The Press. — London, England, 1856-11-22 00:00:00

1114 ARRANGEMENTS have been entered into with Mr. Francis of New York, for the adaptation of his mAtallic army floating-waggons for the use of the British Government. An apparatus is ordered to be fitted out by the War Department in the establish ment of Woolwich Arsenal for the manufacture of the waggons on the spot, and under their own control. VIcE-ADMIRAI. SIR M. F. F. BERKELEY, K.C.8., Senior Sea Lord of the Admiralty, visited Portsmouth on Monday to inspect the new slipway works at Haslar Beach, for hauling up and stowing away the gun and mortar boat flotilla. Obituarl PRINCE LEININOEN, who died on Thursday week, after only a few days' illness, was only son of his Serene Highness Enrich Charles Prince of 'Ain ingen, by his marriage with Princess Victoria Marie Louise of Saxe Coburg (now her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent), and consequently half brother of her Majesty. The deceased prince was born on the 12th of September, 1804, and succeeded his father on the 4th of July, 1814, being then only in his eleventh year. On the 12th of September, 1823, he was declared to be of age. He entered the mili tary service of the King of Bavaria, in which army he held the rank of lieutenant-general, and was Colonel-in-Chief of the sth Regiment of Cavalry. His late Serene Highness married, the 13th of February, 1839, Marie (nee Countess of Klebels berg), by whom he leaves issue, Prince Ernest, born 9th of November, 1830, and Prince Edward, born :3rd of January, 1833. The deceased is succeeded by Prince Ernest, above named, lieutenant in the British navy. His Serene Highness distinguished himself during the naval operations in the Black Sea, and obtained his lieutenancy in April last year; in May last be was appointed second lieutenant to her Majesty's steam frigate Magicienne. The titles of the late prince were :—Count de Linange, 1220; Landgrave, 4th of October, 1444; Prince of the Empire, 3rd of July, 1779; hereditary member of First Chamber of the kingdom of Bavaria, 26th of May, 1818; and hereditary member of the First Chamber of the Grand Duchy of Baden, 22nd of May, 1833. PRINCE WORONZOFF died at Odessa on the 18th inst., in the seventy-fourth year of his age. The intelligence was yesterday received in London by telegraph. The prince had only arrived at Odessa a few weeks since. Michael Woronzoff, the son of Count Simon Woronzoff, was born at St. Petersburg on the 17th of May, 1782. It has frequently been said that he was a native of England ; but the fact is, that his father was not appointed ambassador to this country until shortly after the late Prince Woronzoff was born. When the Emperor Paul took part with Napoleon against us, the mission of Count Woronzoff as ambassador was, of course, interrupted ; but he continued to reside in London. Upon the accession of Alexander he resumed the embassy, and resided in London, with a few short intervals of absence, until his death, in 1832. His son, Michael, thus received an English education, whilst his daughter, sister to the subject of our memoir, mar ried an English nobleman, the late Earl of Pem broke, and became the mother of the Right Hcn. Sidney Herbert, M.P. Michael Woronzoff, at the age of nineteen, entered the Russian army, served in the Caucasus, then in several campai;ns against Napoleon from 1812 to 1814. He represented Russia at the conference of Aix-la-Chapelle. In 1823 be was appointed Governor of New Russia, and continued to hold that office until the late war. He was engaged in the Turkish war of 1828, anci held the command after Menschikutf had been wounded at Varna. In 1845 he was sent to subdue the Cir cassians, and although the brave mountaineers were able to resist even the immense forces at his com mand, he succeeded in the capture of Dargo, one of Schamyl's strongholds in the Caucasus, and was rewarded with a princedom. The civil administra tion of Prince Wuronzoff has undoubtedly entitled him to much praise. When the conflict between Russia and the allies broke out in 1853, he was permitted, at his own urgent request, to retire from office. Sir nzctaau TREL BART., of Trelawny, Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall, died on the 15th instant. Sir William was born in 1781, and is succeeded in the baronetcy by Mr., now Sir John Sainsbury Tre lawny, formerly member for Tavistock. MR. DAVID BOGUE, the well•known publisher, of St. Bri le's passage, Fleet-street, died suddenly on Wednesday morning. Thu event was entirely un looked for, the deceased gentleman not having suf fered from any premonitory indisposition. On Tues day Mr . Bogue was in th e Ci ty transact i ng hi s usua l b ic iness. On the eeening of that day he was at h , me with his family at his residence in Camden town, and retired to rest in his accustomed health sal spirits. About eight o'clock on Wednesday morning he complained of a sudden seize of suffoca- II&IINIMMINIIMINIMIIMMEll THE PRESS. tion, almost immediately afterwards became speech less, and in two or three minutes died. The deceased was greatly respected fur the uprightness and straightforwardness which marked all his transac tions. ply anti Volta. LORD ERNEST VANE TE3IPEST AGAIN !