receiv’d from some considerable Persons; but those vanishing the day before their Execution, and finding their Sentence irreversible, they two dropt their hopes, together with the Design, they form’d for an Escape, and so in earnest prepar’d to meet Death on the Morrow, (which