The Express.
London, England, 1851-04-23 00:00:00

THE FRINILEY GANG.

LEWES, TUESDAY, APRIL 22.
Since the committal of James Hamilton (the ma-
gistrates having refused to take his evidence on behalf of
the crown), he has made a full confession of all the bur-
glaries which he and the gang have been engaged in during
the but twelve swaths. The document is of • very extra-
inftegy enamor, and shows the immense amount of
=possessed by these men. He has also made some
ions to the police officers engaged in the case, by
whieh they have been enabled to discover the receivers of
the stolen property, but from obvious reasons we are pre- '
vented at present from mentioning their names. It is,
however, believed, that sonic portion of the great amount
of valuable property which has been stolen may yet be
restored to the owners.
' Hamilton, in the commencement of his confession, states
that the gang consisted of himself, Levi Harwood and
Samuel Jones (hung for the murder of Mr. Holiest),
Ilhunnel Harwood, John and Edward Isaacs, Wm. Brooks,
Joseph Carter, John and James Jones, alias Smith,
Hiram Smith, Thomas Toot, alias Morgan, William Hilyer,
Jahn Brooks, Mary Crowder, Sarah White, and James
Jones. John Isaacs was duly elected captain ; and all the
ethers acted under his directions. They were all sworn to
'bey the orders of the captainany one attempted to
out or refused to take part in any robbery or murder,
tf aessesary, he or she was to be iustautly shot : and if any
sae left the gang without the consent of the captain, be or
Abe were to be followed, and, if overtaken, to be shot.
After giving the particulars of the burglary at Kirdford,
which has already been published, he goes on to say:—
" The second day after this Isaacs and John Hones came to
ste again at Farnham-common; and agreed for me to meet
them at Dorking Homewood-commun. Isaacs' brother Ned
came to me, also John Hones and James Hones. We all
went to &sold man's house (a fanner, near Horsham). They
heard he bad got a good deal of money. We all went, two
at a time, from the Homewood. Six of us met in a wood
near Mr. Broadwood's lodge, and when we went from there
to the farmer's house, one got through the windows and let
the rest in at the back door. We all went into the kitchen.
The old man heard us, and balked out, and we all lett the
house. Four of us, myself, W. Brooks, and J. and E.
Isaacs, went down to a house on Ilayward's-heath, near the
Brighton station, where two or three ladies, of the name of
Kennard lived. This robbery was planned by William Brooks,
who knew the place. There was a man-servant, who was
ills
and a maid-aervant, who slept in the same room to watch
11cr bed was right against the window where the
light was. The servant burnt a light all night Ihecause the
man was ill. They found a long ladder, and put it up to this
window. It was a sash window, which moved on one side.
We all got in at the window. The female servant was lying
into
the to the window, and we fell over her. They went
the ladica'room disguised with masks. Alter pacifying the
two servants, they left me to mind them. The ladies room
was locked, but they broke open the door. They collected
all the property that was there. They threatened to blow
out the brains of the ladies if they. gave any alarm. We
were there two hours, during which time I sat down in a chair
with the two servants, and kept talkiug to them alllthe time.
It WAS just getting daylight when we left the house. We
tame back two at a time until we got to Copthorn. There we
looked the property over, and shared what money there was.
41. res. each was shared. There we* a deal of foreign money,
which I took to be French. 'lbis was put amongst the
plate, and 11l guineas in gold, and that gold war put with
the gold watches. There were two gold watches and three
silver one. One gold watch had a gold face and steel hands,
the other had a alike face. Of the silver watches two were
sivall plain Ones, and the other was a hunting watch, w,th a
silver chain. There was a double-barrelled gun taken from
the house, and we hail two guns with us. There were a
great many rings and brooches, and trinkets, which were put
among the gold and plate, all of which John lerica took
away to Guildford, to give to one of the Guildionl men
(Levi Harwood) to go up to Lon on with hint to sell, for
which the Guildford man was to have a share, as Isaacs did
not then know where tog° and sell them. There a aaalso some
clothing brought away, two pairs of trousers, one pair of cord
breeches, tied a large shawl. These were all lint and lust,
as the policeman came after it. The three guns were hid by
the road side. My three companions all went together to
London, and they gave me some money to take hack to
their women at Copthorn-eouinie in, where we had four tents.
About an hour after 1 had left the men and had returned
to Copthorn-common, and was packing up my things, two
policemen came along ; they knew Brooks's wife, and in-
, quireal for Brooks, and they came and asked me where I
was going. I told them I did not know, as 1 was a stranger
'to the erountry. They warded the tents, but they did not
search me, although I had the money ou me which 1 had I
shared. This was the scone morning as the jobbery at
Hayward's-heath. Whilst the earn were sharing the money
the women hid the clothes, and that was why the police-
men did not find them. The policemen knew the women
and watched them, and talked to them for half an hour.
1 then moved to is place called the Chesauta, by mpelf, and
had one tent with me. J. leuies, wine afterward, came
there. The two Brookses, end John Isaac', and myself had
each one wife and one tent, and I had a little girl with my
wile. John Isaacs was to meet me at the Chesnut, after
lie had sold the property. Ile was gone a week or
better. When he came back he said there was only 30a.
each besides the guineas, of which he had only sold one
with the other gold, to see what it would fetch, keeping the
others back, so that the Guildford man should not have his
share of them. Ile took the guineas again to sell, and
gave me a sovereign down, on a premier to pay me the re-
mainder, but he did not give me any more money. There
was a quarrel amongst us ,!sat a large quantity of plate,
which some of thou maid Isaacs had concealed and bought
his waggon with. shortly after this I fell in with Tom
Brooks again, near Slieutield, in Sussex, and I and Ned
Isaacs went back again with Brooks. We all three met in
Wareham-lane, near Shenfield, and went from there to a
place called Hambledon, Surrey, to break open a shop there.
