The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-01-14 00:00:00

DARING ATTEMPT AT BURGLARY.

Information has been received, at all the metropolitan police
establishments, of a daring and systematic attempt that was made
a few bights back, by a band of six robbers, to break into the house
of John Brogden, Esq. one of the Common Council for the Ward
of Cripplegate, in Bridgewater-square, Barbican.
It appears that Mr. Brogden left London on Monday se'nnight,
to be present at the trial of Thurtell and Hunt, at Hertford, leav-
ing his business (that of a jeweller) in the care of some confidential
servants ; but the only person who slept on the premises was a
young man, the porter. On the night of yesterday week, the pre-
mises were secured as usual, and about eleven o clock the young
man retired to rest on the ground-floor. In the course of the night,
or very early the following morning, he was awoke by a curious
noise in the brick wall, behind a large iron safe that contained jew_
ellery and other valuables, worth upwards of ten thousand pounds.
He listened attentively sad found the noise getting louder, and,
from ha description, it seemed as if persons were making a breach from
the next house. He instantly jumped out of bed, and sprang •
watchman's rattle, with which he was always provided. This
alarmed the neighbourhood, and soon the several watchmen arrived
at the house, and were reinforced by a strong party of the patrol
from Cripplegate watchhouse, who on inapecion found that the
adjoining house, formerly occupied by Mr. King, also a jeweller,
but then untenanted, had been entered by picklocks, and that the
robbers had endeavoured to gain an entrance from thence into that
of Mr. Brogden's, by making an aperture in the party-wall, and
which they had nearly effected ; but the young man happily hear..
ing their operations, the burglars fled up stairs, and escaped on to
the roofs of the houses. A perilous chase for several hours took
place, in the course of which the thieves were seen at intervals, till
six o'clock in the morning; yet, notwithstanding, they eluded their
pursuers, who were numberleas. About half-past six o'clock
one of the villains descended through a trapdoor of a house kept
by a poor man named Bain, in Brickley-street, Golden-lane, in I
the rear of the houses in Bridgewater-square. The trapdoor
opened into a garret occupied by a poor cobler named Smith, who
was sitting at breakfast with his wife and family when the robber
jumped down. Their alarm can he more easily conceived than
described, when the villain presented a brace of pistols, one in
each hand, at the affrighted couple, at the same time, swimm-
ing he would blow out their brains if they did not accom-
pany hint down stairs quietly, and let him out at the door;
this they readily consented to, and the ruffian escaped. How his
companions descended from their hidin'_places is not yet known.
In the empty house, near where the breach was made in the wall,
the robbers left behind them a pair of old slippers, a centre-bit, a
small bull's-eye pocket lantern, a large bastard tile, and a brick.
layer's trowel.
Mr. Brogden has offered a reward of 1001, for the detection of the
robbers. One man has been apprehended on suspicion, and will
be examined this day at the police-office in Worship-street.

Spring returned to Prestbury on Thursday evening, and
started for London last night, to exhibit at the Fives Court
with Langan on Tuesday next. An Irish Colonel, who is
greatly respected here, has collected upwards of 401. as a
reward far Langan's bravery.—Gloucerttr Paper.