The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-03 00:00:00

Extensive Thefts from a Warehouse.

At the Manchester City Police-court, on Thursday, Jas.
Rodd and Jane Thomas were charged with, committing ex-
tensive thefts from Messrs. Heugh, Balfour, and Co.'s ware-
house, Portland-street. Rodd had beeu au engineer in the
employ of the firm ; Thomas had been in the same employ
but she left and separated from her husband, who is still
engaged at the warehouse. She has since been living with
Rodd. The prosecutors have missed between £5OO and £6OO
worth of stock from their warehouse during the last 15 or
16 months. In August, suspicion fell upon the prisoners ;
Rodd was apprehended on the charge of inciting one of the
young men in the warehouse to rob his employ era. In-
spector Shandley went to Rodd's lodgings, in Hulme, and
afterwards took the prisoner with him to 63, IVilliam-street,
Ardwick, where Thomas lodged, and where Rodd often
visited her. Under the bed in that house he found, in a box
which Rodd said was his, but of which Thomas had the
key, upwards of 800 Havana cigars. As many as 1,500 cigars
had been missed from the warehouse. The partners imported
cigars last autumn, which were divided between them. The
residue of Mr Balfour's portion was taken, and the cigars
found by Shandley resembled, in size and quality of
tobacco, those remaining in Mr Heugh's possession, as
proved by Mr Pierce, tobacconist, Ducie-buildings. Shand-
ley also found in Thomas's boxes, at Ardwick, some spools
of cotton, a piece of calico, two pieces of muslin, and a vast
number of other articles. Thomas said she knew nothing
of these things, and turning to the other prisoner asked him
to speak for her, and to prevent her getting into trouble ; but
he also said he knew nothing about the things. They wore
taken into custody. Shandley also found the following
letters which it was stated were in Rodd's writing, and ad-
dressed to Thomas, whilst she was at Halifax:—
Manchester, January 8,186.1.

My dear Miss Dean,—l was verry glad to hear flora you
this morning & of your safte journey but sorry that your
could is so bad, I am happy to here that you have found an
happitite & I would advise you to make the best of it k use
it well now you have it. You did not tell what sort of work
you had, but do nut truble yourself about it as wether you
work or not you shall never want wile I can help you. The
best advise I can give you is to heat well sleep well &
laugh well, leave dull care for those that like it. The time
passes dull with me now I have not you but I look forward
to better times & all else we whant that is each others com-
pany. So cheare up my dear & think not of the past but as
a dream. Their hath been but little said in this place about
it Jet but there is a detective watching me & all I do but
you know that an old bird is not to be caught by chaff. The
one speaketh kindly to me ; ho bath asked me if I knew
where you are & bath promised me all sorts of things to find
you but I will not take. A cornish lad is not so green as
be emit by either bobby or old nick. I expect a bother every
day butt fear not now you are out of the way. Please to
write on the same day as this was written & keep quiet
yourself.—l am ever yours yours most affectionately,
JOHN TRELAWNEY.

