The Express.
London, England, 1853-12-30 00:00:00

HIGHWAY ROBBERY.

A man, named Samuel Skeates, who had long
been well known to the police of Bristol, has just been
arrested and committed to take his trial for a highway rob
bevy, of considerable magnitude, committed on two highly
respectable farmers of the county of Somerset, named
Withers, the robbery having been accompanied by circum-
stances of great hi utality. It seems that the prisoner has
been known to have been concerned in many notorious rob-
beries recently committed in the West of England, but his
proceedings had been so artfully managed that he had
hitherto contrived to escape conviction. The two farmers,
Messrs. Withers, father and son, had been attending the
cattle-market held at liristol, sod after transectiag their
business they returned home together to their residence near
the Mendip Hills, in a gig. It was, in all probability,
Known that they had a large sum of money in their posses-
sion, and, on their arriving at a part of the road where
they had to ascend a hill, five powerful fellows rushed out
on them from the kedge. One seized the horse's head,
• second dealt the younger Mr. Withers a very heavy
blow, and a third, with many imprecations, took hold
of the old gentleman, and threw him out of the gig.
They both begged the villains to spare their lives, but
they nevertheless beat them about the head in • most brutal
manner. They also succeeded in taking from them more
than 100/. in cash, and then decamped. On the informa-
tion of this outrage being conveyed to the Bristol police,
Sergeant Summers, a very active and intelligent officer of
the detective force, at once suspected that it had been com-
mitted by the gang of which Skeates was known to be the
captain, and a peculiar oath which was made use of to old
Mr. Wither, convinced Lim that Skeates himself was with
them at the time. Skeates was traced from the outskirts of
Bristol to West Harptree Hill, and thence to the imme-
diate scene of this diving robbery. He was at once arrested,
taken before the Bristol magistrates, and by them sent
bef•ere the magistrates of the county of Somerset, under
whose jurisdiction the offence was committed. The pri-
soner was at once identified by Mr. Withers, sea., as the
man who attacked him, and caused him to be thrown out of
the gig, and he was fully committed to take his trial for
highway robbery with violence at the approaching Sumer•
setshire Assizes. Twu other men have since been arrested
by the Bristol police officers, and it is hoped that the gang,
which has long been a terror to the neighbourhood, wall be
effectually broken op.—Clifton Chronicle.

THE PARKS.—H.R.H. the Hanger of Hyde Park j
has recently caused fri sh notices to be affixed to toe various
gates of the park, in lieu of the former ones, on the subject
of the use to which the carriage drives and rides are to be
appropriated. The admission of hackney carriages of all
kinds is prohibited, and no laden carts or other vehicles of
the kind are to be allowed to pus through the park. No
horses ridden by stablemen and others, tor the purpose of
exercise only, are to be admitted for that purpose.
FATAL. ACCIDENT.—Two men, named John Hui-
table and Samuel Mitchel, were engaged in bloating rocks
at a place uear the works of the North Devon Railway, at
Barnstaple, on Saturday, when an explosion took place un-
eapretedly, and the men were blown to a height of 40 feet,
and killed. The mea had bored a hole in the rock, and
imprudently drove in the powder with a steel bar, which,
striking against the flint of a rock, produced a spark, and
ignited the powder.