The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-22 00:00:00

THA.A.IES.

DESPERATE STRUGGLE WITH A THIS!. George
Phillips, aged 19, and Thomas Speed, 18, in the employ of
the Midland Railway Company, were brought before Mr
Partridge, charged with stealing a quarter chest of tea,
weighing 281bs.

Daniel Davey, a clever detective officer, No. 169 H, said
that last evening about half past 7 o'clock he was passing
along High-street, Whitechapel, in plain clothes, and saw
a two-horse van driven by the prisoner Phillips. Speed
and another man were standing up in the body of the van,
which proceeded along Commercial-street towards Shore-
ditch. A man in the van was tying up a quarter chest of
tea in a coarse old cloth, and after doing so he went and
sat along with Phillips on the driving box, leaving the
chest of tea in the body of the van. In this way the van
proceeded as far as York-street, Shoreditch, where it
stopped opposite a public-house, and Phillips and the man
on the box got down, and went into the public
house, leaving Speed in the van. In three minutes Speed
and his companion came out and stood at the tail of the
van. Speed then gave the quarter ehest of tea (now
produced) tied up in a wrapper. He immediately took
the man with the tea into custody. Phillips jumped on
the driving box, and was turning round the horses and
van, when the man ho had in custody threw the quar-
ter chest of tea back into the van. He said to the man,
" What are you going to do with that tea? No answer
was returned, and the fellow kicked, fought, and plunged
violently, and tried to make his escape. He kept fast
hold of the fellow with his left hand, and held on to
the tail of the ♦an with his right hand. Phillips drove
away the van at the rate of seven or eight miles an
hour, although he was repeatedly called on to stop. The
thief he had in custody threw himself on the ground
and kicked and plunged fearfully. He held him fast and
dragged him along, still holding on by the van for half a
mile, when ho became completely exhausted, and was
obliged to let him go. Ho then jumped on to the van, and
told Phillips to stop, but he would not. On reaching the
City-road ho met with another policeman, called him to
assist, and both prisoners were taken into custody. He also
seized the quarter chest of tea which ought not to have
been on the van at all. Phillips said ho knew nothing about
the tea. Spend made no remark at all. The van was laden
with cheats of tea, loaf sugar, and casks of brandy, intended
for the Midland Counties Railway.

George Kemp, porter at the Midland Counties Railway
Goods Station, Rosemary-lane, Whitechapel, said the
quarter chest of tea had been stolen from the bank or plat-
form there, and was intended for Wakefield, in Yorkshire.
There were nine other quarter chests on the bank, The
prisoner's van was loaded with goods at the station.
John Walker, Midland Counties Railway agent, at the
goods station, Rosemary-lane, said both prisoners were
employed by the company—Phillips, as carman, and the
other as vanguard. Speed was put into the office of the
carman temporarily.

Mr Partridge asked Davey if he was likely to arrest the
third man, and on his replying in the affirmative, said he
should commit the prisoners for trial on the evidence he
had heard, but they would be brought up again a week
hence for the completion of the depositions, and by that
time he hoped the other thief would be in custody. He
complimented the constable Davey for the great tact,
courage, and vigilance he had displayed.

LONDON GAZETTE—Last Evenings

FOREIGN OFFICE, Oct. 11.

The Queen has been gracioue;y pleased to appoint
Robert Bunch, R-q., lately her Majesty's Consul at
Charleston, to be her Majesty's Consul-General in the
Island of Cubd.

ADMIRALTY, Oct. 20.
Mr Amos Piachard promoted to be Acting Engineer,
with seniority of 13th July, 1861.
Mr Frederick Colthurst Kelson promoted to be Acting
Engineer, with seniority of 21st January, 1861.
Mr Samson Grundy promoted to be First-Class Assistant
Engineer, with seniority of 19th October, 1861.