The Express.
London, England, 1861-09-10 00:00:00

ROBBERY OP GOVIRRNEIFT STORES.

Nearly two years since information was received
by the metropolitan police in Portsmouth dockyard as to a
system of robbery of government stores—viz., new copper-
bolts. In consequence of that information police-sergeants
Taylor, Westbrook, and others, visited the Landport Rail-
way station, where upwards of two cwt. of her Majesty's
copper bolts were found in a cask, directed to " M. L.
Marks, 7, Tilley-street, Spitalfselds, London." This cask
had been sent to the railway by a tradesman named Morris
Harris, who kept a large hardware and general establish-
ment in one of the most populous parts of Portsmouth. He
was taken in charge, and afterward* escaped, leaving his
business and stock. Every effort has been made by the
police since his escape to recapture him, but without suc-
CM. until the commencement of last week, when informa-
tion was received at Scotland-yard that Harris was carrying
on a large business in Dublin. He was taken at that city,
and conveyed to Portsmouth, and on Saturday the case came
before the magistrates.
Mr. Swainson, Admiralty solicitor, prosecuted, and Mr.
Lowe appeared for the prisoner. The court was full, and
considerable interest was manifested in the case.

Mr. Swainsou said the charge was laid under the 39th and
40th George 111., c. 89, which states that" every person not
being a contractor, &c., who shall sell or receive any stores of
war, he,, or shall conceal them, shall be transported for
fourteen years, unless he produces on the trial • certificate
from the navy board." The transportation alluded to was
now made penal servitude, and the time was at the discretion
of the judge.
The first witness called was Sergeant Taylor, dockyard
metropolitan police at Portsmouth, who mid—On the 'pith
of December, 1859, from information received, he sod other
sergeants went to the Lmadport Railway station in search of
a cask of copper. They found the cask at the goods station
in a truck going to London. He had it taken out and placed
on the goods stage. He left the cask in proper custody on
the goods stage while he went to prisoner s Louse near the
police station, in Russelletreet, where he carried on the
business of &marine store dealer. He found prisoner in his
shop. He said to him, " Mr. Harris, have you sent any
goods in • cask to the railway !" Prisoner said, " Yes."
He asked prisoner to go to the station and point it out,
which he agreed to do, saying it contained old copper with-
out • broad arrow on it. On going to the station Harris
pointed out a cask, which be said had been taken there by
his boy. Sergeant Ansell endeavoured to open the cask,
when prisoner said, "Give me the hammer, I'll do it quicker
than that," and he knocked io the head of the cask. They
discovered a thick layer of rag on the top, and under-
neath a quantity of pieces of copper bolt., all new. Rags
*ere around the Inside of the cask and also in layers between
the bolt.. He turned a great many of the bolta out, and
on examining them he found they had been filed and
defaced in the place where government bolts were
marked with the broad arrow. The broad arrows were in
two rows, and those rows bad been filed and cut. Prisoner
then said, " 1 told you you would not find • broad arrow on
them none of them were marked • I bought it all honest
and fair." He told prisoner he should convey him to the
dockyard with the bolts, and that he was a prisoner. The
top was put on the cask, and a cab was called and the cask
put in. Sergeant Sherlock rode on the box, and prisoner
and he walked by the side. When opposite Marylebone-
street er asked to be allowed to see his wife. He
• few paces ahead to tell the driver to go to pri-
souer's house, and on again turning round the prisoner was
gone, and he could not afterwards find him. It was a very
dark night. He afterwards went to the dockyard and found
Sergeant Sherlock there with the ask, which he locked up
and took the key. The contents were examined on the
following morning by Sergeants Ansell, Sherlock, and him-
self, in the presence of Mr. Mosbery, the storekeeper's
clerk. They found shout 30th. weight of copper bolt, new,
and also some Pieces of new sheet copper marked with a
broad arrow. fhe remainder consisted of 2cwt. Iqr. 101 b.
of bolts, all of which were defaced. The filing appeared
to have been recently dope. It was in his possession until
the 28th, when it was taken charge of by Mr. Horsey,
• clerk in the storekeeper's department. The ask he pro-
duced. He had not seen prisoner until last Monday, when
he, in company with detective officer Sergeant Thomas, of
Scotlaodiard, found prisoner in Kevin-street, Dublin, where
he was carrying on the business of a general dealer. He
was watching opposite his store in Dublin, when he saw him
go in. Sergeant Thomas and a Dublin police officer followed
prisoner. Wanes, followed them. Sergeant Thomas said,
Do you know Taylor!' Prisoner said, ' Yee, very well."
Taylor then said, • You will consider yourself my prisoner
for making your maps about a cask of copper." Prisoner
said, "I know all about it ; I wish I bad not run away."
Sergeant Thomas was about to handcuff prisoner, who said,
" Don't do that, 171 not run away again' or give you
trouble." They got a cab, and brought prisoner by
steamer and railway to Holyhead. On their way prisoner
said he had made a sacrifice, broke up his home, sod left
the country ; he thought the Admiralty would have been
satisfied. He knew that prisoner had broken up his busi-
ness and left Portsmouth.

