The Express.
London, England, 1866-02-15 00:00:00

lain lintelligenct.

COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH.—Fes. 14.
After Term Nisi Prim Sittings at Westminster.—(Before
the Lord Chief Justice and Special Juries.)
WALLIS V. MILNER
(Continued from yesterday's Express).
Thome' Cueley, one of the burglars, now undergoieg
penal servitude for hls participation in the robbery, was
brought up in custody to give evidence. He was dressed
ins oonviot's dress, with • good conduct stripe. He de-
posed—l am now nodergoieg a sentence of penal servitude
for 14 years in Millbsnk Prison. On Saturday, the 4tb of
February, 1865, I and two others went into No. 68, at the
wiser, in Bw-court, at ten minutes past six in the evening.
We wens to the floor over Sir Charles Crosley's, and west
into the room and sat down. We remained there until
twenty minutes past eight, when we received &signal that
Mr. Smith had got on the omnibus to go home. We then
went into Sir Charles Croeley's offices, which are immedi-
ately over Mr. Walker's shop.
Mr. Pearoe—What did you do when you got there?
Witness—We opened hie safe—(laughter)--and remained
there until about 12 o'clock before doiog anything further.
We got into the tailor's premises the Sunday morning by
cutting a hole through the floor and ceiling. We got into
the plaintiff's offioe about five minutes after 3 o'clock on
the Sunday afternoon, by cutting through the ceiling and
flooring over the tailor's cutting shop. One of the mu
who were with me went into the plaintiff's shop with me.
We took into the shop crowbars and sundry other tools.
Immediately we first got into the shop we had to get back
again, having received the signal that the policeman was on
his round. We bad another signal, and returned into the
jeweller's shop. We then tested, as we mil it, the safe, to
see if we could open it under the disadvantages under which
we laboured. (Laughter.)
The Lord Chief Justice—What do you mean by testing it?
Witness—By striking a small wedge at the edge of the
door as thick as it is long, which indicates the amount of
pressure the safe will resist. After testing we found the
wedge hold," and that the safe would open easily. From
the precaution taken by Mr. Walker we could not show
ourselves for fear of detection, and therefore I had to
work kneeling and tying oo my chest. When we bad tested
we receiveda signal that the policeman was coming, and he
was a man who did his duty. He came round every nine
minutes and looked in and saw if the safe was
all right. Every time the sigma was given I bad to take
out the tools, and I consequently lost my purchase, for I
was unable to use the bar. At one time I heard two police-
men conversing together in Soo-court. I could not then
pull out the wedge, and I struck it sideways and broke it,
and we were delayed ten minutes. Every time the police-
man came we had to get back into the tailor's shop. By
testing the safe again with a ssteel bar I felt it give, which
is an extrsordioary thing with a thorough good safe. It
would have broken the wedge or bar used. Upos that I
said to my comic-auk:A, " It's open now." My companion
expressed his surprise, for the aide had yielded about half
an inch. We were then afraid the policeman might notice
it in his next round. He did not do so, and I thee con-
sidered it was all right, for I concluded that as he bad not
then noticed it be would not notice it after we had gone. I
then put in another bar and prized it open.
By Mr. Pearoe—From first to last how long did it occupy
in opeoiog the door!
Witness—We went into the shop about five minutes to
three o'clock, and the whole of the property was cleared
out of the safe and we were in Sir O. Csroslefs office wash-
ing ourselves at • quarter to four o'clock. (Laughter.)
Three minutes are to be deducted from every nine minutes,
whoa the policemen sane round, sod a minute for my
going
skt through the hole into the tailor's shop and coming
again and replacing the tools ; and something must be
allowed for the coaversation between the policemen in the

