The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-07 00:00:00

THAMES.

AUDACIOUS ROBBERY COMMITTED BY A GANG OF POT-
STEALERS.—John Allen, 28, Sarah Smith, 39, and Anne
Smith, 19, were b:ought up on remand before Mr. Par-
tridge charged with stealing four pewter pint pots valued
at 65., the property of Mr. W. B. Brier, the landlord of the
Blacksmith's Arms public-house, Backchurch-lane, St.
George's-in-the-East.

Several licensed victuallers and beersellers, who have lost
a large number of pots and measures, were in attendance
last Saturday and this morning, sad they all recognised
the prisoners as having visited their houses.

It appeared that on Friday evening last the male prisoner
and Anne Smith went into the Blacksmith's Arms and called
for a pint of half-and-half. They were immediately followed
afterwards by Sarah Smith, who also called for a pint of
malt liquor. Mr. Brier recognised her directly as having
been in his house several times. He missed quart or pint
pots after each visit. He went into the bar parlour, put
the gas out in that room, and reversed the blinds. He then
placed a potman in the bar parlour to watch the actions
of the prisoners, and sent for a police constable. Robert
Payne, No. 198 H, concealed himself in a doorway opposite
the Blacksmith's Arms, where he remained half an hour.
The prisoners remained in the house for an hour and a half,
and called several times for beer and bread and cheese.
While they were there Mr. Brier missed three out of four
pots he had filled with beer for them. The potman was then
directed to leave the bar parlour, where he could
not distinguish much, and went outside. He did so
and watched carefully until the prisoners left the house.
Mr. Brier jumped over the counter and went after the pri-
soners directly they quitted his house. He seized the two
females. A pint pot immediately fell from the younger pri-
soner on his toe. The elder female dropped two pots on the
pavement, and the man dropped a spouted ale pot. Payne
emerged from his hiding place, and, notwithstanding the
prisoners made a desperate resistance, and fought, kicked,
and plunged violently, they were all secured by the
landlord, his potman, a man named James Rigan, and the
police-constable. The prisoners refused to state where they
lived, and denied all knowledge of each other. Payne, how-
ever, soon discovered that the prisoners had all occupied
one apartment at No. 52, Cable-street, Whitechapel. Ha
found a frying-pan in the room. It was covered with pot
metal and had been used in melting down pots. There were,
other materials in the room for converting publican's mea-
sures into ingots of pewter. They had been in the habit
of selling pewter to a marine store dealer, and the last
piece they sold was exactly the weight of a pint pot.
Payne stated that on the way to the station-house the
elder woman said to the younger one, " Oh, you fool, I
wish I had never seen him, you have brought us to this,
it is all through him we have got into this trouble." He
had no doubt the prisoners were regular professional pot
stealers, and had been engaged in the illegal trade for some
time.

The elder prisoner said she was in possession of one pot.
The man had nothing to do with it.

The younger prisoner—l had three pos in my apron.
The police-constable took me and I let them fall down—
one of them was a spouted pot.

The male prisoner—I can certify I had nothing to do
with stealing the pots. The women had four pots between
them. That is all I have to say. Four witnesses swore
positively that the spouted ale-pot fell from the prisoner
Allen, and that it was the one in which Mr, Brier served
him with a pin; of fourpenny ale,

Mr. Partridge said the dep:sitions were now complete,
and he should commit all the prisoners, not to the present,
but to the next Middlesex Sessions, to take their trial.
The magistrate postponed this case from Saturday even.
ing until this morning in consequence of the large amount
of business. The court sat until seven on Friday evening
and seven on Saturday evening. All the summonses set
down for hewing on Saturday were postponed until to-mor-
row. The magistrate is not likely to get through all the
business of the court until seven this evening. He com-
menced at ten precise] y.