The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-12-25 00:00:00

THE LONDON BURGLARIES.
EXTRAORDINARY REVELATIONS.

At the Westminster Police-court, William Whistler,
Echnond Hopper, and William Russell, the last-
named over 70 years of age, described as a, dealer of
Bolsover-street, Marylebone, were charged before
Mr. Partridge on remand with being concerned in
burglaries at the West-End and other parts of the
metropolis. The cases already partially gone into in-
clude the burglary in Audley-square in May last,
when jewellery of the value of £3OOO was stolen, and
an attempt to break into a dwelling-house in Queens-
berry-place, South Kensington. Against Whistler
and his father-in-law Russell a number of fresh
charges were preferred by Inspector Conquest.
Among others that they conspired to commit a
burglary at Brompton-square, and felonioasly re-
ceived jewellery to the value of £BO stolen
therefrom; that they conspired to- break into
the house of Mr. P. H. Edlin, Q.C., the
assistant-judge, No. 64, Queensberry-terrace, Bays-
watsr, and were concerned in feloniously entering an
adjacent unoccupied house. There were also charges
of breaking into houses in Ladbroke-gardens, Bays-
water, Upper Brook-street, and in conjunction with
a man named Evans, now undergoing a term of penal
servitude, with a burglary and robbery at 9, Lan-
caster-gate, the residence of Mr. Charles Stanley.
Mr. Sims prosecuted for the Treasury, and Me. Freke
Palmer defended Hopper. It was stated at the last
hearing that Whistler had been identified as the man
who shot a constable with a revolver at Marylebone
Church, and evidence was given by an informer
named Gosling that in course of a conversation with
Whistler relative to the Queensberry-place burglary,
he (Whistler) produced a " hull-dog ' revolver, and
, made use of horrible threats to kill any one who tried
.to arrest him. The boy Arthur Gibbs gave evidence
of great length, and without the least hesitation, as to
the burglaries in which he had been concerned. He
now further deposed, in reply to questions from Mr.
Sims, that a letter was written by Russell to Whistler
respecting the Brighton "job." Then was a Post
Office order for £1 in the letter to pay
their expenses to Brighton, and they were to
meet Russell on the racecourse. They went and
met Russell, who pointed out a house. Whistler was
to lift him over the wall at the back, and he was to
lie on the grass until the signal was given for him
"to go to work." The signal was to be the flashing of
two fusees if he was going to work, and one if he was
to come out. He got into an empty house at night,
and into the one next door which was "spotted," but
he only obtained a brooch there, and Whistler was
rather annoyed to find that it was aluminium and not
gold. They made a mistake as to the character of the
house, which contained several sewing machines.
tie went back to Dartford with Whistler, and re-
mained there some days. Then they went to Stan-
hope-gate, and fo-and Russell waiting. Russell told
them that he had " spotted " a place in Upper Brook-
street, and that they were to walk behind him.
Whistler received a knife, a jemmy, and a chisel from
"the old man," and handed the tools to witness.
Russell walked to an estate agent's office, putting on a
pair of blue glasses, and came out with a little boy to
show him over a house which was to let in Upper-
Brook-street. The boy unlocked the door, and both
went in. Witness and Whistler followed at a distaness
of about 20 yards. He (Gibbs) had orders to get close
up and wait outside until the signal was given. Russell
arranged to leave his umbrella and gloves downstairs,
and when about leaving to find out they were missing.
Then he was to tell the boy with him to fetch them,
and while he was gone witness was to run upstairs and
hide, remaining in the house until he had the signal
to go to work next door. He waited outside, Whistler
walking up and dowa on the other Fide, but a sergeant
of police came up and eyed him (witness), so he was
obliged to walk off. On another occasion he mine to
London to Whistler, and met RusEell at Hyde-park.
They went to Queensborough-terrace, Bayswater.
On the way there Russell and Whistler conversed.
Whistler gave witness a long jemmy. Witness
continued: We made our way to Queensborough-
terrace. Whistler said the "old man" had "spotted"
a house, and in looking over one to let adjacent
had managed to leave the area door unfastened.
The house was pointed out to me—it wise an empty
house—and I was to go upstairs and wait for the
signal the same as beforo. I was "to go to work" at
a house two doors away. I got over the railings of
the empty house and found the door locked. I met
Russell and Whistler at the Albert Memorial. We
sat down, and Russell said, "Do you know who you
would have ' done ?' " I said, "No." He said, " Why,
the old judge who sent me away." (Laughter.) Mr.
