The Express.
London, England, 1853-09-23 00:00:00

We (Bath Chronicle) lately gave • narrative of '
the manner is wnieh Mr. inspector Field, the able Lundcei
"detective," ferreted nut the history velum is, so•wdo
Sir Richard Smyth. It has, however, best, suggested to
the writer that he has unwittingly furnished an instance
of the truth of the proverb, " A prophet bath honour save
in his own country," Mums Bath once pomeseed a detective
oltic-r who only required the London mark upon his cha-
racter, to make him ea celebrated as eny of his London
brethren. The person alluded to is William Brines Hell,
the chief constable of the city under the old regime,
who, like Mr. Field, has retired upon • public
PithatOn, granted after a
ness, and When lervieCs ere still put in ',qui-
•itios when any great difficuity occurs. The position
of Mr. Hall is certainly another proof that it is chance
which gives the opportunity of /tICCIAII. His reputation,
as • "detective" is confined to Bath, or if it has ex-
tended into the world beyond, it as treated as mere pro-
vincial vain glory. But if Hall had had England for his
field he too might have been celebrated, especially as he
once did that which the London detectives, one and all,
had failed to do. The incident, thoogh it may be well
known to some of our fellow citizens, will bear repeat-
ing
Nearly twenty years ago the country was startled by •
HMS of mysterious " jewel robberies." The manner of
them wes this : A lady would leave home for • party,
end on her return would tin' her jewels gone ; but
there was not the slightest trace of the thieves. Lady
Blessineton, Lady Wynford, and other personages
Of rink and wealth, were despoiled successively.
The thieves ranged town and country alike with-
out detection ; till at last the announcement of "Another
Mysterious Jewel Robbery" became quite a matter of
course in the newspapers. The servants in the houses
robbed were, naturally enough, suspected; the police
were blamed; and a very uncomfortable feeling pervaded
the inmates, high and low, of the groat houses throughout
England. The police bee.mne more alert than ever; the
detectives of that day dived deeper into the depths where
they get much of their ioformation, tempted " pale" and
women more severely to induce them to "split," end
watch the men on whom they had their eyes more narrowly.
But in vain. Still this system of robbery went on resist-
lessly, and at last it reached Beth.
Very early one morales Hall was aroused from his Hum-
ber@ by • loud and peremptory knocking at the door. It
was °Leaf his subordinates. During the night, be said,
jewels worth 2,0001. had been stolen somehow or other at
the house of Colonel Kaye in the Royel-ceemeat. The fa-
mily had gone to • party at ten o'clock, and on returning
at twe the theft was discovered. What wee to be done ?
Now, some men, when a punting question is put to them,
scratch their heed, some tap their foreheads, some tickle
their ears, and some stroke or grasp their chins. Wm.
Hall like others has his trick, end therefore, as his custom
was, he pulled his are. This dune, his mind was quite
clear; he knew directly who the thieves were—and, what
is more, In a few hours produced them. The reader will
ask how ? . _

