The Press.
London, England, 1856-10-11 00:00:00

Yaix anb politt.

APPREHENSION OF ROBSON, THE
CRYSTAL PALACE SWINDLER.

MR. WILLIAM JAMES ROBSON is at this moment
safe in the hands of the police authorities in
London, to be dealt with according to law for the
offences with which he stands charged. From the
information which has been received on the subject,
it appears that Robson, after a week's concealment
in London, made his way in a well-adapted disguise
to France—thence to Belgium, Germany, Hanover,
and ultimately to Copenhagen. There he sojourned
at the principal hotel for a day and a night, and then
proceeded to Helsingborg, where he arrived on the
sth inst. From this place he proceeded to Elsinore,
where he remained until Sunday last, and on that
day proceeded on board a steamer to return to Hel-
singborg across the Sound. On the steamer reach-
ing her destination at Helsingborg, the attention of
the authorities there was called to Robson by the
singular fact that he had no money to pay his
fare for the trip, and this led to his detection
and final apprehension. When questioned, he
described himself as an Englishman, said his
name was Edward Smith, and that he was
travelling for pleasure. When asked for his passport
lie was obliged to confess that he had none, and was
then told that he had violated the Danish laws by
travelling without a passport, and was taken to Copen-
hagen. On reaching that city it was at once sus-
pected that Mr. Edward Smith was no other person
than the Mr. William James Robson, of whose
offence, and a description of whose person, they had

SATURDAY,

some days before had information, communicated
from Mr. Lund in London. A telegraphic mes-
sage to Mr. Lund, informing him of their important
discovery, and stating that Mr. Smith should be
taken care of until they received that officer's instruc.
tions on the subject, was forwarded at once. From
other sources of information, it appeared that Mr. Lund
had clearly traced Robson from Paris through his
long line of route to Copenhagen, and feeling certain
of finding htm there or thereabouts, he on Friday
evening last procured a warrant for his apprehension
and was on the point of starting for Copenhagen,
armed with that authority, when he was seized with
sudden but fortunately temporary illness, As no
time could be lost, Mr. Lund at once started Sergeant
Coppin, one of his detective officers, with the warrant
t 3 Copenhagen. On arriving there, Sergeant Coppin
at once recognised "his friend," and although he
could not take him into custody without the consent
of the Danish Government, he determined to keep
his eye upon and mark his game. The Government
interposed no obstacle to the capture of Robson,
and it is understood immediately ordered him
out of the country, inasmuch as he had violated
its laws by travelling without a passport. This
being done, Sergeant Coppin at once accompanied
him on his travels, and at the proper time in-
formed him that he must consider himself in his
custody on account of the Crystal Palace frauds,
under a warrant granted by Mr. Jardine, of Bow.
street Police-office.

On Thursday night Sergeant Coppin arrived in
London with the prisoner, and the information of his
safe detention in London was at once communicated
to the Crystal Palace directors, and to their solicitors,
Messrs. Johnston, Farquhar, and Leech. Yesterday
the rogue, looking haggard and depressed, was brougbt
before Mr. Elliott at tha Lambeth Police-court, the
case of a Mr. Robertson, whose preference shares
had been illegally transferred by the prisoner, was gone
into, and the prisoner was remanded. In the course of
the evidence Sergeant Coppin deposed that he arrested
the prisoner at Copenhagen on Tuesday last, where
he was residing under the name of Edward Smith.
He said to him, " Mr. Robson, I am come about the
affair of the Crystal Palace." He replied, " I am
very sorry. I know I have done wrong, and I must
suffer the law." Witness asked him if he bad any
objection to accompany' him to London, and he said,
" No, he should be very glad to get back." Prisoner's
sister was at Copenhagen with him, and travelled
in the name of Agnes Smith.
Supenntendent Lund deposed that on the prisoner
being brought to the police station, he said to him
" Mr. Robson, this is a oad job." Prisoner said :
Yes, I'm miserably guilty. I'll make all the reparation
I can before I go. I hope they won't confine me for life
solitary, but I don't mind being transported, for I deserve
it. I carried a ring about me at least three months with
prussic acid in it, and I intended to destroy myself, but
something came across my mind as though it were from
the Almighty, and the reason I did not do it was not to
make my poor unhappy wife's latter days miserable, and I
threw the ring into the sea. He went on to say : I give
all my property to the Crystal Palace Company ; and he
said, Mr. Remington owes me 1,0001. fo- money lent; Mr.
E. T. Smith, lessee of Drury.lane, 1,0001.; Mr. Leech, 801;
Mr. Wallack, 3001., and there is the lease of my house,
Kilburn Priory, in a safe at the Crystal Palace, which is
worth 3001.

The news of his apprehension was received with
gratification by the directors of the Crystal Palace,
to whom the various rumours of the enormous extent
of Robson's defalcations and plunderings on the
company have been most annoying. The statements
on this subject went so far as to as,ert that the
sum of which the company had been defrauded
would exceed 80.0001. The real amount will nut
reach more than 20,0001., a very fair sum for a head
clerk to embezzle and spend in so short a time.

