The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-12-06 00:00:00

DARING BURGLARY.

.kettOse THE MANCHESTER GUARDIAN.]
Early on londsy morning last a burglary was catmint/don the
premises of Mn.. Hodgkin/on. pawnbroker. in Salford, eihich was
equally remarkable for the audacity with which it was conceived,
and the skill witn which it was conducted. Mrs. Ilndgkinson eses
copies premises opposite Trinity Chapel: the building. exclusive
of the cellars, is three stones high, with two rooms on a floor; the
whole of which, with the exception of the front cellar (which is let
off as a dwelling, for the greater enmity of the property), are oc-
cupied for the purposes of business; but in consequence of former
at empts in rob the premises. Mot Hodgkinson's son, Mr. Heaton
Iltidgkinson, hats a bed made up in the front room on the first
store, in which he invariably sleeps with loaded pistols by him;
and a large dog is let tome in the prenhan every night. On Sun-
day right last, Mr. llodgkinson went to bed about nine o'clock;
and, about two, was awakened by hearing the dog ("Mich had been
lying at his room door) run down stairs, and begin to bark. Sup_
pushing that sonic person might be about the premises, he opened
the window, and saw a manebse to the front door. Ile called out
to know what he wanted, and the man then reeled away as if he
was in liquor. Supposing that it was his proximity to the door
which had disturbed the dog, Mr. Hodgkinson shut the window and
returned to bed. The dog had ceased barking, but there was at in-
-1 cereals a noise down stairs, as if he was ...retching at a door, and Mr.
11. imagined that he had got into one of the roonne, and then closed
the door ; and that he was endeavouring to get our. The noise con-
tinued for some time, and Ir. Hodgkinson„ feeling rather uneasy,
did not go to sleep: after lying awake for about an hour, hit at-
tention was suddenly arrested, by observing a strong light through
the key.hole of his room door; and in a moment afterwards he sew
the light under the door. As he d d not hear the slightest noise at
the tattle, his first idea was, that the building was on ere; but the
motion of the light soon convinced him of the real state of the case.
Ile immediately sprung out of bed, and seised hie pistols; but as
all the plate, watches, and other valuable property taken in pledge,
were deposited in that room, to a very considerable amount, he did
not venture to open the door, lest he should be overpowered, but
shrew up the window, and gave an alarm as loudly as he could.
It fortunately happened, that, at this moment, John Thomp-
son, a watchman employed by Alm Ilmigkinson and a few
other indiv'elnals In the neighbourhood, was near at hand, aid
heard the alarm. It was fortunate also that he was a titan of
great activity and presence of mind. On learr.ing what NU
site matter, he ran to the passage which leads from the back of
Mrs. Hodgkinsotiss premises into Booth-street, and had no sooner
arrived there than he heard some persons coming towards him.
along dm roof of* low building, which adjoins Mrs. Hodgkinson's
premises; but on seeing him standing in the street, they imme-
diately stoned back. In the mean time another person had conic
up, and the watchman directed him to stand at the end of the
passage, whilst he himself ran round to another passage which
leads front Blackfriars-street towards the back of the premises.
Ilex he stationed another person who came up at the time. and then
went to a passage leading from Chapel street to the Royal OA
public-huuse ; so that every avenue of escape for the thieves on the
1 roof of the building was closed. The alarm now became general
in the neighbourhood, and a person who looked out of his chanil er
window, saw ion Inman the roof of the btewhouse belonging to the
Royal Oak. This he communicated to the persons assembled about,
some of whom went on the roof, and secured the two men. One of
them, whose name is J. Williams, was crouching down, and en. '
deavourino tr. conceal himself beside a chimney ; and the other,
William Harris. stood with his back against another chimney, with
the view, no doubt, of eluding observation. They made no resist-
ance, nor did they say anything when first taken. A short time
before they were secured, a tremendous crash of glass was heard,
and it afterward. apparel that one of the thieves had endeavoured
to pass tram one building to another by means of a wooden spout
which connected them, but the spout, being much decayed, had
given way. and he had fallen through a skylight into a passage in
the Royal I lak, to which accident he owed his escape ; fur the
lendlord, on hearing thealartn, opened his door, and ran out to see
what was the matter ; when the thief took advantage of the open
door, and walked deliberately out of the house. Ile continued to
walk as far as the end of Blackiriars-street, when he began to run,
and was seen by Mr. Derbyshire, the deputy constable of Salford, '
who was dressing himself at the moment. He called out " Stop
thief." and the man was pursued down the street by Diggles, the
beadle, who had a distant view of him : but the fellow was with-
out shoes, so that his footsteps could not be beard, and Diggles lost
all trace of him a' the Old Bridge.
On examining Mrs. Hodgkinson's premises, it was found that
the thieves had effected an entrance by getting upon the roof the
building adjoining the back of her house, and making an opening
through the wall. by taking out the bricks beneath a window in the
uppermost story. They had then gone down stain into the shop,
where they had packed tip for removal a considerable quantity of
plated goods (which they had no doubt mistaken for silver) about
71. in copper, and a arriety of other articles. Nothing of coneequence.
was missing ; and it is believed that not 'single article in pledge was
taken off Thu y had broken open a number of drawee, desks, and
cupboards. which were locked, and there is little doubt that the
noise v hith Mr. llodgkinson attributed to the scratching of the dog,
was produced by their operations. The dogf, himself sits found
I:welted up in a small closet in the cellar. How the thieves sun-
ended in quieting, anti inducing him to go auto such a place, re-
main* a mystery. There is no doubt, from the extent of their ,
°per:alone. that they must have been in the house when sir. I lodg-
kiason was first lammed by the dog, and their proceeding to break
open Ipeks and pack up Konen, after they had heard him call oat to
the man at the door, shelved their audsiity, 114 much as their being
able to do it, and to pass backwards and forwards in the house,
without alarming Lim, prove) their adroitness and dexterity. A
crow-Li:tr. a large chisel, a small dark lantern, a brace and bit, and
sere rat oilier itnplenients of housebreaking, which the thieves ktel
kit behind in their were discovered in different parts of the
pre.Mes ; and one or two small ankles which had been stolen
from the bilop, were tound on the roofs of the buildings user which
they had passed.
When Williams and Ilarris were taken they were both without
shoes. Vury soon afterwards a pair of shoes were found, which
acre owred by William* ; taut on ille next day a pair td splartcr
Mort. were discovered concealed sunder a stone in Boon-street :
they acre takm to the New Eailey, and was there owned by
II anis.

