The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-11-18 00:00:00

THE GREAT GOLD ROBBERY

Yesterday, William Pierce and James Burgess were again
brought before the Lord Mayor, at the Mansion House, upon
remand, charged with having stolen £15,000 worth of bullion
from a package in a carriage of the South Eastern Railway,
on its road from London to Folkston° in the month of May.
The romantic nature of the disclosures already made in

connection with this case, has imparted an extraordinary
interest to the charge, and long before the justice room was
opened, a crowd had collected outside, eager to obtain ad.
mission. The rush, however, had been anticipated, and by the
courtesy of Mr. Goodman, the chief clerk of the Lord Mayor,
space in the court was reserved for the reporters and others,
whose avocations rendered their presence indispensable. Mr.
Gordon Thompson, the deputy chairman, Mr. Cross, a
director, and Mr. M. Smiles, the secretary of the South
Eastern Railway Company, were in attendance to
watch the proceedings. Mr. Bodkin, instructed by Mr.
Rees, the solicitor to the company, appeared, as heretofore,
in support of the prosecution ; Mr. Lewis, solicitor
for Burgess ; and, Mr. Wontner, solicitor for Pierce.
The Lord Mayor took his seat on the bench at twelve o'clock.
Alderman Sir W. Carden and Alderman Rose were also on
the bench. The convict Agar was again placed in the witness
box. He is a thin, hard, keen-featured looking man, with an
intelligent expression of countenance. His examination was
continued from the point where it closed at the previous
hearing, and the evidence he gave was to the following effect,
The money received near the India House and in the Hay-
market was taken to Pierce's horse, and he had the greater
part of it. A horse and cart was fetched to Pierce's house
after the robbery of the gold; it was the next morning after
the robbery, and the cart took the gold to my place at
Shepherd's Bush. Both Pierce and myself scent in the cart.
Pierce told me he hired the cart in Grove street, Mornington
crescent. It was a small chaise cart, and, to the best of my
belief, it was a grey horse. The gold was contained is the
courier bags which were placed in small carpet bags. I rather
think the money received for the gold was left at Pierce's
house ; it was kept in canvas bags. When we got to Shepherd's
Bush we found the servant girl and Fanny Kay at home. I
took the gold tap stairs into the front room on the first floor,
and while I did so Pierce went away with the horse and
cart. The gold was afterwards melted. One hundred
ounces of it was sold before any was melted. It was about
three or four days after we got to Shepherd's Bush. We
cut it off one of the long bars--what I call the Australian gold.
We took it into a washhouse and cut it off with an old chisel
and a hammer. We cut ono or two pieces off, but the weight
was a hundred ounces. It took U 8 about fifteen minutes to cut
it. We struck a good many blows. The first hammer was
too light, and I sent Pierce for a heavier one, which he bought
at a shop in Tottenham court road, and which had the name
of Buck npon it. Fanny Kay was iu the house at this time.
The washhouse was in the yard joining the house, but the
windows being whitened over, nobody could see into the wash-
house from the yard. Fanny Kay came in for a pot or a
kettle, but she could not see what we were doing, as, before
letting her in, we covered the gold over. Pierce told me that
he sold the 100ozs. for £3OO, and I kept possession of it.
Pierce assisted me afterwards in melting the gold. We first cut
it up in small pieces ; we then took the stove out in the back
parlour, and built a furnace in its place. I told Pierce
before that the furnace would require some firebricks, as
we should require a strong heat, and Pierce said there was
a place near where he lived that sold them. He afterwards
brought some in a cart, but the bricks were concealed in can-