Hall, let us answer, is an old soldier—a character pro-
verbial for always having his eye, about him. It requires
great art to " play the old soldier," and still more to " do"
the old soldier. Now one of the lessons which Hall had
learned in his younger days, when a dashing Lancer,
was that everything, no matter what, had some mean-
ing in it; that every facing, every maineuvre, every
detail of the service, though it may appear mere pipe-
elapses or parade, is, in greater or less degree, a matter
of life and death. What be observed when a soldier as
regarding the army, he applied, u a police °Meer, to the
movements of all people. Now Hall, is his morning
walk to the Guildhall at the time of which we are writing,
had observed a gig driven into the city by the upper
Bristol road, every morning, and as he went homeward in
the evening be ales observed it driven out again. This
occurred not for one day, but day after day for a fortnight.
There was nothing suspicious in the appearance or conduct
of the two gentlemen who occupied the gig, one of whom,
by the way, was strikingly headman; tad yet it seemed very
cod that they should come and go in that way. While this
was taking place in the Upper Bristol-road, it happened
that another gig, also containing two pusses, midribs' late
the city by the Lower Bristol-rood, argalarly dogsating
the evening in a similar manner. It was as odd subsidence
certainly. Tres the visitors seemed to have nothiag Is com-
mon but their mode of arrival and departure. One couple
always put up at a reputable inn at one end of the city, and
the other couple at an inferior house at another end; they
did not associate together; and they were never, in truth
seen in company. For this very reams, perhaps, Hall con-
nected them in his thoughts, just as thei hunters knowing
the habits of the animal, try. back, when bailed by the
doubling of a Lan. The visitors seemed to be very quiet
people; they spent their time in walking through the
streets, and apparently had a taste for architesture. -At all
events they were repestelly seen admiring the bids facade
of the Royal-aesceat, where Hall, with disk der kis
arm, and a friend by his side, had beams amielebed to
walk. When, then, he heard that • robbesi hal Ilasimg:
petrated at the residence of Colonel Kaye, same
tions which he had indulged, some Masi whisk he had
thrown out amongst his iriends, were realised.
fir et step was to visit the presaime. These was
only the rifled jewel ease is show what had hub deb. No
picked loch, no opened dear, no broken window, net a foot-
mark, not a stain of dirt, net the siickaist blowier. The
family began to suspect the earmab, mid
the
servants pro-
bably were all the more alaimail, Mob thew PearaaoB6,
ea tar as they went, were stseagest ameba them than
against another person. Hall saw at suss, however, that
the theft wee NO cleverly abated ter upward thieves.
No appearances et an enable had been simulated to
delude the officer. The very absence of all traces proved
that the robbery was the work of some whom practice
had made perfect. Bet, who were they ? Aod what was
still important, where were they ? Hell instinctively felt
that the thieves would silks In Birmingham, because that
place affords the safest cover for knaves. Calling around
him, thee, the few men he could trust, he despatched
two direct to Gloucester, two to Bristol, and ethers dis-
persed themselves in ether directions. Each party was
tarnished with written instructions how to set, should cer-
tain coatiagencties, which were all belly foreseen, arise.
Hall hiessele remained is Bath, ready to direct new move-
ments, amid to arrange sew combinations, knowing this is
the chiers part, set to fight the hauls. The odds were
against him, fee the thieves had at least Ave hours' start ;
sad bee at Birmagham all his efforts would he nugatory.
Bat he wea. In the course of the day the thieves them-
selves brought hire the intelligeace of their capture. When
General Ceps was beaten bt Prises Charles. Lord Mark
Herr, reesived him with the saneem, "You are the Ara
genital in Europe who has brought the first tidings of his
awe defeat." Here was an historical parallel is a small
WaT .
_yhe two police officers despatched to Bristol failed to dis-
sons the thieves there. They learnt, indeed, that • chaise
containing three geotlemer,something like those whoa Mr.
Hall supposed to be the thieves, had left one of the inns of
the city, to convey them some distance on the Cheltenham
road. But it appeared they were a party of pleasure; the
trip was an ordinary one ; and they carried no luggage.
The clue was so alight that the officers hesitated to follow
it. Hall's orders wer. , however, peremptory,—" goon ;" for
weak as the clue.was, it was still the strongest that they
poisoned. Besides, the gentlemen were on the road to Bir-
mingham, and Hall, knowing that thieves, like dreams,
always go by contraries, asked himself why these people
should travel by chaise when they could travel so much
faster and cheaper by one of the crowd of stage coaches
which at that time traversed the road ? So the police offi-
cers mounted a Cheltenham coach, and won found them-
selves in front of the inn at the village of Filtou, where it
stopped to take up some inside passengers. Amidst the
noise and dust with which Jehu was accustomed to pull up,
the officers slipped into the parlour to see who these pas•
sengen might be, and found themselves in the presence of
five persons. Two of 'hem were instantly collared, despite
their gentlemanly appearance ; a third fled, thereby giving
unequivocal proof of • guilty conscience; while the other
two remained astonished spectators of the scene. Os the
table there lay a smart India rubber cushion ; nobody
owned it. It contained the whole of the stolen jewels.
We pass over desperate attempts made by the prisoners
to escape, while as the read to Bath. But skilfully as they
had been captured, far more skilfully were they convicto4.
There was, in truth, considerable difficulty in the way. For
the prisoners had not been seen in the loose which had
been plundered ; there was little to connect them with
the robbery ; even the bag containing the jewels might belong
to the man who had escaped. The prisoners, too, weregen-
thrums in dress and manners, they wore handsome gold
watches and chains, and valuable rings, their pockets were
well furnished with money ; ands en are generally Coll3i.
dared credentials of respectabilitn these days. Further-
more Hell having discovered the address of one of them, on
the cover of a letter, visited his lodgings, in the Edgware-
road, London, and ascertained that he had lived in sliest
respectable house, maintaining the style of a gentleman
possessing seven or eight hundred a year. There he bad
resided for twelve mouths, living quietly, seeing no com-
pany, keeping regular hours ; and, in truth, he was con-
sidered a highly respectable person in the neighbourhood.
Strong suspicion certainly attached to the prisoners, but
strong suspicions, and even ugly facts, are sometimes van-
quished by the forms and uncertainties of the law. Hall
lroved himself equal to the emergency ; he marshalled no
ess than forty witnesses before the magistrates, and in a
most beautiful manner, assisted by a slip of paper, and a
powerful memory, he elicited tact alter feet, arranging
them in proper sequence, rivetting link by lick a complete
and powerful chain of evidence.
The prisoners were tried before the Recorder, at the
city sessions. The most strenuous efforts were made to
obtain an acquittal. Mr. Serjeant Kinglake was specially
retained for than defence, his fee being fifty guinea; and,
indeed, the prisoners seemed to have had an unlimited com-
mand of money. But the net of evidence which Hall had
so cleverly woven W3s proof against legal ingenuity; though
feeble in every part, it was strong as a whole from its co-
herence, and there was no escape or breaking through it.
The prisoners were convicted and sentenced to fifteen
years' transportation, the severest punishment that the
court can award, and the I il Recorder immediately
afterwards pronounced their captor to be one of the best
police officers in England. His Renour, let us add, is a
competent authority, being himself a Bow-street magi-
strate.