Sims: The house to be robbed was No. 64. That is
Mr. Edlin's house, the judge at the Middlesex Sessions.
Witness: We had a good laugh over it. Russell left
us in the park, and we went back to Dartford. Wit-
ness then gave evidence as to a second attempt at
Queensborough-terrace. He said: We all went to
Qaeensborough-terrace. I went to the same empty
house, stood in the doorway, got on the dining-room
window ledge and forced the window up. The catch
inside snapped in half. I got inside the house, shut
the window after me, and found the door of the room
locked on the outside. I just put in the jemmy and
it came open. (Laughter.) It was pouring with rain. I
did not like to do it after all, and so I came out. Mr.
Partridge: Why did not you like to do it after all?
Witness: Because it was the judge's. (Loud laughter.)
1 met Whistler and Evans outside by a pillar-box, and
I told them that the door was locked and I could not
get in. We made no further attempt at Queens-
borough-terrace. After some further evidence, the
case was again remanded.

_
"And may be the most arrant hypocrite in the
world," he said, with a man's aptitude for jumping to
the most uncomfortable conclusion possible.
"I don't think she is, and I shall go to the hotel.
By-the bye, you had better give me some sort of
credential. A stranger asking to see an insensible
patient might be looked upon as a little crazy."
He gave me a note, and I sallied forth, just saying
a hasty word to Clarice before I left, to keep her
from wondering what had become of me. But Mrs.
Davis was taking good care of her, and making her
feel at home. I found the mistress of the hotel a nice
motherly person, who had taken all pains to make her
unexpected and not particularly welcome guest as
comfortable as possible.
"I'm sure we shall be thankful to see anyone that
knows him, poor young fellow," she said gently as she
ushered me upstairs. "It isn't what it costs, for he
has plenty of money about him; but it's the fear he
will die without saying so much as a word to tell us
who he is or where he comes from. He just moans,
and tosses, and calls for her all the time.'
"For whom?"
"Goodness knows; just 'Clarice, Clarice, my dar-
ling; ' that's all. Sometimes he'll say, It was all for
her—all for her,' and then moan again enough to
make your heart ache to hear him. He's badly hurt;
but the doctor thinks better of him now, and the
police hope that he will be able to give them some
clue soon."
" Clarice," I said, breathlessly, "is that the name
he calls. Are you sure?"
"You wouldn't make any mistake if you heard
him," the landlady said, as she opened the door of a
comfortable bed room, where everything was aa clean
as bands could make it, and a fat, good-natured-
looking nurse, with not the slightest resemblance to
to Mrs. Gamp, was i.itting watching.
"He's better," she said. ',The doctor ban just
been, and says he will wake sensible he thinks. If
only some of his friends could be found!"
"I have brought one," I said, gently, with a look
at the dark head lying all unconscious on the pillow.
"I bare brought Clarice."
I think they thought I was mad till I explained,
and then they sent for the young girl, who came
softly and stood beside the bed with a curious awed
look on her pretty face.
"I knew I should find him," she said very softly.
"Fred, my darling, you will live now for me."
I left he to the landlady and the nurse, and went
back to Mr. Arbuthnot, and we telegraphed for Mrs.
Burt; and before I left Alderford I had the satisfac-
tion of seeing the brother and sister together, and
Clarice, almost frightened at her own happiness,
established with them in the hotel. Frederick Halli-
day could tell nothing about his assailant. He could
only imagine that he had been followed by some one
who knew of the money he carried in his belt, and who
bad been cihturbed or'failed to find it. Whichever it
was it was safe, though be had been robbed of his
watch and what money he had in his pocket, besides
his coat and cap and the scarf.
Doubtless the police would soon find out, I thought,
and I took my leave of the party on Christmas-eve to
return to town. They begged me to stay, but I had
given my word to the friends I was going to see, and
I could not break it; so promising to see them all
again very soon, I bade them good-bye. Clarice
accompanied me to the station, and we embraced each
other tenderly as we said adieu.
"You must write and let me know how he gets on,"
I said, and she promised she would.
I don't know what first made me notice that I was
travelling back to town in the same carriage in which
we bad journeyed down to Alderford. It did not
strike me till vie were a good many miles on the road.
I recognised it by the dirty stain and the scraped paint,
and somehow I wished I was not in it. 1 laughed at
myself for the notion the moment it had taken pos-
session of me; my nerves had been shaken, I told
myself, by the little romance in which I had borne is
part; there were other passengers in it as well as my-
self, but all but two left after a very short journey.