--The pri.nners were brought up for examination on Wedneubty.
and were b. th committed to Lane.ts:er. It Wiwi.% said nothing in
d.frnee ; but Mari,. said he went upon the rod nn h-s,tnr
the alarm to apprvh.nd the thievzi. They are both well known.

On Wednesday Crjiling last we bad (what is not very
usual at this time of the year) a seven, thunder-storm ;
liming which a flash of lightning struck the warehouse of
%ac s Bradley and Wilde, in ...11arsden-square, in one of
the rooms. in the attic story of which a number of winiers
were at work, one of whom, a young woman, named
Elizabeth Dyer, was knocked down, and rendered nearly
sensAess. It appears that the electric fluid first struck her
left arm, which has been paralyzed ever since tile accident.
The other persons in the room, one of whom stood close to
her at the time, received no injury. In another part of the
warehouse the lightning tore down a chimney-piece, and
forcul out a slate, by which di:, lire-place was partly
blocked up, but did no further damage. On Thursday
I veiling we had a tolerably copious fall of snow ; stud we
understand that, in the neighbouring parts of Yorkshire,
the snow lies to a considerable depth, and has greatly im-
peded the coaches, some of which (lid not arrive here
until several hours after their usual time.—Muoehealer
Grardiam.

On Saturday night last, John Ilitchin, of Icy-Ilill,
fell down, in a state of intoxication, in the WJalshopi,
Ha'itax, and instantly exp:red !