The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-11-30 00:00:00

NEGOCIATIONS WITII THIEVES.

COMMITTAL. OF.iIR. I.!DRETTER.

Mr. Alderman Cox had appointed n o'cloci. yesterday morning,
at for the final examination of Mr. Bridger ',Whetter,
anti sorture that time hit was in attendance, and some consultation
took place with the City enlicitor, as to the law, touching this case.
to which he had particularly directed his attentiob. Our reTort of
yestetrda♦ tett tithmitted to their pausal, and both the Alderman
and the City Solichur espresaed their pirtert satisfaction as to its
fairness and COrtnt!)(l4l. - .

The City CiT SosICITOR observed, that in the case of Jonathen
in 1;25, the principal felon had been examined as a witness,
and it hail therefore been inferred, though he thought erroneously,
that the evidence of the felon was necessary, or at !cast that the
principal felon must be first convicted, in order to sustain a pro.
secution against a prisoner fur taking money under pretence of
helping to the stolen goods. In the case of John prinkwater,
wits was tried and convicuil tinder this statute. in 1710. some doebts
of this kind were suggested, and Lord Chief Justice Lee, and Mr.
Justice Denton, rearmed the point for the decision of the Judges.
No judgment was ever pronounced in this ease, and Iltrinkrater
was uhAately set at liberty. The better opinion, however, was,
thin the necessity leis the previous conviction of the thief was not
the point upon which the opinion of the Judges turned, but that
from the circumstance of the principal thief being dead before the
apprehension of In-ink:wan r, he had it not in his power to perform
the condition by which he might have exonc;.ted himself, sir. ap-
prehending hint, bringing him to trial. and giving evidence against
him. Jr. this latter opinion he coincided. and thought the evi-
dence already produced against Mr. !Abetter was sufficient to
warrant the Magistrate in committing him.
Mr. Alderman Cox was fully satisfied himself upon the sub-
ject, anti thought that the conduct of the Itow-street officers in
this affair was not entirely free from suspicion ; and it might be a
irestion, whe(her they had not (in the bill they had funitshed to
31r.Crampin, and for which they had received the money) given
an acknowledgment under their own hands, that they had com-
mitted the very offence with which Iddbetter stood charged. The'
Alderman then handed to the City Solicitor the bill, of vrbith the
following is a copy :
" Public Office, Bow-street.
" 1324. 27th October.—Wm. Salmon and Patsy Peery, attend.
ing on Messrs. Charleaworth and (:rampin, respecting their were-
hcuse being broken into, and robbed of a large quantity of silk
good., going to various places in London, and snaking inquiries to
endeavour ao recover back the above goods, and reporting every
day to the above gentlemen, and Mr. Iddbetter, their friend :
Nov—Elevvn days' time for Salmon and Perry, at
dos 1.1. each per day . 111 II 0
" Expenses for information on the above, one-bone
chaise, cuach-hire, &:. - 10 I 0

" Settle] per Cheque, £2l 11 0
" WM. SALMON, PETE■ PERKY."

This is the ace9unt for which, as already stated. they received a
cheque tor MIL
The City Solicitor would not pronounce decisively upon this do.
cument, and the Alderman evpremed his determinstion to subs
mit it, and the whole conduct of the Bow street ofßeers„ in thus
taking upon themselves to interfere with the Police of the City, to
the next Court of Aldermen.

Mr. Li<lbetter was then brought up, in the custody of Hawkins,
the Manilalnmrt.

Mr. Crampln was examined by the Ci.y Solicitor, to aacertain
the legal nature of the tobhery. which, it appeared, amounted to
only grand larceny, end not burglary, no person sleeping upon the
premives, and Ovrr being no appearance to indicate that the outer
door had been 'mened by violence.
Mr. Crampinis forn.er deposition was now read over, and again
SWOT to as correct.

Mr. Lidbetter, who now seemed to feel the serious situation In
which be stood, •aitl, that though it might be generally correct,
there 'tut neural things wrong in it. Ile had never undertaken
to give any money to the thkpres, or an body else, for the goodx.
All he mid to Ikt7 Solomon was, •• You try to get the goods,
and we will see what is to be done." " Thii gentleman," said he,
turning to Mr. Urampin, •• knows I said, • If we get the goods,
we will never pay them a penny.' Did not I say so to you,
Ltit ?0

dir. frampin—No; yet certainly said you wiThed you could
get them hackfor un for nothing, but that you would get that for
vs for sa little as you could.

3lr. Al lerman /'o=—Where is the statement of the goods stolen
which was delivered to you ?
Mr. Lidbetter-1 cave it to the Solicitor I usually employ, and
to has gone to procure the attcot'ance of Mr. II tunphreys„ as better
acquainted With these sort of proceedMgs than himself. 1 checked
the sin'emerd from what Ike; Solomon told me.
The I'ty Solicitor—How could he tell you what the goods were,
if he hod not got them or seen them ?
I.ldbetter—That's what I want to know.
At this moment Mr. fl stmt ET' arrived, and his presence pot
a stop to his client's communicativeness.
The Magistrate's clerk now pot him in possession, by the dire.
tion or the Alderman, of the proceedings as f.r as they had gone,
and the (21 Solicitor, at his request, furnished him with the ow
tote, and two or three law books, and particularly the ease of
thwiltwater.

Aldertn in Vox ob.erveti. he wislit•el the prisoner to bare
tray proper assistance, addirg. "you 'snow, Mr. If uniphreys, we
brays fore you fair play here."
Mr. II io melte EYS—Vou always do, Sir, end I am very grate.
ful for If. then pmeeetled to cross-examine Mr. etym.
pi-, and asked whether Mr. lAbetter's interference in this busi-
ness was sot entirely at his request?
Mr. Crompin—No I my rimier introduced him to me, and
said it would be the hest way for us to pursue, anti I acceded,
being mucus to get the property back. The partnership between
Mr. Charlesworth and mrself bar been dissolved since. .

