The Manchester Times Friday, October 24th 1828 Salford Michaelmas Sessions Monday: John WHITTAKER and John ROBINSON stood charged with stealing a pair of trowsers from John WIBERLY. The case was simply this:- The two prisoners went to the stall of the prosecutor, who was selling ready-made clothes in the market at Rochdale, and while ROBINSON was looking at some clothing, WHITTAKER contrived to secret a pair of trowsers, and walk away with them. The transaction, however, seen by a man named BUTTERWORTH, who cried "stop thief," and WHITTAKER was stopped, and taken back to the stall, where ROBINSON was charged with being accessary to the robbery, which he denied, and said he knew nothing of WHITTAKER. WHITTAKER had pleaded guilty, and ROBINSON not guilty, and the only question for the jury to try was whether ROBINSON was cognizant of the felony. The same witness who saw the robbery, declared that he had also seen the prisoners on the Yorkshire road together, coming toward Rochdale; and the prosecutor stated, that they seemed to be intimately acquainted, and assisted each other to fit the clothes on. In his defence ROBINSON again denied that he had ever seen WHITTAKER before they met together at the stall, and WHITTAKER said the same. The circumstances in ROBINSON's favour were, that he did not attempt to go away with WHITTAKER, and when searched had £1 18s upon him, while WHITTAKER had nothing. The jury found ROBINSON not guilty, and WHITTAKER guilty; but not having been previously convicted, he was sentenced to three months imprisonment. Sarah SHACKLETON, Nancy STANFIELD and Hannah NUTTALL, were indicted for stealing a pair of shoes from a shopkeeper at Todmorden, named ROBERTS. The three prisoners had gone into the prosecutor's shop, and asked to see some shoes. There were none that suited them, and they were leaving the shop without purchasing anything, when Mr ROBERT's son stopped STANFIELD, and took from her a pair of shoes which he accused her of having stolen. She denied it, and said she had brought them in with her; and further said to SHACKLETON, "you brought them from Manchester last week, did not you?" SHACKLETON did not reply, but on STANFIELD repeating the question, she replied that she had. Being certain that they were his father's shoes, he took the prisoners into custody, and, on being searched, SHACKLETON alone had any money. STANFIELD pleaded guilty, and, as in the last case, the only question was whether the parties were all cognizant to the felony. The jury found Hannah NUTTALL not guilty, and Sarah SHACKLETON guilty; and she and STANFIELD were sentenced to three months imprisonment. John BONE stood indicted for having stolen two gold seals, one watch key, and one ring, from the person of John SHAW, at Bolton, on the 21st of September. John SHAW stated, that he was a chair-maker at Little Bolton, and was passing along bank street about one o'clock of the morning of the 21st of September, when he was met by the prisoner and two other men. The prisoner asked him where he was going, and on his replying that he was not going far, said he should treat them. Prosecutor said he would not, and was crossing the street to go away, when someone struck him on the back. He turned round and asked what that was for, and the prisoner replied "to make you pay for a quart of ale," and at the same moment snatched at his watch ribbon, which broke, leaving the seals, key, and ring in the prisoner's possession. He and the men then ran away, pursued by him, but they got away. RAWLINSON, the constable of Bolton, stated that he took the prisoner into custody the same morning, and found in his possession the ribbon, seals, key, and ring, which were produced. The prosecutor was recalled, and identified the articles as his; and the were handed over to the chairman for his inspection. Chairman - How do you know these seals? Prosecutor - I know them very well; one of the seals has a head on, and the other is plain. Chairman - Then if one of them has not a head on they are not yours? Prosecutor - No. Chairman - Then look at this, and see if it is a head. I think it is a pigeon carrying a letter. The prosecutor examined the seals, and looked rather blank when he found that it was as the chairman had stated. He insisted that they were his seals nevertheless. Chairman - That will not do for the jury, I assure you, nor for me either. How can you possibly say they are yours, when one of yours has a head on. The prosecutor said he supposed he must be mistaken about the head; he know the other seal better, and was sure they were his. The prisoner, on being asked for his defence, said that seals were given to him by a woman who was in the court. The woman in question, Jane SMITH, the wife of the prisoner's brother, stated that she and the prisoner and two other men were going home about half-past one along Bank street, when she picked up the seals, which she gave to the prisoner. One of the men who was with her confirmed this statement. The chairman put it to the jury whether, from the evidence of the prosecutor, they were satisfied as to the identity, and if so, if the prisoner's was the hand that snatched the seals. The jury acquitted the prisoner.