The Express.
London, England, 1868-08-01 00:00:00

THE POLICE COURTS.

MANSION HOUSE.

William Atkinson, 23, described as • hum-wreaker,
and L'airt p erre*, 27, bricklayer, wren brought up ou
'emend before the Lord Mayor andi Mr. Alderman Caul
ton, itting in petty OM iOll2l, and charged with a robbery
frcm the premises of Moms. Canton, printers, carrying
on tanieres at No. 4, Laurence Pountney-hill, City.
Mr. Warner Sleigh, barrister, appeared on behalf of
Warren.

It appeared that William Wines, a City detective, saw
the prisoner Atkinson in Upper Thames-street about six
o'clock on the morning of Wednesday, 22nd July, and
watched him for two hours. At last he stopped at tho
coiner of Suffolk-lane and turned into Laurence Pount-
ney-hill. Shortly after the officer was called to a house
seat to Messrs. Causton's, and from a window on the
first Boor ho looked into Messrs. Causton's office, and
saw the two prisoners. On seeing him the prisoners
went through a window at the buck of the premises,
and drorped into the yard of the Merchant Taylors'
School, from a height of twenty feet. The officer
followed by means of a ladder, and having taken them
into custody, charged them with breaking into Mews.
Canaan,' office and stealing between 31. and 4L in money.
They replied that two men took them into the house. On
Atk.nson was found two keys, one of which fitted the
street and the other the office door. A cupboard in the
counting-boa's) had been forced open and rd. 14s. and a
ten franc piece stolen. A screw driver and • chisel were
found on the first floor, which corresponded with the
marks on the cupboard. Warren had in his ion
21. 6s. and the missing ten franc.pioce, and Atkinson a
sum of 275. On the same morning • young woman
named Phillips, whose duty it was to clean the office, was
apprehended on the charge of being concerned in the
robbery, but she was subsequently discharged. Her
statement was that she had been in the company of
Atkinson, whom she knew by the name of "Bill," for
about two hours on the night before the robbery, and
that on going home she missed the keys of Messrs.
Causton's premises which she had had in her pocket.
Several witnesses were called as to the character of
Warren, who was stated to be • sub-foreman to • brick-
layer, and it was suggested that he had been led into the
commission of the offence by the other prisoner, Atkinson,
who was some time ago brought up in custody of Detec-
tive Hawks, and sentenced to a month's imprisonment for
drugging, and stealing four rings from • woman. Pre-
vious to that time ho bad been imprisoned for throe
months.

Yheprisoners had pleaded guilty under the impression that
they were to be tried summarily, but the prosecutor now
slated that he wanted the case to be sent to the Cecilia!
Criminal Court.

The Lord Mayor accordingly committed the prisoners
to Newgate to take their trial on the charge of burglary.

WESTMINSTER,.

William Mitchel, alias Biggs, a respectable-looking
man, of middle height, 40 years of age, was brought up
on a warrant from S.pringfield gaol, charged with fraud.
Mrs. Jane Woods, of 65, Hanover-street, Pimlico, said
that in September, 1866, prisoner called upon her, and
having mentioned the name of • neighbour by whom he
had been sent, said he came from Mr. Radford, coal-
merchant, Parliament-wharf, for whom he was agent,
and had some coals to sell very cheap. He induced pro-
secutor, her mother, and • Mrs. Middleton, to give him
2e. each for the airtse of the coals, and then went away.
He was unknown at Radford's, and was not seen again
until taken into custody.
George Erpeon, 119 B, said that from information re-
ceived he went to Chelmsford and apprehended prisoner
as he was leaving Springfield gaol, where he had been
confined on a 'similar charge to the present. Ho had been
carrying out his system of plunder for a great length of
time in various parts of the country, and had received
numerous sums of money from poor persons. Witness
showed a handful of receipts given for small amounts.
Prisoner said he did not wish to question the witnesses
against him.
Erpaon said that after prisoner was taken into custody
he endeavoured to compromise the charge.
He was remanded for a week.
WORSHIP-STREET.