An old gentleman, who fell asleep and snored un-
pleasantly, and a young lady who was asleep also, or
might have taws, for she kept her veil down, were the
only persons left.
It was dark when we neared the river, and again I
saw the reflection of the carriage stretching away into
the darkness, and the images of myself and my cons-
panioes clearly defined against the blackness outside.
But there was another, a fourth, whom I had not
seen before; the man in the sailor's dress, and with
the brightssoloured scarf round his neck. I grew sick
and•cold as I looked at him. It was fancy, of course;
but it was a very disagreeble fancy, and I looked out
of the other window for the passing train that I was
sure must be there. There was nothing—only the
black night air and the whistle of the wind. I looked
back—the man was there, and even as I looked a
strange distortion seemed to come over his face ; an
agonised look, and the air seemed full of struggling
and writhing. Then, like a flash, he was gone, and
we had passed the bridge and were speeding away
over dry land again, with only the reflection of our-
seives in the darkness outside.
I looked at my two companions; they were still,
and uneonscious of anything unusual. It was only
my excited imagination that had played me this trick
—if it were only a trick. Presently a man got into
the carriage at one of the etetione, with some bills in
his hand. One dropped to the ground, and I picked
it up, looking at it as I handed it back to him.
"It an odd affair, ma'am." he said, as I read the
word " Missing " on the heading, and saw that it was
an announcement of some one having absconded. "He
was seen to get into a carriage on this very line
about a week ago in disguise.
" Disguise !" I said, feeling creepy; I hardly knew
why.
"Yes, dressed up as a sailor. He was no sailor;
but he was no to no good. He never was, as far as I
can learn; the party who saw him was sure. He had
on a queer scarf, all sorts of colours, and a sailor's cap;
but he could'ist hide himself, bless you, from any one
that knew him. lie's never been seen nor heard of
from that hour; but there's a scar on his face--bless
me, ma'am, are you ill?"
"No ; stop the train; let me get out. I can't stay
here," I gasped, and the man looked at me as if he
thought I was an escaped lunatic.
"I have seen him—seen him twice," I said. "He
is yonder in the river! Oh, what station is this?
Let me out, I say."
I was in such a state of agitation that I did not see.
we were at our journey's end, nor that the man was
taking particularly good care that I should not get
away from him. The porter who had refused to let
me into that particular carriage came to open the door,
with just the same queer set look on his face that it
had worn the morning I went away. It was like a
mask. The man with the bills evidently knew the
guard, who came up to see what was the matter, for
I suspect I looked either drunk or mad. I was
simply sick with fright. The description of the man
who was missing was that of the shadowy face that I
had twice seen, and the recollection of it filled me
with horror. THE RUSSIAN WAR PREPARATIONS.
" What is it ?" the guard asked; and the porter (From the Daily News correspondent.)
stood by, as if he must hear what we were saying. ST. PEIERSBURG, Monday.
"The lady says she has some clue to this," the man As I previously telegraphed, the statements about
said, showing one of the bills. "She says he is dead, the Russian war preparations are exaggerated. The
and in the river at Springhill." • I
was making some incoherent reply, when there offers for tenders for the delivery of great quantities
of war material recently published here must not be
was a shout and a commotion. The porter with the
considered as disquieting, as, in facia such offers are
mask-like face had fallen down in a fit in our midst,
regularly published every December.
and was writhing like one posses ed. I don't re- A St. Petersburg Correspondent writes: There is
collect very clearly what happened to me during the a good deal of exaggeration in the statement of the
rest of that evening. Someone accompanied me to foreign Press about the Russian preparations for war.