—The fol lowing proceedings took place on 'l.lnrsday in the Court of Queen's Bench : THE QUEEN V. LORD ERNEST VANE TEMPEST CRIMINAL INFORMATION. Sir F. THESiGEIt applied for a criminal information against Lord Ernest Vane Tempest, for an outrage and assault committed upon Mr. Ames, with the view of pro. yoking him to a breach of the peace. Mr. Ames was a cornet in the 4th Light Dragoons. Lord Ernest Vane Tempest was a cornet in the same regiment until the lith of October last, but circumstances occurred between him and Mr. Ames which led ultimately to the former leaving the regiment. The affidavit stated nothing more than that since that period Mr. Ames had hat! no communication at all with Lord Ernest Vane Tempest, and had said nothing and done nothing which could provoke him. On the 31st of October Mr. Ames was standing, in the evening, in one of the streets of Brighton, near Dorset-gardens, talking to a female, when Lord Ernest Vane Tempest came up and spat in his face, and called him a blackguard and a coward. Mr. Ames said he did not like to create a dis turbance in the street, and told Lord Ernest Vane Tempest that he would hear of this again. As a matter of course, the occurrence became known to the regiment. The adjutant wrote to Mr. Ames to know what notice he meant to take of it ; and he told him that he had placed the affair in the hands of his solicitor, under whose advice the present application was made. Lard CA3II:IS - 17.1.1. : Take a rule to show cause. Rule nisi. THE GREAT GOLD ROBBERY OF '55. THE examination of the prisoners connected with the above robbery was resumed on Monday before the Lord Mayor. The convict Agar continued his evidence. Having at the previous examination detailed the history of the origin and execution of this notable robbery, he now proceeded to state what was done with the gold as soon as they had safely got it in their possession. The gold coin—about 5001. or 6001. worth—was soon disposed of for notes at different money-changers in St. Mary Axe and the Haymarket, the gold was melted into bars of a hundred ounces each and partially disposed of by sale, through the instrumentality of "a barrister" and a gold and pigeon fancier named Saward, of whom the police are just now actively in search. Agar described the process of melting down the gold into bars in the most business-like manner : The next morning, as the robbery took place the night before, we sold the cuin, and then proceeded to Pierce's house. He hired the horse and cart, and we took the gold from his house to my house at Shepherd's•bush. We both went in the cart. Fanny Kay ( the female who lived with witness as his wife) and my servant girl were there when we arrived, and Pierce and I took the gold into the front parlour, and placed it behind the door. I afterwards placed it in my trunk in my bedroom. Pierce helped me in with it. That gold was afterwards melted. None of it had been sold before it was melted. I think not. Mr LEwis : Had any of the bar gold been sold ?—Yes ; a hundred ounces of the bar gold was sold before any had been melted. This was about three or four weeks after the gold was taken to Shepherd's•bush. Mr. BODKIN: Ttli us how you got this hundred ounces off the bar. Witness : We took the bar into the washhouse and cut it off with a chisel and a heavy hammer. We took it off a long bar of Australian gold. It took us about fifteen minutes to cut it off: the gold was very tough and very hard. The hammer I had at the time was too light, and Pierce boaght a heavier one at a tool-maker's of the name of Buck, in Tottenhatn-court•ro,ad. Fanny Kay was in the house at the time the hundred ounces were cut from the bar. The windows were whitened, so that nobody could see what we were doing in the washhouse. Fanny Kay knocked at the door several times for a saucepan and other things, which we handed out to her ; but we did not let her in. and she did not know what we were doing. Pierce sold the hundred ounces at 31. per ounce, and brought back the 3001., and I took possession of it. The remainder of the gold was then melted by Pierce and myself. We first of all out the gold into small pieces. We then took the stove out of the grate in the back room on the first floor, and built a furnace. I told Pierce I should want some firebricks, as a strong heat would be required in the process of melting, and he purchased four fire•bncks and brought them to my house in a large canvas bag in a cart. (Mr. Bodkin here showed the witness three fire-bricks.) The brick shown me is one of those which we used in the fuinaoe. That (pointing to the side of the brick) was the side of the brick next the fire. Mr. BonziN : There are some particles of gold adhering to this stone.—l identify the brick by a hole which I cut in it to make a draught. Mr. Booms : Tell me whether you see some particles of gold sticking to it now. Mr. Lewis : Those particles are beneath his notice. (I,anghter. ) Mr. BODKIN : But they are not beneath ours. ( Laughter.) Witness : I can see several pieces of gold sticking to the side o the brick. Mr. L o : Now, have you seen these stones, or either of them. f om the time they were used until I showed you them din moment? SATURDAY, Witness: Never; I left them at Cambridge•villa, in the garden. We used charcoal and coke for the melting, and we procured it at a place in St. John•street, IVilderness•row. We melted the gold in five or six cruci bles, which Pierce and I bought in St. Joan•square, Clerk enwell. We were engaged three or four days in the melt ing. Fanny Kay was in the house on some occasions while this operation was going on, but on one