- We got some cement and atone, and so made the
The stone produced appears to be one that we used.
can see several small particles of gold upon it. I have not
seen it from the time it was used until now, and I know it by
the whole in the top, which we made to secure a draught. We
used charcoal and coke for the furnace. We procured the
fuel from Wilderness row, and the crucibles which we used for
melting from St. John's street road. Pierce bought some,
and I others, and we poured the liquid gold into an ingot
which I bought at a jeweller's shop in Clerkenwell. It was
about a foot long, and three or four inches wide, tapering to the
bottom. We were three or four days melting. Fanny Kay
was not at home the first day, but she came home at night.
She had been to see our child, who was put out to nurse. The
servant had been sent away. The following day we continued
the process. Fanny Kay was at home that day, and she came
up to the door where the melting was going on, but we did not
let her in. The melting and action of the furnace created a
great heat, and Fanny Kay remarked that the place was
very hot; we were in a state of perspiration, and she asked
what we were doing. We went on in fhis way until we had
succeeded in melting the whole of the gold. During the pro-
cess ono of the crucibles broke ; we were lifting it at the time
from the furnace, and most of the gold ran over the floor and
burnt it. Wo tried to make the melted bars weigh a hundred
ounces, as near as possible. When the go'd was all so melted,
it was placed in my front bedroom, and afterwards removed to
Pierce's house, Crown terrace, Hampstead road. It was
removed in a cart, which Pierce himself brought. T then had
a slight quarrel with Fanny Kay, and took a lodging in the
Kilburn road, about two miles from Kilburn gate. I had
gone by the name of Adams, at Shepherd's Bush, and Fanny
Kay as Airs, Adams, and I retained that name at Kilburn.
The gold remained a little time at Crown terrace, and then it
removed to my lodgings at Kilburn. I and Pierce carried it in
a few bars at a time, and after it was so removed, Pierce took
Kilburn Villa, where the gold was afterwards deposited. I then
left my lodgings at Kilburn, Logo and live with Pierce, telling the
people I lodged with that I was going to Scotland. The gold
was kept at first in my trunks at Pierce's, but afterwards
Pierce dug a hole in his pantry, and the gold was buried in it,
what became of it afterwards I don't know, for about three
weeks afterwards I was arrested on the charge for which I am
now confined. Before I was arrested, however, some of the
gold was sold. First, two bars of 200 ouncos, which fetched
£3 2s 61 an ounce. I sold them to a person whom I had
appointed to meet. Tho place of meeting was at Dalston. I
know the person's name, but I think it best not to mention it,
Mr. Bodkin : Oh, give us the name ? Witness : But some
of the gold was left after I was arrested, and it may not be
safe to mention it. Mr. Bodkin . Oh, give us the name?
Witness : Well, it is James Saward, and he is termed a
barrister. (A laugh.) Ho is a pigeon fancier, or something of
that sort, I know. Mr. Lewis : Rather a goldilnch fancier.
(A laugh.) Witness: He lives, or did live, at 'Villa-house,
Walworth Common. I had known him before, having had
transactions with him. I understood he lived by his profession as
a barrister, and bought gold. I met him and told him this
gold was moving about. He said ho could get rid of it, and an
appointment was made at a public-house near Dalston gate.
I told him how I knew of it, and he said—"l have seen in
the papers about a gold robbery, and I suppose this is part of
it." I replied it was, and he said, " Well, 'think I can get rid
of it for you." [This portion of the evidence appeared to
take the parties quite by surmise, and a consultation was held
upon it, but with what result did not transpire.] Witness
