The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-02-23 00:00:00

THE BRITISH PRESS.

date a party of eight or nine ladies and gentlemen, then at the
theatre, with a 'nipper, and what it would consist of. Witness
replied in the affirma.tve, and that there were then ready fowls,
meats, &c. front which he might select. The prisoner was then
about leaving the house, when, as if recollecting himself. he stopped
and asked if he could Ire accomnimiated with 21. on his gild watch
and appentla4es, as he dud rot wi.h hts friends should know that
he was in want of money ? Witness, without any kind of sue.
!nein°, at once gave hint 30s. but shortly afterwards a patrol coin-
ing in, thinking that he might have been imposed on, he examined
the watch, and found it not to be worth Ws. The patrol immedi.
ately punned and took him into custody, and on his being brought
back to the shop he returned the money to his wire.
Mrs. 'ulott, die larnilady of the lllakeney's Head, Shorter-
street, St. George's, stated that shout a week since the prisoner
had obtained 21. on a watch of a similar description, which, how-
ever, site was fortunate enough to recover, by keeping a close watch
on him, and followi,g him about.
Another poor woman attended who bed beryl defrauded in a
similar manner of 21. Ph. a shilling of which she had not been
able to recover, nor had she since seen the prisoner until that def.
It was here intimated to the Magistrates that If the prisoner was
remanded for a few days, a number of other serious charges would
be brought against him. He was accordingly remanded to Friday
next.

As it may conduce to the ends or justice, it may not be unneces-
sary to give a dt,eription of his person. He appears to be about
33 or 40 years of age, stem built. live feet nine inches in height,
florid complexion, and wore a blue coat, light-coloured trowsers,
and Wellington boots.

UNION-HALL.
Yesterday Thonurs Wright, late butler in the service of .1. Mo-
berly, Eta t. M.P. of Shirley House, near Croydon, who has been
some days in custody on suspicion of having rtolen a line contain-
ing the sum of 4004, was brought up to the office front Horse-
monger-lane gaol, for a final examination.
From the statement made by Mr. Maberly's steward it appeared
that on the sth inst. he deposited a tin cash-box. containing the
above amount, within a large iron plate-chest which stood in the
butler's pantry, to which none of the servants, with the exception of
the prison& and the under butler, had access ; that on the fol-
lowing morning (Sunday), on going to the chest for the purpose of
taking out some plate, the steward missed the box and money. Im-
mediate inquiry was instituted respecting ;he robbery, but all in
the house denied any knowledge of it however, from circum-
stances that subsequently transpired, the head butler was suspected,
and Pople, an active officer of this establishment, proceeded down
to Shirley House, where, on questioning the suspected man, facts
were elicited which jumbled his apprehension, and on the road to
town, in the custody of that officer, the prisoner observed that he
had no doubt that on a strict search the tin hos would be discovered
somewhere about the premises. When under the first examination at
the office the prisoner denied any knowledge of the robbery, declar-
ing that he was as innocent as the child itithotn. However, it was
proved that he was the last person up in the house the night on
which the money was stolen, and that it would have beets impos-
sible for any of the other domestics to have committed the robbery
without being discovered, as the prisoner slept in the pantry where
the money was deposited. It also came out in evidence, that the
chest must have been opened by some person who had a key for it,
and that none in the house possessed kere for the same except the
steward, the chief and under butlers. Shirley House, it appeared,
is so well secured that no thieves front the outside could possibly
gain admittance; therefore this fact, together with the circumstance
of no locks or bolts being forced, plainly indicated that the robbery
was committed by some one or other of- the Inmates. During the
period the prisoner was remanded, Pople, on diligent search in Mr.
Maberly's park, found the tin box lying under some shrubs in a
secludes' spot, but the money was all gone. The housekeeper
stated that on the night in question, before she retired to bed, she
fastened the drawing-room windows and also the door. On ruing
the next morning she was surprised to find the door open, and
one of the windows partly open, just as much as would admit a
person to go out into the lawn. Pople produced a small screw-
driver, which he found in the prisoner's box. Upon comparing
one end of that instroment with the marks leg on the tin
cash box, in forting it open they exactly corresponded. It
was rather a remarkable circumstance, that the day subse-
quent to the one on which the robbery was committed, the
prisoner complained of having violent pains in one of his feet.
One of the footmen, on looking at it, perceived two thorns in the
flesh. which he extracted after some difficulty. Pople said that
the spot in which he discovered the tin box abounded in
thorns, and that if a man's feet were not secured by strong and
stout leather, be would stand a gaud chance of having them
pricked.
At the conclusion of' the evidence the Magistrate asked the pri-
soner whether he would then say any thing, but he declined,wishing,
as he said, to reserve what he had to urge in his defence for the day
of trial. Ile was then fully committed for trial at the Assizes.