occasion I sent her away to see her child. Pierce used to come in the morning and go away in the evening. We never admitted Fanny Kay into the room where we were melting. The action of the furnace created a very great heat. Fanny Kay made the remark that the place was very hot, and that we ap peared to be in a great perspiration, and she wanted t) know what we were doing. The bricks got so hot on one occasion that we were afraid the house would catch fire, and we were obliged to extinguish it, in order that the bricks might get cool. Eventually we succeeded it, melt ing the whole of the gold. During the process, however, an accident occurred to one of the crucibles. In lifting it out of the fire, the bit of which the tongs had hold broke off, and the crucible fell, part of the liquid gold falling into a tub of water, and part running over the fluor, which it burnt. We melted the gold into bars, weighrng about a hundred ounces esch. The bars were then placed in my trunk in the bedroom, where they remained for some little time. We then removed them to Pierce's house, in Crown terrace, Hampstead•road. They were taken in a cart which Pierce hired, and which he afterwards took home. After this, about 2,500/. worth of the gold was ex changed for notes, and the money divided (SOO/. each) between the four confederates, Pierce, Agar, Bur gess, and Tester—Burgess getting an extra hundred for a bonus on his proving so trustworthy a guard. About 7,0001. worth of gold now remained on hand. Pierce held it. In about a week, Agar was arrested and convicted of forgery. When taken he left Fanny Kay and his child to Pietce's care, with a large sum of money in the funds for their benefit. Pierce con trived to get hold of this money, turned Fanny Kay and her child adrift, and suffered for this piece of grasping double villany. Fanny Kay, penniless and starving, informed. Agar, on learning how Pierce had behaved, confessed, and hence the story in 1856 of the great gold robbery of 1855. Among the many curious points of rogue life elicited in this inquiry, is one showing the large sums of money these fellows at times possess. In reply to Mr. Bodkin as to what arrangements he made on his arrest for the care of his child, Agar re plied : The day I was arrested Pierce walked with me from Stanley.place down to Shepherd's•bush. I then got the child's perambulator and clothing, and gave them to Pierce. I then proceeded by omnibus to keep an appointment I had at the house of a man named Humpbre)s, but 1 was arrested on my road upon suspicion of the charge of which I have been convicted. After my arrest, the money I had in the bank was sold out, and Mr. Wontuer received it. Mr. GOODMAN ( chief clerk) : How do you know that ? Three thousand pound. which I had in the Bank of England was brought to me when I was at Newgate. Mr. BODKIN : You had That sum in the Bank ?—Yes ; it was brought to me in Newgate. I gate it to Mr. Wontuer, who kept it for some little while. He then asked me what he was to do with it, and I told him that 1 wished it to be turned over. Mr. BODKIN : Did you ever see Pierce upon that sub ject ?—No; I never saw him after I was arrested. The money was given to him with the understanding that he was to reinvest it for my child, which he has never done. The money was to be disposed of for the benefit of my child and Fanny Kay. 2,5001. was the amount that was given back to Pierce, as Mr. Wontner informed me. I never saw Pierce after my arrest till I saw him at the bar of this court. I received some letters from him, the last two of which I gave to Mr. Rees. He wrote to me when I was at'Peutonville, and sent me two books and the por trait of my child when I was at Portland. Mr. WONTNER : Before we leave this part of the evi dence I wish to be qaite correct. Yon spoke of 3,0001.; that was the amount of the stock ?—Yes ; the amount of the stock was 3,0001., and the amount given to Pierce was 2,5001. Mr. BODKIN : There is no doubt that Mr. Wontner be- haved properly upon that occasion, as he has done on all other occasions, as far as my knowledge extends. (To the witness.) The stock produced 2,500/. you Ray ?—More than that. I have stated that 2,5001. was to be invested for the benefit of the child and mother. and the difference between that and what the stock realised was to go towards the expense of defending me at my trial. I expected Pierce to come to me, but he never came. He got the whole of my money in notes, and 2001. in gold, as well as the remaining bars which had not. been disposed of when I was arrested. In his examination by Mr. Lewis, Agar's replies are sometimes characteristic and peculiar. It is amusing and not uninstructive to observe how he repels the charge of crimes which he declares he has never committed : Mr. LEWIS : You have admitted yourself to be con victed of forgery, to be a thief, to have forged false keys, and to be a conspirator. Tell me when you first com menced any of those employments.—t am not a forger. I never was a forger. Mr. Lewis : When did you first commence uttering forged instruments ?—1 never uttered any forged instru ments. I was convicted of forgery, but it was through a mistake on the part of the man who swore falsely. I never uttered a forged instrument i n m y lif e . Mr. LEWIS : Within ten or a dozen years ( I do not want to be nearer than that) how many times have you received the proceeds of forgery ?—Probably four or five.