the house where I was going, and gave me over to the To the best of my knowledge, only some few and
charge of my kind friend. Whether what I had seen rather unimportant movements have taken place
twice, and Clarice Belton had seen too, was fancy or amongst the troops in Southern Russia, and these
hallucination, it pointed with silent finger to the dile. seem to have been resolved upon more than a year
covery of a crime. ago, and have no connection with the present
No wonder the porter had tried to prevent us enter-
jug the carriage. He feared that we should see there arsenals and military establishments there is a
the traces of a crime he had himself committed. He,
certain feverish activity- to complete the stores
amongst others, had heard of the money that. Frederic of the army and tbe-tilevy. Great quantities of
Halliday was bringing home, sailor-like, concealed fresh cartridges are being sent 'to the depots; and the
about him, instead of having it transmitted in a safe old ones, many of which are not judged fit for service,
and Christian-like faikion. He was out on his own having lain several years in partly humid magazines,
leave, and away from duty for a few days, and the
opportunity presented itself, as he thought. Fred are-being taken awaye Inspections and revisions are
made in all garrisons throughout the country. A
Halliday was pointed Out to him by(an accomplice,
curioussisind of war-preparation is going on along the
who was to share the epoil. And 'thEo man Was mur- westernelrontier. It is the Moskoirsk,ia riedoino<l2
dered arid flung out of the carkingsein darkness,
' the
where I had seen him amongst the shedieeis'lellecie4 which bits directed the attention of the Government
-ra 'upon that frontier to the " great dangers",threatening
on the blackness enteide. s
The porter had found out his mistake as far as
i '
cs= the Government from the vast .manufacturiog ,Estab-
me
alishmente which aro to be found there... Most of
money was concernedatnda had striven' to keep tie
these establishments, the Moscow. paper states, have
'affair to himself, and prObably would bayeelone so but
- foreign---eapecially . German—Owners; the _ func-
'for -Clarice .Belton's dream; and my persistence in get-.
tionaries and workmen.. are almost all, Gernaen sub-
ting into the very-carriage that had witnessed 'the .ects, officers and privates of the ." latidwehr.". The
edreadful deed. There was only circumstantial evi- 3
dence to show that the dead man, ..wboaavas wanted establishments themselves are like fortificatiops, with
thick walls. ~liatkeErs organ thinks very, probable
fotother misdemeanours by the policesewas the per. thick
thee establiehmouts are filledyith German arms
:•.son; wilt:ribald tracked and -attacked Frederic Halliday.
ae. and uniforms, anclathak they 11, la case of ieelara-
Rreakvias.fiesseje c.aavigeg,illatiha lanawsef.the mimey twoiattiow wiljakA 4800, h evairif the
ye iukrais s-
and had spoken enviously ofaiiguakompeake had
paid for his cowardly assault and paltr3 robbery witS
,formed into flites-s'is wit 7 g ons. t
Voskoficskia Viedomosti is considered the most serious
his own life, for the stolen dress and cap had been the
means whereby the murderer had made sure he knew of all Russian papers.
him before he sent him to his death.

On Saturday the boy Gibbs continued his evidence. I
He deposed that in August last he got on to the roof
of a house in Pelham-crescent, and forced an entrance
to a bedroom. A servant surprised him, and he
descended by the ladder, carrying with him a quantity
of jewellery. lie gave the booty to Bussell,and the
latter presented him with ss. to replace his torn
trousers. He added: A fortnight later Whistler told
me to go into No 60, Brotnpton-square, which was
empty. I did so, and entered the next house; but
as the drawers were locked I left, and entered another
house. There I saw a lot of children in bed, so I
came away without anything. Whistler was very
angry, and said we should all have to enter the work-
house. About three weeks afterwards we made
another try at Pelham-crescent, and Evans (who is
now in prison) went with me. I opened a cupboard
and found two locked boxes, which contained
jewellery and old coins. Witness told me he had
spotted a house at Lancaster-gate. I was to get off tha
railings on to the window-ledge of an empty house
and to force the window. When inside the premises I
was to let Evans in. About eight in the evening I
got in the empty place, let in Evans, and then broke
into an adjoining house from the attic window. Look-
Aug over the banisters we saw a young lady, but she
eid not catch sight of us. Evans remained on the
landing while I "went to work "in a bedroom. I
got some gold jewellery from a box which I forced
open. Evans then rushed into the room and said a
lady was coming upstairs. We ran to the attic, but
on looking out saw a crowd of people in the street,
and knew that there was an alarm. We got into the
empty house and tried to escape, but when I dropped
over the wall, 14ft. high, I was collared by a police-
man. Evans was also arrested. I bad the jewellery
and tools in my possession. They were committed
for trial, and Evans was sentenced to seven years'
penal servitude. I pleaded "Guilty," and Mr.
Wheatley, the secretary of the Discharged Prisoners'
Aid Society, by request of the judge, saw me in prison.
I made certain communications to him, and have
since made statements to the police. I am now under
recognisances to come up for judgment if called upon."
Other witnesses were called, bearing out Gibbs's
statement, and a further remand was tpen ordered.

_,;4olaa'

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