Some amusing details have been given of the
career of Robson. He was born no one knows
where, brought up no one knows how, and began
life no one knows when, but some four years
ago he married on eighteen shillings a week,
as extra copying clerk to a law stationer in Chancery-
lane. Shortly after this he obtained a place in the
Crystal Palace at thirty shillings a week, and appear;
to have displayed such activity that he was transferred
from one department to another till he reached the
registrar of shares and dividend certificate office, at
a salary of 1501. per annum. On these slender
means the rogue established some chemical works at
Kennington-cross as a blind, from which be might
be supposed to draw his means ; he then took a large
private residence—Kilburn Priory—furnished it in a
style of great elegance, started his brougham, two dog-
carts, six horses, groom and coachman, and three
domestic servants to attend on himself and his wife.
As his principle was evidently a short life and
merry one, he supplied himself with a coup •
of mistresses, on a bonus of three 'hundred pounce
married off one to a friend, but kept the odic x
Li a snug little cottage in the Park•roail, St. John':•
wood. In addition to all this ho had the impu-

OCTOBER 11, 1856.

dence to treat for the purchase from its present
owner of Kenilworth Castle, Worcestershire, at a cost
of 5,0001. All these expenses, horses, dog-carts, wife,
•and women, could not have been kept much under
5,0001. a year; and the manner in which he contrived
to elude detection so long says a great deal for his
ingenuity, but more for the stupidity of his em-
ployers. The mere fact of a man living at such a rate
and yet retaining a place of 1501. a year, should have
been sufficient to excite suspicion, for newly-estab•
lisped ohemioal works do not generally pay too well
or so rapidly.

THE COURT OF BANKRUPTCY and the Court of
Chancery have come into lively antagonism in the
case of the British Bank. On Thursday an adjudi-
cation of bankruptcy was granted by Mr. Commis-
sioner Evans against the bank, when Johnstone, the
messenger of the court, with several of his assistants,
proceeded, under instructions from Mr. Lee, the
official assignee, and Messrs. Linklater, to take formal
possession of the bank premises in Threadneedle-
street. They arrived there at 12 o'clock, and forth-
with posted up the adjudication in the bank ; but it
was immediately removed by the officers of the in-
terim manager in Chancery. Mr. Wintle, one of the
assistant messengers, proceeded to seize the cash
bags in the hands of theiclerks, but was immediately
made to surrender them. The messengers were then
generally confronted by the interim manager and
his solicitors, and peremptorily ordered, in the
name of the Court of Chancery, to refrain from
touching any of the books or effects of the bank.
The messengers of the Court of Bankruptcy deemed
it expedient to comply with these expostulations, but
refused to retire from the premises. Mr. Harding,
the manager, then explicitly told them that he re-
fused to recognise the order of the Court of Bank-
ruptcy, and said be would only allow them to remain
so long as they continued passive. An armistice
having been agreed upon, the interim manager im-
mediately proceeded to serve copies of the order of
the Court of Chancery on the Court of Bankruptcy
and on the official assignee, and also proceeded to
the various branches of the bank in different parts of
the metropolis, in each of which, to the surprise of
the previous occupants, be found a messenger of the
Court of Bankruptcy in possession, with whom he
dealt as he had done with those in Threadneedle-
street. The question was referred back to the Bank
ruptcy Commissioner yesterday, when his Honour
(Mr. Commissioner Evans) expressed his marked
disapproval of such "lawless proceedings," said he
considered it a mark of contempt on the part of Mr.
Harding, and at once issued a summons against
that gentleman.
THE GASWORKS NFISANCE at WhitefriUS was this
week again brought before the City Commission of
Sewers. A number of police officers gave evidence
respecting the effects upon their health of the ex-
halations, 11,:c. The effluvium of the works when the
wind blew from the river was described as peculiarly
offensive, and productive of sickness and general ill.
health among the officers on the beat. Some of
them had been removed in consequence. Mr. Gray,
on behalf of the company, stated that a complete
answer to the imputation would be ready in a few
days. The proceedings were then adjourned.
THE ROBBERY AND MURDER of the bead gardener,
one Reid, of Hillsborough -hall, near Sheffield, is re-
ported in the local papers.
Hopenssom, the chemist in Broad-street, who cut
so disreputable a figure at the Thames Police Court
last week in connection with his wife's attempt to
poison herself, burst a blood vessel and died this
week from the effect of his habitual drunkenness.

THE NUMBER OF SUICIDES by drowning and other
causes, reported to the Chief Police-office, Great
Scotland-yard, within the last week, is twenty-one,
and the attempted suicides that have been taken
cognisance of by being brought before a magistrate
numbers upwards of fifteen. Notwithstanding that
the magistrates are very severe with persons charged
with the offence, the crime is greatly on the increase.
A QUESTION involving the liability of railway
companies came before the Doncaster County Court
on Monday. An action was brought by a horse-
dealer named Thompson, against the Midland Rail-
way Company, to recover the sum of 501., as com•
pensation for the loss sustained by hiai in conse-
quence of the alleged neglect of the plaintiffs in not
having forwarded, according to contract, three
valuable horses from Doncaster to Manchester. The
horses were booked for a train, but the company
refused to take them, as it was a fast train. Ulti-
mately the horses were allowed to go by the train,
but at Swinton, about nine miles from Doncaster,
the boxes in which they were conveyed were de-
tached from the train and left behind for the night.
When the horses arrived next day, they ha I
got cold, their legs were swollen, and they had
" staring coats." For the defence, it was contended
that the horses had been booked by the 3.30 p.m.
train by mistake. The jury found a verdict for
the plaintiff, with 301. damages, and Cl. 10s. costs.