continued.---I took two bars of the gold to the place of
appointment. I believe it was a beer shop of the sign of the
Alma. Saward took the gold away; he was absent some time,
but he returned with the money, £3 2s 6 per ounce. I took the
money with me to Pierce's at Kilburn, it was in gold, and I put
it away in a trunk. In the same way I sold six other bars to
Saward, and in all I received about £l,BOO for the lot. I paid
Saward sixpence or a shilling upon each occasion, but what he
got from the other parties who employed him I cannot tell.
He did not tell me where he sold it, I have now told you
about all the gold I know of up to the time I was arrested. I
knew a person of the name of Seal ; I sold none to him, nor
do I know of any thing he did in respect to this gold. Pierce
took the proceeds of the sales to the Bank from time to time,
and obtained Bank of England notes for the money. In this
way £2,300 or thereabouts was changed into notes, and, after
some little time, we had a meeting of all parties together.
Pierce, Tester, Burgess, and myself were present at the meet-
ing which was held at Kilburn. Villa. It was there stated
what we had done in melting and what we had sold. Tes-
ter had £6OO, Burgess £7OO, Pierce £6OO, and I had £6OO.
Mine was all in notes; the meeting was held in the even-
ing. Pierce kept no servant then ; there might have been
some children in the house, but Mrs. Pierce had been sent out.
The meeting broke up at eleven o'clock at night. About a
week afterwards I went to live at Paddington Green with a
young woman named Fanny Campbell, and I was living with
her when I was arrested. When I was arrested the remainder
of the gold was at Pierce's, Two or three bars were there in
a trunk waiting to be sold at an appointment I bad made for
that purpose, but my arrest prevented the sale. When I was
arrested I left a trunk at Pierce's with the whole of the money
I had received es my share, and the whole of it, together with
another sum and a Spanish Bond for £2OO, fell into Pierce's
hands. I had before sold similar bonds to Tester for £7OO. Tho
day I was arrested Pierce walked with me from Stanley-place
down to Shepherd's Bush. I there got a child's perambulator,
and several articles which I gave to Pierce to take home.
When I him I got into an omnibus to go and keep an
appointment for the sale of gold, hut on the way I was arrested.
After my arrest some securities of mine were sold for
£3,000. Pierce brought the amount to me in Newgate, and I
gave it to Mr. Wontner. He kept it for some time, and I
then directed that the money should be invested in the name
of Mrs. Pierce, for the benefit of my child and his mother. I
never saw Pierce from the time I was arrested until I first saw
him here at the bar, but I received letters from him, both in
Newgate and at Portland. It is about three weeks ago since
I first made any statement as to this robbery. It was at
Portland, to Mr. Rees, the solicitor. This closed the
witness's evidence in chief. Mr. Wontner said ho should hest
consult the interest of his client P ierce, by abstaining at
present from cross-examining the witness. It Was quite
clear that the case must eventually go elsewhere for decision,
and probably he should altogether reserve his cross-exatni-
nation. Mr. Lewis said, with regard to his client Burgess, he
must pursue a very different course ; ho must proceed at once
to cross-examine the witness. Mr. Wontner said : Before
the cross-examination was opened ho was instructed by his
client to offer an explanation upon one point. He was
instructed by Pierce to state that the £2,500 handed over t
him for the benefit of Fanny Kay and her child bad been
invested by him in Turkish Bonds which were taken posses-
sion of by the officers when lie was apprehended.
M
said that was contrary to his notion of the f ct.
Trh. Bodkin
ecdokuirnt
then adjourned for ten minutes. On there-assembling of the
court, Mr. Lewis proceeded to cross.examiuo Agar.