The" Mysterioui Jewel Robberies" immediately after-
wards ciweed. The meanie in which they had been perpe-
trated became clear upon an inspection of the tools which
were captured with the jewels belonging to Colonel Kaye.
The thieves were provided with a most complete set of
licivirm-breakiag in/transom, a beautiful apparatus in
truth, which a competent judge declared could not have
been made for ler tnaa 2001. Then were ikeleton keys
si the =Wiest and largest sine, " jemmies " of great
dleliseay ea well es gnat pelves. sad a ember of

" Custom-house, Liverpool, sth Sept., 1853.
" Sir,—An application having been addressed by the
members of the Dublin Corn Exchange Association to the
Right Honourable the Chancellor of the Exchequer, re-
questing that the duty on grain may he charged by weight,
and the Commissioners of Customs having directed us to

communicate with the importers of corn ar this port on the
subject of this request, we shall be obliged by your report-
ing to us aa_y_observations you Easy have to offer thereupon.
" We are, sir, your obedient, servants,
"E. AltitAVD, Collector.
"O. °noun; Acting Comptroller.
" To the Secretary of the Liverpool Cora Exchange."
In consequence of this the Corn Exchange committee met,
discussed the matter, and having come to • conclusion
favourable to the charging by weight, sent an intimation to
the collector and comptroller to that effect, and promised
that the subject should be laid before • meeting of the
trade.

The CHAIRMAN said that they might consider themselves
much honoured by the Chancellor of the E.:chequer con-
sulting them as to the best mode of conducting their busi-
ness; it was the first time, he believed, that such
an application had been made to their body. As to
the desirability of the change he did not think there
would be much, if any, difference of opinion. They
all knew that in foreign transactions particularly—and
he considered this to be a foreign, and not a domestic
question—they had found great difficulties, and fallen-
larly ia Ireland, where the subject bad been originally
taken up, in purchasing corn in foreign markets by weight,
and having no recognised authority ben, to make a return
of that weight when delivered at the port of discharge.
They WO all acquainted with the inconveniences to which
this gave ries. Fur instance, a cargo of corn was purchased
by weight is • foreign market; shipped apparently res-
pectably and Itenarably ; received here, and weighed out
—but by whom ? It was weighed by their own men,
honest sad respectable as they might consider them, but
still men whose position carried with It no official autho-
rity whatever. When they made a claim for a deficiency In
a cargo received from ay foreign merchant, the latter nein-
rally asked, " What is the proof ? " They might immediately
reply that their own men bad weighed the corn ; but
this was no authority to go before a foreign court to re-
cover, when they had received thirty, forty, or possibly
fifty quarters short in any particular CAN; whereas if the
Customs were instructed to weigh the corn, the mar-
chants here would have some official authority upon which
to make a claim. For this reason the present movement
had been made in Ireland, where there had been many
disputa upon the subject. The Chairman further ex-
pressed kis opinion that, in all contracts with foreign
countries, however measure might be nominally the
mode of purchasing still weight was the chief element.
In the tie, for instance, measure was the nominal
mode, but they mimed 128, 130, or 131 pounds Dutch
in the ease of wheat. In fact, weight was the chief
element looked*, heilt in buying and selling. In the
chartering of vessel, the waapbed custom was the imperial
quarter—a very math sada, and giving rise to
many dispute'. A change might occur, or it might not,
but at any rate the tendency would be that way ; and there
woad he a esaiimey aloe to intandaes weight throughout
the dealings in lie emu Mae openerally, not only in the
Math eflifertit of Reglead,
_let In the south also. The
Ashman said he should be glad to hear the views of any
gentleman present.
A somewhat desultory conversation ensued, in the
COMM of whisk Mr. Joesrn HUSRACIL; who thought
that tha question would involve may other elements be-
sides that of payle g the duty upon weight, suggested that
the matter shouffi be referred to a committee, to consider
and report to a Mare meeting.
la answer to soma observations by Mr. Taneely,
The CMAIRMAN demented the Preach _ode of smog-
iag, es being the most correct way of determining the
weight.
Mr. TIMMY thought that an avenge by the Customs
would not be received in a court of law. . .