Brooks and Ned ISAAC. broke it open, whilst I watched in
front. They got in, and took out two large whole cheeses, a
quantity of tobacco, and a quantity of tea, about a pound
weight of snuff, a loaf of bread, and a pound of new butter.
They drank what wine they liked, and brought me out some
in a quart-pot, and then tilled a three-quart bottle to bring
away. We three returned back to Wareham-lane again, and
I and Ned Isaacks did not meet John Isaacs at the time
expected. We afterwards went to Cupthorn-commou for
a few days. I think we stayed there a week. On
the afternoon of Tuesday, the 31st of December last,
we, James Hamilton, John Isaacs, Joseph Carter, alias
Coektnan, John Smith, alias Hones, James Smith, alias
Hones, Thomas Toot, alias Morgan, Wm. Hillyer, and
William Brook., after various messages and communica-
tions between ourselves, I (Hamilton) and Brooks and his
wife, and James Smith came on from Edenbridge to Crow-
borough The other five men whom we met at Edenbridge
agreed to meet us at Groombridge, at a barn there just out-
side. These five men went to break open a public-house of
Mr. Kennard's called The Old 'Tye. These five men
met us out of Groombridge next morning, just about day-
light. Brooks went to look after them, and found
them in the corner of the wood close to the
road. They gave us a plum-cake, a bottle of wine,
some whiskey, and tobacco done up in penny
worths. I (Hamilton) had four, James Smith had four.
The same three men and the woman went in again, ha
agreed to meet the five men the same afternoon (W
nesday) just off Crowborough-common, on the Uucktteld
side. Three of us, Isaacs, Carter, and myself, went
into Miss Farneombe's house, and got there between eight
and nine o'clock, to lay in front of the house to see how
many lights, and watch them to bed. We saw the butter
fasten the front door. When the house was dark and (plot
we were to go bask to some haystacks close by, whore we
eight were to meet, until it was time to go back. We sE
met at the haystack between the pay-gate and the hems on
the opposite side to Miss Farucombe's. We all want te
Miss Farncombe'l house, and as we were going we I•St •
woman and either two or three men in the rmd. We Magi
all eight together then. We had left Brooks's wife at bar'
uncle's at Crowburough. There are two gates to Miss Fana-
combe's house—one for a foot road leading to the back door,
and one the carriage road. We left James Smith just
outside the little gate to watch. Some of us went
down the big gate, leavia me (Hamilton) to watch
there in case any one cam along the road, and to give
notice if any one should. Three or four men came along
soon afterwards. I watched them quite away, and did nut
give any alarm to those in the house. In • little while two
more men came along, and mused. I think they were game-
keepers. Just bethre they gut into the house, one of them
came out to me and said, am going to stand near that
little bush.' Thomas Morgan desired me to give hint
notice if any one came, and he would let them know. When
the two gamekeeper* came along, I went to tell Morgan, but
did not find him, and aeon after he (Morgan) came to me and
brought me a bottle of wine. Ile said they had got in, and
were rummaging below. Morgan went back to the house, acid
a little while afterwads he returned to me again, and he said
' They be all come out, and they thinkthey heard somebody.'
They all came out up to this little gate, and there they all
stripped and pulled off their clothes and shoes, and put on
their masks, and said We will all go up.' We were all eight
together there. I left the gate to meet them, and after talk-
ing about leaving some one outside, we all agreed to go into
the house together. We all eight went in through the
pantry window, but Morgan, who was first ready,
run forward to the bowie, and got a light. We
seven, seeing the light, thought there was somebody
coming down. Isues, with an oath, said, ' Oh, come along—
follow me. Give me the pistols, and 1 will go and fix him.'
When we got to the house we found it was Morgan with the
light. Then we all went in through the pantry window to
the kitchen or front parlour, where we found the butler's'
coats and some of the females' bonnets. Brooks put one of
the bonnets on, and Carter put on another, and we put the
butler's coats on, and 1 (Hamilton) put one on handed me by
Morgan. We all searched about the house. We found the
canisters. Four of us went up one pair of stairs, and four
the other. Isaacs, John Smith, myself, and another, went
up one staircase. In the first room we went into there
were two ladies. Isaacs gave me the candle. I fol-
lowed him. There was no violence in that room. Isaacs
broke open everything that was broken open, and I held
' the candle to him. Isaacs asked the ladies where the
plate was. The ladies said, That is in the pantry down
stairs.' Isaacs and the others took all the valuable things in
' that MOM. They went into another room, leasing me behind
holding the candle. I did not take anything in that room.
They left me there to mind the doors, and the ladies begged
'ofmeto go outside, for they would be still. I had a mash on
j all that time. I went outside, holding the door in my hand.
I never left the door but once all the time. The rest were
rummaging about the house, and that was while they were
going into another room, where there was, I believe, only
one holy. I heard the lady ser.sim, and ask 'ls that you,
William?' I said, 'Yea, it is William, mann; don't
be frightened—nothing is the matter.' Carter was
at the door with a pistol in his band, and when I made
answer, ' It is William,' he turned round, and was going to
shoot me, only 1 sung oat • It's all right.' Then I returned