-tunace.

THE FRAUDS ON THE GREAT NORTHERN
RAILWAY.

In Saturday's publication we gave at some length a state-
ment of the extraordinary frauds which had been committed on
this company. Since that time further particulars of the affair,
the movements of the prisoners, &c.. have transpired, from
which we collate the following :—And, first, as to the antece-
dents of Redpath, it appears from circumstances which
have come to light since his apprehension, that he must have
been carrying on his frauds for a considerable time, as his
style of living for some years past has excited the attention of
the tradesmen in the vicinity of Chester terrace with whom he
had dealing?, and who received payment for their goods, no
matter how extravagant or luxurious they might be, with the
greatest promptitude. There was generally a feeling of
at Redpath s sudden elevation in the world,
because he was well known in the neighbourhood of
Regent's Park, having resided in the locality for many
years. About twelve years ago he followed the occupation of
a lawyer's clerk, and occupied obscure apartments in Cum.
betland market, sshilst his wire, who is described as a most
amiable and ladylike Nieman, resided, as companion to an
elderly lady named Simmons, at No, 3, Cutnberland place.
At this period Redpath was exceedingly mean in his attire,
and it was believed that his income was of a very limited
character. He subsequently, however, improved in his titd
cumstances, and took lodgings at 43, tipper Albany street.
Shortly after obtaining his appointment as railsiay clerk hif
became the tenant of the house No. 2, Park Village, Weil:
From that period his style of living began to improve, until
he took the mansion, 27, Chester terrace, at a rental of
£2OO per annum, a sum, including taxes, &c., which exceeded
tho amount of the salary derived from his Great Northern
Railway cletkship. Soon after taking the mansion at
Chester terrace ho mounted his carriage ; and in addition
to an establishment of five or six female domestic
servants, lie kept a coachman, a groom, a butler, and
a footman. Redpath lived altogether in the highest
and most luxurious style, and about three years
ago the executors of the late Mr. Trev.zant, a gentleman who
resided in hie own house, No. 31, Chester...terrace, upon his
demise put up the house for sale, and it was bought' by
Redpath at a sum of between £3,000 and £4,000. He was
in the habit of receiving a great deal of company, and he ;land
parties and dinners of the most expensive character. It
mattered not to him whether or not pease were in season, have
them he would on his table at a time when they could not be
obtained at Covent Garden Market at less than 7s. or 83. per
quart. Whether grapes were 2s. or 108. per pound, it was no
matter to Redpath ; and the same remark applies to every other
article. His house was most gorgeously furnished, and his
munificence and generosity (will other people's money)
were the talk of the entire neighbourhood. Now that the
murder is out, and the real source of the grandeur he was
enabled to exhibit has been discovered, the cry is, "It
is just what I expected, from the way he was going on."
As another instance of Redpath's extravagance, and
the style in which he did everything, it was his practice, pri r
to leaving home, every morning to have his hair dressed by a
perruquieur from Strahern's, in Princess-street, Hanover,
square. Either the head of that establishment, dr some One
deputed by him, arrived at 27, Chester-terrace, every morning
in a cab, which was usually kept at the door for about an hour`;
whilst the tensor was performing his operatio'ns on Redpath'd
cranium. It was not until the month of August el. Septeenboi
last year that Redpath effected the purchatte of the'
freehold villa at Weybridge, and ho has been out of tosbii
staying there, and coming to town for business piirs:
poses. The price paid for the estate, it is said, was £30,004;
It has already been stated that Redpath was looked upon as a
most charitable man, and his position as a governs:oi% and, as
we are informed, one of the managing committee, or almeneres
of Christ's Hospital and of the St. Ann's Society, gave him is
very high character in that respect, Since his capture, how•
ever, there are some circumstances which have transpired in
connection with the traffic in votes, of the above named, as
well as, no doubt, in many other similar institutions, for money
considerations, which, if pursued, may open a large field for
enquiry amongst the governors and subscribers. As regards
the St. Ann's Society, we believe we are correct in stating
that Redpath was not only a governor but an auditor of
the accounts of that institution. Amongst the charitable
contributions in the locality in which he resided, Redpath's
name stands recorded as a contributor, through the
church, to the patriotic fund raised in the parish of St. Paucras.
Redpath, some eighteen or twenty years ago, was clerk to
Messrs. Wilcox and Anderson, then the owners and managers
of the line of steamers to the Peninsula and Mediterranean
with mails from her Majesty's Post-office. Ho left their
employment shortly before the service became so extensive
that it was found expedient to organise the Peninsular and
Oriental Steam. Redpath then attempted to establish himself
in business as a seller of steam vessels ; but after contracting
debts which he never paid, he suddenly disappeared, and would
seem to have retired to a very private life. After this lie
emerged again from obscurity, and obtained employment as d
clerk in the transfer office of the Great Northern Railway. lilt
further caseer is now too well known,
On Sunday morning Redpath attended Divine strike in thd
chapel of the House of Detention, at Clerkenwell, wLere
sermon was preached by the Rev. Mr. Jephson. His depbrtz
ment since he has been in the prison has been calm anti/
composed, and he has more than once expressed his sorrow
that he had pursued such a reckless and dishonest course of