A resolution wee moved by Mr. Mennow, sad seconded
by Mr. SIGAZ, approving of the levy of the duty by
weight, but referring the trestles to the Corn Exchange
Committee for farther consideration as to details, a future
meeting to be held to receive their report.
The reaolutioat was carried, and the proceedings elided
with the usual compliment to the chairman.

ILab3 ilatelligence.

INSOLVENT DEBTORS' COURT.—YzanapAy.

Boom K.. Coursorma Mum.

IN THE MATTES or CEA RUM BVIIVARD.-. A NOVEL

This insolvent, who Lad been a warehouseman Mi.,
in King William street, City, applied to he discharged
under the set. Mr. Cooke opposed for two erediton named
Worth sad NisWm. Mriaertaindpported.
The leaskunt had sun of Mr. Nicholson, and
re MR et eushinge, whirl was by Mr. Worth, and
bag=an action. A plea bend was entered, and
trial it was withdrawn by the insolvent, be
solsaltdwg that tiers was no pretense for it, and that it had
beast phandell by his attorney without his knowledge. The
mils were W. de., and he was opposed for a vexatious de-
fame, as also for not filing his account books, which he
ARO were in the possession of one of him brothers, against
wheat he had brought an action. In reference to the point
of Taintless defewes, it was proved that after the insolvent
was is prises 201. was tendered for the costs to the attorney
for Yr. Werth, which nun was refused, and Mt. required,
being, besides the taxed mate is the action, the amount of
amps further oasts arising out of the ease action on a defect li
in the declaration, and which the attorney required as
terns of settlement.

It was admitted that the act of the attorney in pleading
was one for whisk the insolvent was answerable. It wee,
however, a mere aseninal ease for a judgment after the
offer made end the withdrawal of the plea for which there
was ao
M==um r. Murphy, however, regarded the offer
in a different light. The inclination of his mind was that
the ease of the nib of the action more than they were
bawd at,:was equivalent to a tender of payment action,
end thendimUsere woe ao complaint. He confessed it was
a seed poi* and one on whisk he wished to consult, if
be had Ids opportunity, the learned Chief Commissioner.
TM Bass was adjourned to the Ist November (the dis•
sheep en bail being enlarged) for some further evidence
respecting the iaW vent's account books.

-
IN RI WILLIAM PORTZ&
This insolent, the keeper of a beershop, called "Uncle
Tom's Cabin," was opposed by Mr. Nichols and Mr. Sar-
good.
An examination took place respecting the disposition of
some property by two bills of sale. The insolvent said he
bad been arrested fire times in a short period.
The case was adjourned to Wednesday for further
evidence.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.

OLD COURT.-YESTERDAT.
Harass Ms. Rims Caourruii.

Patrick Sullivan, 38, was indicted for the manslaughter
of William Stone Hampton.
lit. Carteen prosecuted, anti Mr. O'Brien defended the
prisoner.
It sppeared that the deceased was a Custom-house
officer, sod that the prisoner was a labourer employed
in the docks. On the events( of the Ilth April the
deceased had left his duty, and was returning home
when he met the prisoner, who made some accusation of
improper conduct in the performance of his duty against
him, and they both proceeded to the house of another
Custom-house officer named Taylor, where the prisoner re-
peated the accusation, and eventually they all three left the
house of Taylor for the purpose of proceeding to the police.
station. As they were going along the prisoner suddenly
made en attack upon the prosecutor, knocked him down,
kicked him, and injured him very severely. The prisoner
was taken into custody and fined 40s. for the assault, and it
would seem that after this, the prosecutor, in consequence of
the injuries he had received in the head, became insane and
was taken to St. Luke's Hospital, where he died on the
17th August, that event being no doubt accelerated by the
ill-usage he had received from the prisoner. It appeared
that the prisoner was drunk at the time of the occurrence,
and that he ezprtmed his utmost regret for what had hap-
pened upon his becoming sober.
The prisoner received a good character as an honest hard-
working man.
The jury found him Guilty, but recommended him to
mercy, aad he was sentenced to be imprisoned and kept to
hard labour for four months.
Frederick Ilerbert, 41, described as a labourer, but of
stylish appearance, sad wearing a moustache, pleaded
Why to an indiolniont charging him with forging a choose

