The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1858-02-09 00:00:00

SALISBURY.
ROBBERY AT CHARLTON PARK.

At the Weetminster Police Court on Friday,
John Farbon, a middle-aged man of respectable
appearance, holding the appointment of messenger
at the War-office, was charged with having bur-
glarioualy broken and entered the mansion of the
Earl of Suffolk at Charlton-park, Wilts, and stolen
therefrom paintings valued at £lO,OOO.
Inspector Witcher, of the detective police, said
that on the 11th of October, 1856, a teleg.raphio
message was received in London from the Earl of
Suffolk stating that his mansion at Chariton-park
had been entered on the previous night, and ten
valuable oil paintings stolen from the drawing-room,
the pictures having all been taken out of their
frames, which were left. Witness was immediately
directed by Sir Richard Mayne to go to Charlton-
park, and use every endeavour to apprehend the rob-
ber or robbers. He accordingly hastened thither, and
upon examining the mansion found that an entrance
had been effected in the following manner :—An iron
grating in the rear, which covered a small area, had
been forced up, by which a window opening into the
basement story could be approached, and, a square
of glass having been taking out, the fastening of the
window was undone, by which access was easily ob-
tained to the interior of the mansion. The
paintings had been taken out of the frames as before
described, and the house had been left by the front
door. The result of diligent inquiry in the neigh-
bourhood showed that a man answering the descrip-
tion of the prisoner had arrived at Swindon station
at 9 o'clock on the night previous to the burglary,
and, being then 15 miles from Charlton-park,he7a
guide to show him the way to Minety. They travel-
led on foot, and arrived there at 12 at night, when
the man dismissed his guide and went in the direc-
tion of his lordship's mansion, which was a few
miles distant. The same man was seen at about 6
the following morning on foot, carrying two large par-
cels, loosely wrapped in brown paper, coming from
the direction of Charlton-park, and, after proceeding
some distance, he gave a lad who was going the same
way 6d. to allow him to put the bundles across a
horse, in which way he arrived at Cricklade, where
he went to an inn, and, having breakfasted, hired a
gig to convey him to Swindon, which he reached in
time for the quarter past 9 up train, and came to
London with the parcels, where he was lost sight of.
Looking at the circumstances under which the bur-
glary had been committed, witness felt assured that
it must have been committed or aided by some per-
son intimately acquainted with the premises; but,
although he turned his attention to servants who
had been in the establishment of late years, and ap-
plied himself in every way to glean some intelligence
which might serve as a clue to the perpetrators of
the robbery, his attempts were abortive, and the
whole affair slumbered until a few days ago, when
information was received which led to the appre-
hension of the prisoner. On her ladyship coming
to town last week it was determined to advertise
the stolen paintings again, offering at the same time
a large reward for theitorecovery, or for any informa-
tion upon the subject, and the result fortunately
was that Mr. Luff, of Elizabeth-street, Pimlico,
promptly communicated that he had the painting
by Leonardo do Vinci of the Virgin and Child
stolen from his Lordship's, and stated to be
worth £4,000, and a valuable landscape. Witness
learned from Mr. Luff, who readily afforded every fa-
cility, that he had purchased them of the prisoner,
whose address he gave at 40, Ebury-street, Pimlico.
By an arrangement entered into between Mr. Luff
and witness the prisoner was sent for by the former,
, the latter keeping watch for him in Ebury-street,
and capturing him when he left his house. Witness
then asked him how he became pea/seined of the two
pictures he sold to Mr. Luff, when he replied that he
had purchased them in Petticoat-lane for 255. Wit-
ness and Sergeant Lockyer then searched the prison-
er's house, When Lockyer discovered a third painting
concealed between the roof and ceiling. Prisoner
then admitted his guilt, expressed his regret, and
said he would make every reparation in his power by
disclosing where the rest of the paintings were. He
then told witness that if he searched a box in a cup-
board at the foot of the stairs in his house he would
find four pawnbrokers' duplicates relating to paint-
ings, and there were two more of the picture* at the
War-Office concealed behind a large press, and
attached to a string, the end of which he gave him
directions how to find. These, with • pawnbrokere
ticket in prisoner's pocket, constituted the whole of
the stolen property. Prisoner was formerly a valet
to his lords-hip, but left the service ten years ago.
Mr. Arnold having inquired what course was in-
tended to be taken respecting the accured's examina-
tion,
Inspector Whitcher said be had felt it his duty to
bring the prisoner to that court in obedience to the
existing orders, as he had been apprehended in that
district, where the property had also been found, but
he whaled to convey the accused at once into Wilt-
shire, where the offence had been committed, and
where the witnesses to various facts resided.

Mr. Arnold accordingly marked the police-sheet,
u required by the regulations of the Metropolitan
Police, and the prisoner was taken out of the dock
to be conveyed to the country.
It was stated that Lord Suffolk had obtained for
the accused hie appointment at the War-office.

BANKRUPTS.

(From the London Gazette of Tuesday.)
John Watson Littler, Lower Edmonton apothecary.
Thomas Elisha Deacon, Hemel Hainsteld, tanner.
Francis Stevens Earls Barton, Nottinghamshire, cur-
_rier.

Tl;o—Mu. Tomkinion Riley, Wolverhampton, wine

,
merchant.
William Newsy, Wolverhampton, grocer.
John Burgess, Tipton, Staffordshire, licensed victual.
ler.
John Knibb, Dunchurch, Warwielcshire, baker.
Benjamin Hill, Wolverhampton, licensed victualler.
Michael Michael, Aberaman, Glamorganshire, grocer.
John Browne, Plymouth, hinge maker.
James Bradbury, Huddersfield, grocer.
John Schofield, Batley, Yorkshire, mason.
Lewis Dramasld, Leeds, ropemaker.
William Wadsworth and John Harrison, Salford, cot.
ton waste dealers.
William Bowes, Keswick, Cumberland, epado menu.
lecturer.
Henry Brown, North Shields, shipowner.
(From the Loadon Oasette of Friday.)

William and Thomas Cusse Keynes, Belisbnry, min-
tioneers.
Edward Benjamin Brodie, Argyle-street, King's Cross,

cooper.
Vincent Somalvico, Charles-street, Hatton-garden,
manufacturing optician.
William Weller, Woolwich, stonemason.
Frederick Thomas Ryder, Parton-terrace, Ledbury-
road, Bayswater, grocer.
William :Mon Hartley, Whitney and Elvetham, Hemp-
brickmaker.
Reginald George Ramlpi Bloodier's, Upper East Smith-
field and Hampshire-terrains, Camden-road-villas,
bonded store merchant.
Arthur Rios Januar, Winahfiekl, Hampshire, buyer of
thrashing machines.
Edward Bell, Wapping-wall, Wapping, ship chandler.
William Minors, Smethwick, Staffordshire, draper.
John Archibald Fitzpatrick, Alrewas, Staffordshire,
victualler.
George Dean, Nottingham, Naples and Sardinian cord
I manufact
urer.
Robert Dowling, Westbury, Wiltshire, tailor.
John Borne, Cardiff, builder.
Henry Challenger, Bristol, victualler.
Robert George Webb, Liverpool, draper.
Charles Wharton, Sandbach, Cheshire, miller.
Joseph Renniaon, Huddersfield, wine merchant.
Thomas Peckstone, Scarborough, linendraper.
Edward Fenton, Dewchuxy, Yorkshire, ref/ dealer.
John Burn, Radcliffe and Manchester, calico printer.
Lewis Smith Knight, Manchester, hardwareman.
George John Brown, Hartlepool, rope manufacturer.