•—.—..—. . .
Mr. Crampin's derredtion, and the testimony of Decide, the
clerk, as to the amount of the property stolen, being all the evi-
dence that the City Solicitor had thought proper for the purpose of
a nninnittal, Mr. liumphreys row waked how he made out a case
against the trimrer, under the Statute, upon this evidence?
The ('ity Solicitor—What do you object to? Where's the de-
ficinwy ?
Mr. lir Mt PFI a rya—There is no proof that the prisoner ever saw
the thieves or the liropertr.
The City Solicitor—Nothing, certainly, but his own repeated
assertions.

31r. 11 it writ nExs—lre la a mistake in the new papers that
there has been no conviction under this Statute but that of Jona.
than Wild. I prnsecitted a man to conviction for the offence my.
self, and the ('ours held me strictly to the proof of the property
stolen--that the prisoner knew the thieves, and had the.toeney ex.
prresly to give to them, and that he did give it h them.
The City :Solicitor —Vrc are not going to try the case here. The
Magistrate has only one line to art upon, and under my advice he
thinks there is sufficient to warrant him to commit the prisoner fcr
trial. _ -

Mr. Hy MPTIRTYS—In that ewe I must reserve myself; but
do think this is rather a severe prorreding. Here is a respectable
gentleman doing only what the party themselves wish him to—he
is no noted receiver. has no intrrest whatever, and acts merely to
serve them. Surely dm to not a case lor prnsecution.
. .

Lidbetter (with some er.lotiory—(here is the other part-
ner, under whose orders more partictilsr y I acted. I.et him speak.
He knows every thing that I did, and that I acted wholly from the
information of the officers. . . .

mr. ( Imam, oral, who stud close to the prisorter„ notwitlurtand-
ing this appeal. did nng not offer a sit: word in rimier.
Mr. Hum rutin vs now saed, that as Mr. ',Whetter was a re-
spectable man, possessed of property, and the charge against him
did not amount to is capital nfiimee, be hoped the Magistrate would
accept of bail. Ile was ready to. give scenrity to any amount.
Mr. Alderman ( 'cow —I think it material in such a cue as this to
refuse bail. I cu' sider the ofrence to be of such an alarming and
increasing nature, that it is highly imponant that it should be put
a stop to. I look upon this rag: to be of so much consequence, that
it is abuluttly necrssary for me to take cats that it should come
before the Court. Thar is still much to inquire into, and an in-
sestlgation Iwo it, through all its diftscot r-ruitications, will take
plate in a few days.
litre the bushes* seemed to have been ended, and the clerks
were employed in completing the formal documents, when 31r.
Crampin stepped forward, and said, Mr. Lidbetter had just
threatened Mtn, that if he proceeded in this proucution it wou:d
be the worst day's work he lina est. r emne. . _

Mr. Al&rmso Cox calm s.rd great indignat:on at such conduct
in a C•iiirt of timbre. and in the presence of the 31:Tb:trate • and
he Mr. Cratimiti would do ids duty to the public, and not
be &tented by any ,ti.. 11 threatening larguage.
Mr. Lelbetter—l did tint mean it as a theat. I only meant he
would in acting very wrong. and very unjustly towards Inc. Ile
knows I did nothing but untie the direction of hint and his part-
ner. .111 r. eltialcssorih know.. it. _ _ _

..... .....
Mr. I'harlotwer:ll, who had xiletntty mutented In ite bennt over,
with 3lr. Cratnpin, to presemer, rn t^iS,econt!Lppe tl uid, " I do
th•lnk it very creel to protrcute Mr. I Atllk-.u..r. 1:e dore no-
thing but want /'ran: pin and myself knew, and he did every-
thiLg in 1.i,. pow. :r to r•ct ux !pick the g.. 0,1.."

''
II ,11.1 llt r.;"%;'t eying this asked if Mr. Charles_
worth had given apy evidcace, 41,4 thought he ought to be ca.
autii.ed 4% 4 tv i!rt •a.

The City Salter r said, Ir. harlesenwth been sworn at the
previous exantioatien, but dr: Magistrate lind thought. under all
the eiremnstsnees, tied his tarticipation in the transaction, it
might hot be advisaide to sub.:tag hits In an e%entination. If Mr.
Ilumphiejs thought otherwite., Iced nu oltjt.etion to take his
depotation.
Mr. II r sitita [vs thought it would be proper, and he was
secortlimly Clahtltted by the City S;ilicitor, and stated, that he
lodged at tile time of the robbery at No. Itt, Ammon-street, Arai.
worth. Tim bouselo.gto was a Mrs. !Waits; she was a mar-
ried lady. Ou the night of the robbery he thought he left the
warehouse about sits o't leek. Ile went home, he believed, about
ten. lising asked wh, re he spear the time between sin o'clock and
tea, he repii;tl. at .llr. ter's house, in Dolphin-court. This
atoms" excited much surprise. but was esphinisi by his stating, in
reply to a question from 11r. Ilutuphreys, that l.idbetter was a
friend of his, that lie kept a public tavern, and that lie frequently
spent his ermines., there.
The City Solicitor asked was he let in when he rot b.,,,,.
to M'alworth on the night of the robbery, or had he a key of the
door to let himself in ?
Mr. Charleiworth-1 had the key that right, but I do rot carry
it now.
Mr. emettne.vs—Mr. Lidisetter is your friend, anti it was
entirely from friendship to you that he irderfered ill this atfair ?
Mr. Cha:leswotth—V.ra, that was the oaty reason tot his taking