Jerusalem Talmud Bava Kamma 10.3

משנה: הַמַּכִּיר כֵּלָיו אוֹ סְפָרָיו בְּיַד אַחֵר אִם יָצָא לוֹ שֵׁם גְּנֵיבָה בָּעִיר יִשָּׁבַע כַּמָּה הוֹצִיא וְיִטּוֹל. וְאִם לָאו לֹא הֵימֶנּוּ שֶׁאֲנִי אוֹמֵר מֲכָרָן לְאַחֵר וּלְקָחָן זֶה מִמֶּנּוּ.

MISHNAH: If one recognizes his own vessels or books in the hand of another, if the theft was a known fact in town, [the other] shall swear to him how much he paid and take this amount. Otherwise he cannot be believed, for I am saying that he had sold the items to a third party and the other had bought them from there.

הלכה: הַמַּכִּיר כֵּלָיו אוֹ סְפָרָיו כול׳. אָמַר רִבִּי בָּא בַּר מָמָל. בְּדִין הוּא שֶׁלֹּא יִשְׁבַּע. וְלָמָּה אָמְרוּ. יִשְׁבַּע. שֶׁלֹּא יְהוּ בַעֲלֵי בָתִּים נִטְפָּלִין לַגַּנָּבִים. רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי אָמַר. וְהוּא שֶׁיָּצָא לוֹ שֵׁם שֶׁנִּגְנְבוּ סְפָרָיו. רַב אָמַר. צָרִיךְ לְהָבִיא רְאָיָיה שֶׁלָּן עִמּוֹ בְאוֹתוֹ הַלַּיְלָה. אַסִּי אָמַר. אִם טָעַן לוֹמַר. מִפְּלוֹנִי לְקַחְתִּים. נֶאֱמָן. אָתָא עוֹבְדָא קוֹמֵי רִבִּי נָסָא וְלֹא קְבִיל. מַה פְלִיג. אָמְרֵי. בַּר נַשׁ דָּעַקִּין הֲוָה. בְּגִין כֵּן לֹא קְבִיל.

HALAKHAH: “If one recognizes his own vessels or books,” etc. Rebbi Abba bar Mamal said, it would have been correct that they should not have to swear. Why did they say they have to swear? That homeowners should not be fences. Rebbi Joshua ben Levi said, only if it was a known fact that his books had been stolen. Rav said, he has to bring proof that he stayed there the night in question. Assi said, if he claims: “I bought them from X,” he is to be believed. A case came before Rebbi Nasa and he did not accept it. Does he disagree? They said, he was a known troublemaker; therefore he did not accept the case.