Sergeant Angell proved that a card was on the cask with
the abovenamed addresa. "Immediate despatch" was ou
the card. Ho identified the cask produced, and corroborated
Taylor's evidence.
Sergeant Sherlock; William Page, gatekeeper at the goods
station; George Stephenson, receiving porter; Joseph
Little, porter; and W. Gilbert, all gave corroborative testi-
mony, from which it appeared that, as the evening on which
the goods were sent was " boxing" night, there were,no men
belonging to the carriers at the station, therefore the pri•
sonar's son and another lad brought the cask to the station
in a truck, as prisoner said his goods must go at once to
London.

Mr. Alfred Mcabery, clerk in the storekeeper's depart-
ment of the dockyard, said the weight of tho bolts pro-
duced was 2cwt. Lyn. 121 b. ; 301 b. of it was marked with
the broad arrow. The bolts in the cask, besides the :10111.,
were defaced by filing on the exact places where government
store bolts are marked. The value of the bolte produced
was 101. 2e. 5d., and of the 301 b. marked, 1/. 13s. 2d.
The Bench, on being applied to, sod Laving no power
in this csie to refuse bail, committed prisoner for trial at
the ensuing sessions, accepting bail, himself in 2001.. nod
two sureties in 1001. each.

I
=Raft COTTON,—A correspondent of the
BlogfieAnnie in a history of the Hem cotton trade, de-
scribes Nalmiorsopettah, a large and populous town 90 miles
south of Hyderabad, as the great mart, the Dacca, of the
province. There mualins for the Moslem harems are
turned out of exceeding fineness and beauty. The cotton
of which these fabrics are made is longer in staple and liner
than the best Sea Island. It is indigenous, but cultivated
and picked with great care in a rich soil at the confluence
of the Bheema and Khans rivers. This bears out the user-
! Lion of Mr. Mackay, who was sent by Manchester to in-
spect the cotton districts of India, that with careful atten.
tam, suck as is given in America, the indigenous cotton of
India will equal the best New (Mesas.
Orr YOB TES St/MIMS HOLIDAYS.—The London
season la 0,..; the were is closed ; parliament cloeing the
parks are empty ; and Loodoners. tempted by the pleasant
weather which has set In, are dolly taking night from town
hi large numbers, while our hicads in the country, lathe* tom
come up to the metropolis by the various excursion trains, to
gee the sights and make their holiday purchases. To the Lon-
doner It will be superlitious to point out the importance of a call
at &MIMI'S, to see that his watch is well regulated before be
starts. We would, however, direct our country friends to hie
establishments at Ludgate-hill sad Cornhlll, for the best and
cheapest Watches to he obtained anywhere. Send for his
pamphlet loathe by post for two stamps,.--tAdvertithment.