The Express.
London, England, 1852-11-26 00:00:00

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.

THIS DAY.

OLD COURT.
Rpm.. Ma. 11...0. ALIMMCM.

J. Cooper, 40, was indietNl for feloniously breaking into
the dwehing house of William Comber, Hooper Hoed, and
°then, his waters, and stealing • quantity of plate and Ch.
in bank notes, their property.
Mr. Clarkson prosi mated, and Mr. Giffard defended the
prisoner.
The prosecutors of this indictment were the representa-
tives and successors of the well known extensive hookeelling
firm of Whittaker and Co., in Ave Marie-lane. Their pre•
ashes at that place consisted of four dwelling•housee, num-
bered respectively 13, 14, IS, and 16, all of which communi-
cated with each other, and were used so warrhesses. The
robbery in question it appeared WAS committed on the 31st
of October. and there was no doubt that some persons had
obtained felonious seers, to the premises daring some portiori
of that day, and having opened a safe stolen from it a large
quantity tit valuable plate, and a cousiderahle sum of money.
It sectuod that the prisoner had ban fifteen years in the
service of the tlrm,gand enjoyed very considerable confi-
dence, and the manner is which it was sought to connect
him with the robbery was by evidence entirely of a eircum.
stantial character. It appeared that it was he duty to lock
up the warehouses at night and to open them in the morn
ing, and he had the charge of the keys at all times. He was
the Nest person who discovered the robbery, and, according
to hie statement, ha was passing by the warehouse at
sM o'cleek In the tooth% of jaw 31st October on hk.

itehad anal on going so he wee Nine at the place n
robbed ; and when be made this statement to Mr. Hood he
at the same time said, that owiag to the fatigue be had suf-
fered on the Saturday night before, which was what is
celled'• Magazine day," he had remained in bed until just
before he gut up to go to church. The circumstances of
suspicion alleged against the prisoner were, that in the first
place it appeared to be perfectly clear that the robbery
must have been committed by some person well acquainted
with the premises and the place where valuable property could
be obtained, and it appeared that the desk was not forced
open, but that it Lad been opened ley the proper key, which
was obtained from • secret drawer in the private desk of
Mr. Hood. It also appeared tha: the door of the house
No. 13, which the prisoner represented he had femud open,
hail no keyhole, or any mode to open it from the outside,
and that it was secured on the inside by bolts and an
iron bar and padlock, the key of which was always in
the possession of the prisoner. It was likewise shown that
when the robbery was tint discovered the prisoner excited
the suspicion of the police, by declaring that every blessed
drawer and other places had been broken open before there
was any light to enable him to sec the state of the place,
end he also pointed out • window as the place at which the
thieves Lail effected an entrance into the house, but it ap-
peared that it was impossible for them to have got au
at this place. There were • variety of other little
facts in the ease tending to throw suspicion upon
the prisoner, and there eras also some evidence
to show that the statement of the prisoner with regard to
his basing remained in bed until six o'clock on the evening
of the 31st October was false, inasmuch as he had been seen
to leave the premises of the prosecutors in the middle of the
day, when he had no business whatever to call him there.
None of the property it appeared had been recovered.
The case was proceeding, and was likely to occupy the
court the great, r part of the day.