My dear Jenny,—As soon as you receive this go to the
station and enquire fora parcel addressed to Mrs Trelawney,
Halifax, to be left at the Halifax Station until called for,
carriage paid. You had better take a cab as the parcel is
heavy. There are 9 di.zen of feats for those that want
them. You can sell them at 5s per dozen, the cost 4s 6d,
but the cost something in sending. Sell them all. I have
sent some cambrics for you. There is 18 yards of fine catn-
brics, also some seweing cotton. Do not let any one see
that until you see me again, so you will take the cambric
and cotton away. As I have not seen Mrs P. yet I shall
send again preps to-morrow—you had better prepare to come
at a short notice. She promised to see me on Tuesday. I
hope she well. I trust you are well. Good by. J. T.
These letters induced Shandley to pay a visit to Halifax
to make further inquiries, and there ho succeeded in
tracing a large quantity of the missing property to the
possession of the prisoner. He also ascertained from Mrs
Walmsley, with whom Thomas had been lodging at Ard-
wick, that Rodd had frequently visited her, and that par-
cels had been brought there for her by a porter named
Cousins, who said that he had received them from
Mr Rodd at Hough and Balfour's warehouse. One
night Mrs Walmsley heard Rodd and Thomas tearing
up something, and the next morning she saw Thomas put
some ends of calico, like the piece produced in Cour:,, into
the fire. It was ascertained that early in January the
prisoner went to lodge with Mrs Gibson, near Halifax, and
told her that she was a single woman, and her name was
Mary Jane Dean. On Easter Sunday Rodd visited her
there, said his name was Jas. Trelawney, and that he was
married to the prisoner. At Whitsuntide ho again came, and
afterwards Thomas showed Mrs Gibson two do zen of calico,
which she said he had brought her. Thomas went to Mari
cheater several times. About four weeks ago Rodd again
visited Thomas at Mrs. Gibson's, and brought a parcel
containing white and grey calico, lace, and cotton spools.
Mrs. Gibson bought a dozen of calico from the prisoner
Thomas, and some of the cotton spools. On the 16th
of August a parcel of goods arrived at Mrs Gibson's house.
She had previously received a letter from Thomas, directing
her to go to the railway station for the parcel which was to
contain dresses and calico, the former to be sold at 6s 6d
per dress, and the latter at 61d per yard. The parcel con-
tains what was stated in the letter. Most of the articles
which the prisoners had disposed off at Halifax had been re-
covered, and were produced in court. Rodd had told Mrs
Gibson that he was acquainted with merchants and manu-
facturers, and got articles at cost price, and could sell them
very cheap. It was stated that all the articles produced were
such as the prosecutors kept in stock, and that they never
sold any of them by retail. The cotton spools were supplied
by Messrs. J. and J. Clarke, of Paisley, who never made
the same lengths for any other house. The small piece of
calico produced was manufactured by Messrs. Mines and
Co. of York-street, Manchester, who never made the same
kind of articles for any other house except the prosecutors,
and never sold any of it in this country but exported it to
Madras. The muslin was supplied by Auld and Co. of
Glasgow, who supplied no other firm in Manchester except
the prosecutors with it. The tape traced to the prisoners
and produced was such as was supplied by a Glasgow house
only to the prosecutors. It was stated, however, that the
cotton spools and tape must have been taken from a depart-
ment in which 130 females were employed, and that the
stock was so large that a small quantity would not be
missed. The prisoners were committed for trial, Rodd for
stealing, and Thomas for receiving the goods knowing them
to have been stolen.

A GENUINE AFTER-DINNER SPEECH.—At Co-
ventry, on Wednesday night, Mr. Treherno ad-
dressed his constituents from the balcony of the King's
Head Hotel, There was a very limited audience. The
principal burden of his speech was the accomplishments of
his parrot. He said he had been "accused before of teach-
ing his parrot blasphemy. Now, his parrot had not the
strong feelings which he had, but he was an uncommon
strong hand at biting, which be was not, but ho could hit
pretty hard, too, when put to the proof. (Laughter.) Ile
was happy to say that that unfortunate parrot, which was
brought up in blasphemy, now most distinctly repeated
' God save the Queen'—a sentiment which he was sure
they would all re-echo, He (Mr. Treherne) was a great
admirer of Garibaldi, and his parrot said Viva Garibaldi.'
Bat he was happy to say that among his new accomplish-
ments he had not forgotten that which nature taught him,
Damn the Whigs.' " Great laughter.)

A CheAerfield paper says :—" We regret to hear
of the serious indisposition of Mr W. P. Thornhill, M.P.
for North Derbyshire. The hon. gentleman, who 'es now on
the Continent, will not, we understand, under any circum-
stances, allow himself to be again nominated to represent
his pre,,:ent constituency.,"