Mr.liallantine having stated the case to the jury, called
The prosecutor, who is proprietor of the celebrated ana-
tomical museum in Regent-street, and the substance of the
evidence, which is unfit for detail in fell, went to prove
that he took the prisoner into his service to drive a horse
and chaise and deliver bills of the exhibitioe. The prisoner
came to him in every destitute rat., and prosecutor kindly
forwarded him a few pounds to buy what he required, he
(prosecutor) boding him a livery. After he had been a short
time in prosecutor's employment, he complained of being
unwell, and was in consequence absent from his employ-
ment. When became back he again complained of being
unwell, and Dr. Hahn then gave orders that he should be
attended to by a medical gentleman, who could not find
that anything was the matter with him, and they thought
that be was only pretending to be unwell so avoid his work.
After some time the prisoner told the prosecutor that he
was unwell in consequence of what he, prosecutor, had
done to him. And then, much to the surprise of the pro
motor, he made the charge in question, which is or.-
et for publication. Tne prosecutor was much excited at
hearing such a statement, and eked the boy who had in-
stigated him to make such an Psfemous charge, bet he de-
nied that any one had done so, and persisted in his state
anent, and ultimately said that he had heard through the
papers that a boy at Birmingham had got 30W. out of a per.
sou' to suppress a charge of a similar character. The prosecu-
tor finally assented to come to some arrangement, sail having
eoesulted „the police, and the result was that at the
interview. when the prosecutor. as prisoner thought, was
about to secede to his terms, some of the police were hidden
in the room, so that the whole conversation could be over-
heard. A written agreement was then drawn up and
signed by the prisoner, by which he bound himself not to
further annoy Dr. Kahn if 501. was paid down, and a
1 farther 50i. at some future period. As soon as the prisoner
had signed the paper the police came from their hiding
place and prisoner then fell upon his knees and begged
forgiveness, at once admitting that the whole charge was
untrue, sad entreated, for his father's sake, that the charge
would not be pressed.

The prosecutor, who was minutely cross examined by Mr.
Clarkson, firmly and positively denied each of the particular
poetises of t►e impropriety imputed to him, and moat dis-
tinctly amerced that he had in any way at all touched
the prisoner, or had ever, to his knowledge, hose in the
company of the prisoner without some other pereoa being
present.

The statements made by the prosecutor were fully borne
Ott by the other witnesses.

Mr. Clarkson, on behalf of the prisoner, said the position
he was placed in was a very painful one, u he felt, after
hearing the evidence given by the prosecutor, that he was
in every particular speaking the truth ; still it became his
duty to pat certain questions, and he thought it better that
he bad done so, as it had siren him the opportunity of
answering them, and after he (Mr. Clarkson) had heard
him answer some half-dents interrogatories, he felt it wee
I no partof his ditty to further press the defence ; and there-
fore, consistently with his duty, he should retire, considering
he bad done all that a counsel was called upon to do. Still
he could not account for the motive which had led the pri•
sour, who was very young, to make so heinous a charge.
Mr. Baron Martin said Mr. Clarkson had anted in a
manner perfeetlyeassistent owed the
and greater
learned Judge, hid allowed the ease td go to a
length than was necessary to ensure the prisoner's cowrie.
tioa, in order that a man ia prosecutor's position should
have a full opportunity of clearing his character; and he
felt bound to say that he had entirely done so, and that
there wee not the slightest ground for the imputation which
had been cut upon him.

The jury found the prisoner Guilty.
Mr. Clarkson said that up to June the prisoner bad been
kept at school, and had ran away from there and from his
parents, and proposed to call Ws father.
Mr. Baron Martin said that if he did it would not alter
his view of the sentence he was about to pare. Bach cases
called for the utmost severity of the law. After some fur-
ther remarks, he ordered has to be tranaported for the
term of his natural life.

The business of the courts wu concluded before the nisi ag