The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-05 00:00:00

BOW UMBEL.

STEALING LEAD FROM THE SAVOY CHAPEL.—Three
men, labourers in the employ of Mr Myers, the builder, were
placed at the bar charged with stealing upwards of 3 cwt.
of lead, and a man named Fincher, a marine-store dealer,
residing in White Hart-yard, was charged with feloniously
receiving the same,
A youth, named Westwood, in the employ of Mr Ron-
mien, the architect, seeing the men carrying the lead away,
told his master, and afterwards he watched and distinctly
saw each of the men leave the churchyard with lead in his
possession.

Mr It, L. Roumien said ho was an architect, and his
offices were at No. 4, Lancaster-place. Yesterday afternoon
he was looking out of his office window, from which he had
a clear view of the ruins of the old chapel, and he then saw
the workmen who were employed in removing the lead from
the top of the building, putting large pieces of it round their
waists, going away with it, and then returning, after a
short absence, to their work. He could not identify any of
the prisoners.

Mr John Pethybridge said be resided at No. 4, Now
Hampstead-road, and was a clerk to Mr Roumien, About

o'clock a man came into his master's offices and said that
he men employed at the Savoy Chapel were taking away
some lead. He then looked out of window, and saw Swage
take some off the gutter, put it round his waist, and then
go off the premises with it. About ten minutes after, he
saw Savage and Ellis dividing some money. After that,
about 4 o'clock, ha saw Cook leave the premises with a
basket covered with a red cloth. A police-constable was
present in our offices, and he then watched the prisoners,
and found the lead was taken to the shop kept by
Fincher, , in White Hart-street. In the earlier part of the
day he had seen the two prisoners, Savage and Ellis, divid-
ing something which looked like money.
The prisoner Ellis here declared it was tobacco he was
giving Savage, and not money.
Mr Roumien raid he felt almost positiva it was money
that was divided, because the men kept moving their hands
backwards and forwards as if engaged in counting it.
Cook said he should like to ask Mr Roumien if ho saw
him on the wall of the church.
I Mr Roumien replied he did not.

Mr Vaughan told the prisoner witness had not said he
did.

Cook said the witness had said he saw three men taking
away the lead, and himself and Cook and Savage were the
only persons e mployed on the premises.
Charles Lane, office-keeper, said—About half past nine
yesterday morning his attention was called to the prisoner
Cook hiding pieces of lead under the burnt wood lying in
the churchyard. He saw he afterwards hid lead in those
different places. One piece appeared to be about Blbs or
101bs. He (Cook) watched the foreman turn his back, and
then he picked up the lead about 10 o'clock, and left the
churchyard with it tied up in a red cloth. He told Mr.
Roumien about the circumstances, and at four o'clock he
saw him again leave the churchyard with lead in his pos •
session. He had previous to this seen-one of the men, he
believed Ellis, throw some lead into the premises of Mr.
Finney, which were destroyed at the fire but were now
being rebuilt. The three prisoners have been engaged in
clearing the ruins of the church ever since last Tuesday
week. Towards the close of the day, after some more load
had been taken away, he saw the prisoners in close con-
versation, and making signs, indicating, ho supposed, that
soma one was watching them.

Inspector Avery, cf the F division, said last evening he
sent an officer to make some inquiries relative to some lead,
and he went himself to the Savoy Churchyard and caw
Ellis and Cook. While he was waiting he saw Savage
return to the building with an empty basket, and on asking
him where he had been, he said to get a glass of ale, He
charged the men with stealing the lead. After taking the
three men to the station-house, he went to the pri-
soner Fiacher's: shop, No. 11, White Hart-street, and
asked him if he had recently bought some lead, He replied
he had been buying lead all day long. He was asked to
produce his book, which he did, and therein were two
entries made on the 4th; one represented 1 cwt. 1 quart, r
141bs. to have been purchased, for which £1 Os. ld. was
paid, and the other 2 cwt. 2 qrs. 141b5., for which he had
paid £1 Ils. 9d.
Mr Vaughan asked what was the name of the cellar?
Witness said it was put down as a Mr Brook, builder
6, Southampton-street, but he could find no such person.
He (witness) asked to see the lead. when it was shown to
him. He took the prisoner to the stotion-house, and
charged hint with feloniously receiving stolen property,
and left an officer in charge of the load. In answer to
questions, Fincher told him he had sold a traveller about

cwt. of lead, but he had no entry beyond that made on a
piece of paper.
Cross-examined—He had been to the prisoner Fincher's

twice during the day, and on the first occasion he told him
he was chargel with receiving the lead, knowing it to be
stolen. lie left the prisoner's shop the first time without

leaving a constable in charge, but he was not absent ram'
than 10 minutes. He never told Fincher that if he had no
received stolen property, at all events he was in the unlawful
possession of it, and that he would get three months' im-
prisonment. The charge was not at first entered at the
station as one of unlawful possession. The prisoner did
did not say if you have any charge against me, take me at
once to the station.
Police-sergeant F 31 said he went to Lancaster-place,
and from out of the second floor back window he had a
view of the Savoy churchyard. He saw Cook carry away
a basket covered with a piece of crimson cloth, which ap-
peared to have been a portion of some covering of the
church. He returned in about 10 minutes, and then having
entered conversation with the other two prisoners, they
went into the church. He then went down and asked
Cook if he had any business to carry away the lead, when
ho said he had. After he had taken the three prisoners to
the station, he returned to the church, 'where he found a
jacket belonging to Ellis, in the pockets of which wore 131 b
of lead. _ _

The general foreman in the employ of Mr Geo. Myers,
builder, of Ordnance- wharf, Lambeth, said thelead, stolen
from the Savoy Church was the property of his employers.
He did not know the prisoners, but he knew they had no
right to sell the lead. The property stolen in its present
state was worth t 8 or L2O per ton.
Henry Smith said ho was foreman of the men employed
for Messrs Myers. He knew the prisoners. They were
engaged on the works for metering the Savoy l,hurch. All
lead taken off the building ought to have been ;taken to
the store house. The three prisoners were the only persons
engaged yesterday in the removal of the rubbish.
Mr Lewis, for the prisoner Fincher, contended there was
nothing to show he had been guilty of any irregularity.
The whole of the prisoners were fully committed for
trial, but Fincher was admitted to bail in his own recog-
nisances of £2OO and two sureties of £lOO each.