surpriso

Mr. Williams, the Great Northern Company's inspector of
police, to whom was entrusted the warrant which Sir George
Grey issued for the capture of Mr. Redpath, in Paris, returned
from the continent on Saturday morning. At the same time
the luggage, which the prisoner in his hasty flight left in
Paris, was brought to London by the Great Eastern Railway
Company, and consigned to Mr. Superintendent Loxton,
under whose direction it was conveyed to the Great Northern
Railway, there to be examined by the directors. Some
dscoocittemmli eitgtneht hdts
u pa
ovAne
mbtoehne f
egn
tnoau
ttnthe documents d
doocf which,utmheo
ni
ft t
er expected,iasuadrse wsohmi e
some
whcaiolvinect
concerted
lithographic signals, which at present have not been deciphered;
but they are to be submitted to the usual tests, and,
in all
probability, their meaning will, in a few days, be revealed.
The strictest investigation has been made of portions of the
company's books which were under Redpath's control, and that
enquiry must necessarily extend over several weeks before the
exact amount of his defalcations can be ascertained. This,
however, is certain, that so far from the amount being exagge•
rated, the shareholders must not be surprised if they hear that
the sum involved in the frauds which have been perpetrated
reach to double that sum. It would, of course, be gratifying
to every one to find that this was a mistake. The facts that
have transpired are, however, sufficiently strong to justify the
statement that the shareholders must not indulge in any delu-
sive hopes that the frauds, for which they will be to a great
extent the sufferers, are of any less amount than were originally
represented.
Some telegraphic signals which have been found among
Redpath's documents, prove that he was in concert with some
person or persona in London for the sale and purchase of
railway shares, particularly of Great Northern. Those signals,
which aro in cipher, give directions to "sell out," to " buy,"
and contain other iastructions which, for the present, it is
thought advisable to keep secret.
The career of Mr. Kent, who is in custody on the suspicion
of being associated with Mr. Redpath in his gigantic frauds,
present nothing very remarkable. His salary, which was
originally £9O a year, was raised within the last few months to
£l3O, and his style of living was such as might be covered by
the expenditure of that sum. He lived in a plain, homely,
unpretending way, and never appeared to have about him
larger sums of money than the salary he received from the
company might account for. It seems to be the opinion
of every one in the company's service, that Kent was
the dupe of Redpath, and that be received no profit
from the frauds, although it is a circumstance which
will require explanation, that some of the false and
fraudulent entries in Redpath's books are in Kent's hand-
writing. He will he placed at the bar of Clerkenwell Police
Court on Tuesday (this day), and will then be further remanded
until Friday, when ho will be placed side by side with Redpath
to answer the charge jointly made against them. It is not
probable that the case will be ready for trial at the November
sessions of the Central Criminal Court, which commences on
Monday next, and it will therefore stand over for the December
sessions.

Rumours of an alarming character are in circulation in
reference to other railways. On Saturday there was a meeting
of the directors of a highly influential company running out of
London, but nothing definite has transpired. It seems to be
pretty well understood that there has been an organised con-
spiracy to defraud companies, and that there are Robsons and
Redpaths connected with every railway, who have been working
tegether for years past.
The directors of the North Western Railway, in conic.
quence of these and other frauds that have been perpetrated,
have come to a resolution that no transfer of shares shall be
binding upon the company which has not received the assent
of the directors. Every transfer, therefore, will have to be
submitted to them.

COMMUTATION OF SENTENCE. Mary Wood, who was
capitally convicted; and sentenced to death by the High
Court Court of Justiciary of Scotland, has bad her sentence com-
muted into transportation for life.
ArrElurrEn Suicinu.—On Sunday night, a compositor,
named Tilt, living in Church street, Lambeth, attempted
suicide by cutting his throat with a broken tumbler. Re
was conveyed to Guy's Hospital, where he lies without the
slightest hopes of recovery.
at Rouen, the
Majesties, and
m aArt ra,
whobanquet presided,giv gt on
vlsolaarshal
toast
to Pelissier,
their
the Prince Imperial, which was followed by another to
" Marshal Pelissier, the conqueror of Sebastopol." Both
were drank with loud applause. About nine o'clock the
marshal proceeded to the theatre, where he was most
warmly received by the audience, and a cantata written in
honour of his visit was recited.

ESTABLISHMENT OF WEST RIDING POLICE.—The West
Riding magistrates have appointed Colonel C. A. Cobbe, of
the 2nd West York Militia, chief constable of their new
police. The salary is fixed at £5OO per annum, with office
and stationery, and his actual travelling expeuses. The
magistrates made an estre it of £6OO on the whole riding,
and of £14,000 on the police districts. fur the expenses and
salaries of the police establishment.

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