pamage.
Mr. Pearce—What quantity of watches did you take
away!
Witness—About 400, es far as I can now remember.
Mr. Pearce—Who carried the tools with which the safe
was opened ?
Witness-1 did ;is my breast pocket.
Mr. Pearce—How many were used?
Witness—Two, I think—a wedge and a Dar. I did not
expect to find it was • Milner's site, but a Tenn's safe,
which is much the same se Milner's is appearance, but
much easier to open ; and Griffiths' is easier to open than
Tana's.
Mr. Pearce—Who's Griffith.! (Laughter.)
Witness—A well known man. (Loud laughter.) When
we got the door of the sale open we got the drawers open.
Mr. Pearce—Are you quite sure as to the time it took
you to open the safe
Witness—Quite sure, for this reason—we were three
miles away by twenty minutes to five o'clock.
Cross-examined by Mr. Webster—l believe you have had
a great deal of ezperience in opening safes!
Witoess—Unfortunately I have.
Mr. Webster —How many have you opened?
Witness—The first successful experiment on Milner'e
was in 1859. I experimented on two which were purchased
by my companions. one a double-door and the other a
single-door safe. The double-door safe took seven hours
before it gave way, but then I used what we cell " un-
lawful" meals, the use of a crow-bar, which moot be
used when committing haeglaries. One of Milner's No. 4
singledoce safes I opened with "lawful" meths in about
six hours, by such means as we adept in committing bur-
glaries. The usual way is to work standing, but owing to
the holes in the abutters, end the partition in the room, it
was impossible to do so at Mr. Walker's.
Mr. Webster—What is the beet and easiest tool to be
used with safety ?
Witeess—A bar about five feet long.
Mr. Webster—That must be as awkward thing to carry
about with you.
Witness—No, not when made in pieties, so as to be
carried in a violin case if necessary. (Laughter.) In this
case the violin case was not wanted. It is the only thing
that will open one of Milner's good safes. This was the
first of hie fixed safes that I have tried, The wedges we
use are about two inches long, oneaad.a-half inch broad,
and as share as a knife. There is a piece of wood put at
one end to deaden the sound when strikieg them. If, after
driving the wedge between the door and the frame, it falls
out, we know that the door can't be opened, but if it remains
in we know that it will be easy to open the safe. We then
use the "alderman." (Laughter.)
Mr. Webster —What is that?
Widens—The bar. Once get it to, and it will open airy
safe, no matter how good a one.
Mr. Webster—ls there • lord mayor as well as an alder-
mas (Laughter.)
Witness—No ; but there is • "citizen." (Loud laughter.)
It is a small tool.
Mr. Webster—ls that the smallest tool?
Witness—lto; the smallest is the "citizen's friend."
(Renewed laughter.) We give them these names in cue
we have to mention them as we walk along the streets. It
is usual to have wedges scored. to prevent them falling out,
but I don't think those I used were.
Mr. Webster—l think you left one of them behind.
Witness—l don't think I did. I might have done so. I
think I may left pert of one of them behicd—(laughter)—
owing to its breaking off when I knocked it aside to get it
out fearing the policeman might see it. We had four
wedges and four bars with us. (Witness was then creme
examined as to the number of times he attempted the safe,
and on examining the safe he said he must have made nine
attempts before be was successful.) The "alderman" is
bound to °pea any safe upon the present constructioa of
safes. One of my companions remained in Sir C. Crosley's
and the other in the hole in the floor handing me tools as I
required them. The man upstairs signalled to us by
means of • string. One man was stationed at the corner of
the Exchange in Cornhill to wmch the return of any of
the Walker family ; sod another at the comer of Bishops-
gate-street to give iodination of the approach of the paw-
man. He came down opposite the house, sigualled to the
man in Sir C. Crosley's offices, and be signalled to us
by means of • string It was whilst I was sitting
;in Sir C. Oreeley's office that I found his snuff.
I (Laughter.) I have baen in Sir C. Crosley's
offices four or five times at night and unlocked
his safe. (Laughter). On one occasion I found 281. in
but I would not take it as I did not go there to rob him—
(laeglitrr)—and it was only because one should not laugh
at the other that the clothes, which were of no value, were
taken.
Mr. Webster—Did you know Mr. Smith, Mr. Walker's
foreman, well?
Witness—Yee; as well Si all the Walker family.
(Laughter.)
Mr. Webster—How long were you looking after them?
Witness—Fr seven weeks—night and morning.
Mr. Webster—How many of you?
Witness—Two.
Mr. Webster—What became of the property!
Witnees—Ws wanted some money for the interloyers. li
(Laughter.)
Mt. Webster—Who are they!
Wittier—Men called in on an emergency to theist. The
two outside men were interlopers, and we paid them up
directly by obtaining an advance on securities for 40W.
found in Jeffreys' box.
Mr. Webster—Who is Jeffreys?
Witness—Whv, Jeffreys is Jeffreys. (Laughter.) We
borrowed the money to pay off the interlopes so as to keep
the property Reward thrashes. Some of the watches
I WOWS sold, and the whole of the money found was the
prowled* of the burglary.
The Lord Chief Justice—l suppose that if this oafs bad
Mee as good se the the you operated on for prudent you
could not have opened it.
Witesse—No •it would have been impossible. I had to
strip and stand at:might to open the others. We were
agreeably surprised when we opened this safe; in fact, we
had almost made up our mind not to attempt it when we
I found it was a Milner oafs. The reason why the burglary
was concocted was this. All through Jasuary end op to
the 3rd of February the police did not look through the
apertures of the shutters, and we made up our minds that
as they had not done it for so low a time that it was
100 to l if they did it the night we were on the premises.
The man es this duty did his duty well. It is easier to
open a safe at the top left OMR of the door, and that is
• the usual practise, bat I meld not do it in this ease for fear
of being detected, And I bad to work from the bottom
raWe were about to sive up the job at one time, but
id the safe again, aed then I was so satisfied that we
should accomplish our oiled that I said, "The safe's
epee." This was swell made safe, and the thin edge of the
wedge, which was as sharp as • knife, wild scarcely be
deivetria: • With safe the wedge cannot be got ;
h Inaba se. g 'sold have stood up at my track I