The Sun.
London, England, 1855-01-18 00:00:00

BOW-STRERT.-(TEIS DAY.)

EXAMINATION OF KING, THE DETECTIVE
POLICEMAN.

This being the day appointed for the examination of
mats, cze detective policeman, ou 41-1 receiv-
ing the proceeds of numerous robberies committed by
boys under his direction, the Court, as on the occasion
of his last sppsars,nee last Thursday, was densely
crowded, the greater portion of those present being
policemen.

- Mr. Bodkin and Mr. linmpbery, who hated as agent
en the part of the Treasury, attended to prosecute by
order of Lord Palmerston ; the prisoner was defended
by Mr. Giffard.

On Kiag being placed at the bar, he east a look
round the court, and seemed to recognise several of the
policemen. He is a man rather above the middle height,
and was dressed in a brown Taglieni coat.
The manner in which the discovery of the system
took place, and which has not been correctly laid before
the public, was as follows :—Captain Williams, the In-
spector of Prisons, in examining a number of boys at
Tothill-street prison, in order to send them en condi-
tional pardon to the reformatory establishment at Red-
hill, had the disclosures made to hint ; he examined
other boys, and having collected all the facts relative to
the case, laid the whole before Lord Palmerston, and
the present inquiry was the result.
At five minutes past one the public were admitted
into the Court.

Mr. Bodkin, for the prosecution, said that the
time that had been allowed by the magistrate by the re-
mand last week had not been uselessly employed, and
from the facts elicited they had every reason to be-
lieve that the charge was true. On the part of the
Government, who had directed this prosecution, he was
authorised to say that no eWortwvould be spared to probe
this case to the bottom. Thanks to the publicity given
by the press to the facts of this inquiry, it had been
made known that a robbery had been committed near the
Serpentine, and the purse had been deposited in a tree.
The spot had been exanained and the purse had been
discovered. The various other statements made by the
boy bad also been inquired into and found to be sub-
stantially true. He had no doubt that he should be able
to prove the ease. He should, after he had offered some
further evidence, ask for a remand.

Benjamin Simm, a park keeper, employed in Kea- 1
sington Gardens—lle remembered in the winter of 1853
a robbery near Serpentine-bridge. He noticed a party
but slid a
not stelepthiceimotica appearance. He watched
them, commit a robbery. Hs also
ofth
ouvgcht he could identify two of those persons. The
prisoner he could sot recollect. He saw these parties
go to a tree. About an hour after he went to the tree,
and found a purse, which he produced (a portmonnaie).
He found it in a hole in the roots of tie tree. He had
kept it ever sine*, n. L.ti an.... gives it to Sergeant
J ackson, after these proceedings were instliatiuntecdl.ouHe
did not know the boy Beeves. On fin
th
nngothieng of the
purse ho
cHoemdmidunniocattekdnotlwistfhaectotffiocaer. policeman a p
knew
boy Reeves or his family and his connections. It was
about two o'clock when he saw the parties go to the
tree.
Police-constable 7G C was near the Serpentine in 1853.
His attention was called to a boy picking a pocket. At
the time the boy was taken into custody he saw the
prisoner (King) ; he was standing about three or four
yards off. He asked him what the boy had been doing,
and he told him he had been picking pockets. This took
place on the 31st December.
The prisoner then asked the witnem some question,
but elicited nothing in his favour.
Serjeant Hubbersty was on duty near the Serpen-
tine in 1853 ; ho saw the prisoner there about half-past
towards
tthweo'b roind gteh.e nHo
He north t hw
as
si d
in as
ahi
ne
cNivoatsh
eps,r oac
and
:id i n g
he believed
ho asked King if he was going to see the skating. He
said yes, and passed on. He also noticed some boys in
I front of King, about a yard in advance of him.
your
a t tielnr;
ioGnifffiarsrdt,dtihreeciti:distoonetheiss counsel--when was

Witness—About a fortnight since.
Mr Bodkin—Were the boys you saw like gentlemen's
sons
Witness—No, they were common looking boys.
John Long, livery-stabler, 60i, High-street, Blooms
bury—Recollected a boy named Reeves keeping a pony
in his stable. It was twelve months ago last December.
The boy looked after the pony himself. He had seen
the prisoner there at his premises since the pony had
left. He wanted to see a man who lived in his house
named Shanks. He never saw him with Reeves when
he came to his house. He wanted to sea Shanks, who
afterwards told him his visit related to money matters.
H had
Edmund Friend said he was 20 ,rears e
s a,

recently been discharged from Tothill-fields Prison. He
was there on suspicion of picking pickets. He knew
Reeves ; he also recollected being in the Park during the
frost in 1853. He saw Reeves there in company with two
other young men. He had seen the prisoner once in
Hyde-park, a short distance before coining to the
bridge. He did not speak to Kings and he did not