Michael IPeart,Sy, 18, described as a labourer living at
18, Earl-street, Crawley, Busses, was charged before Yr.
Ellison with being found in possession of a rope, termed
a false rope, reasonably supposed to have been stolen, and
not giving a satisfactory account of the same.
Police-constable Henry Fordham, 197 H, deposed that
on Thursday night he was on duty in Worship-street, in
the immediate neighbourhood of a great fire which had
broken out. As he stood by the corner of a court the
prisoner passed him, having something very bulky under
his coat. Witness stopped him, and pulled a rope from
from the hiding place. He asked prisoner how he became
possessed of it, and he replied, "I got it from lipital-
square police station." This the constable knew to be
false, as, belonging to that station, he was certain they
had no ropes there. On telling the prisoner that fact he
at once altered him story, and declared that a man had
given it to him to hold, instead of which he (the witness)
had since ascertained that it had been removed from the
top of Worship-street, having been placed across the
road and tied to the corner posts to keep hack the crowd
which pressed round the are-engines engaged on the con-
Map.ation.
The prisoner was remanded

Henry Gerrar4 18, baker's boy, of 12, Hackney-street,
St. George's East; George Hawkins 17, wire drawer,
living in Milton-street, St. Luke's; and James Taylor, 17,
porter, of 22, Smith-street, Clerkenwell, were then
G , errard and Hawkins with picking the pocket
Olfaaarieirdles Crop of Is. 6d., and assaulting him at 'Wor-
ship-street, and Taylor was charged with attempting to
rescue the other prisoners from custody.
This case also arose from the great fire which occurred
in the immediate neighbourhood of this court ; and it
was shown by the evidence of the prosecutor and police
constables Miller, 148 G., Richard Parker, 317 N, and
Lucas, 82 0, that the first two prisoners were in the crowd
very busy among a score of other youngthieves makingthe
most of the occasion. Prosecutor was surrounded, and
his arms held from behind by Hawkins, while Gerrard
thrust his hand into his trousers pocket, and grsspmg the
little money therein, tore the pocket right out. However,
they were seen by the officers, and at once taken into
custody: Several times they were kicked by prisoners'
companions in the crowd ; and on the way to the station
Taylor, who was very active, made a sudden rush, and
cried out, " Kick the slops." He was then secured,
and locked up.
Mr. Ellison committed Gerrard and Hawkins for trial.
Taylor was fined 40e., or one month's imprisonment in
default of payment.
SOUTHWARK.

James Jones, a young fellow, 19 years of age, was
brought before Mr. Barcham, charged with exciting a dis-
turbance near Bermondsey church, and assaulting a con-
stable in the execution of his duty.
Police-constable 138 M, said that on the previous night
he was on duty in Abbey-street, near Bermondsey church,
when he saw a mob of several hundred people congregated
by the church walls shouting and making the most dis-
cordant noises. He endeavoured to disperse them, but
the prisoner, who seemed the most active of the lot,
jumped over the railings, and called out, " Don't go ;
there it is again, there's the ghost !" The mob re-com-
menced shouting, and as the prisoner refused to come off
the railmg he pulled him down, and told him to go away
quietly. Latnid of do' so, he knocked witness's helmet
off, and so misconducted that he was compelled to
take him into custody.
The prisoner here said he was a hard-working young
man, and having heard there was a ghost in Bermondsey
churchyard, as soon as he left his employ at night he
went to fee what it was like. He certainly was on the
railings when the constable pulled him off and kicked him.
He was, however, very sorry if he assaulted the officer.
He had no intention of doing so.
Inspector Manion, If division, informed his worship
that a few days ago a dead body was picked out of the
river and conveyed in a shell to the dead-house adjoining
the church to await a coroner's inquest. Some boys in
the neighbourhood, at night-time, got up the cry of a
ghost in the churchyard, and some two thousand people
assembled there nightly, exciting the utmost distures.
The clergy and parish officials did all they could to dis-
perse the crowds, and failing to do so, the police were
called, and they had great difficulty in preserving the
peace.
Mr. Burcham expressed his surprise that in this nine-
teenth century, when education was making such pro-
ven among the people, two thousand persons should
be found to be so superstitious as to surround Bermondsey
churchyard for hours on the chance of seeing a ghost; it
was really ridiculous. He asked the prisoner bow he ob-
tained his livelihood.

The rid he worked in a tan-yard, mid he could
assure Lie worship that he had no intention of assaulting
the constable. All he wanted was to see the ghost.
Mr. Burnham told him he was quite old enough to know
better. He bad committed an assault on the constable,
and, as a caution to him for the future, he ordered him to
pay a dne of 25., or one day's imprisonment.

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