Sayyiduna al-Harith bin Hatib (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned (Sayyiduna Abdullah) bin al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with them both) and said: He has long been very eager for leadership. We asked: How so? He said: A thief was brought to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and he (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered that he be killed. It was said to him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he had only stolen, so he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Cut off his hand." Later he was brought to Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), having stolen again, and his hands and feet had already been cut off. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I find nothing for you except what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) decreed about you on the day he (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered that you be killed, for he (peace and blessings be upon him) knew you better than we do. Then he sent some young boys from the sons of the Muhajirun to kill him, and I was among them. Abdullah bin al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: Make me your leader over us. Then we set off with him. The narrator then related the rest of the incident.
Hadith Referenceالمعجم الكبير للطبراني / باب الحاء / 3396