The Sun.
London, England, 1863-09-05 00:00:00

THAMES.

TIIE FALSE FRIEND.— A CRUEL ROPBERY.—G cargo
Robert Robson, a seaman, was brought before Mr. Part-
ridge charged with stealing a bag filled with clothes, the
property of Charles Frederick Allen, of No. 4i, Coleman-
street, City.
It appeared that the prisoner, a coarse looking fellow,
about 30 years of age, with beard and moustache, who
looked very much unlike what he represented himself to be,
had been lodging in the house of the prosecutor's father in
Coleman-street, and represented that he was going away
in the ship John Davis. The prosecutor was anxious to go
to sea, and the prisoner said he could get him a birth as
steward in the same vessel, and they might as well go away
together. The prosecutor, on the faith of the representations,
provided himself with an outfit, consisting of two coats,
two waistcoats, seven shirts, two flannel shirts, two pairs
of trousers, six pairs of socks, two pairs of drawers, five
neck-ties, a blanket rug, brushes, razor, and other articles.
The whole of the prosecutor's " kit " was deposited in a
large canvas bag. A few days since the prosecutor bade
farewell to his father and friends, and started from the City
for the West India Dock, where the John Davis was said
to be ready for sea. The prisoner took the prosecutor to
the house of a man named Gilpin, Narrow-street, Ratcliffe,
where Allen was advised to leave his bag of clothes while
they went to the shipping office to sign articles of agree-
ment. On reaching the shipping office it was ascertained
that the John Davis was not ready for sea, or at least it
was so represented by the prisoner, who then took his friend
to the Jolly Caulkers, a house of public entertainment on
the Surrey side of the river, where they remained for
three days, and all that time the prisoner lived at the ex-
pense of his friend. On Sunday afternoon last the prose-
cutor gave the prisoner some money to buy a mattress. The
prisoner never returned with the money or the mattress, but
on the same afternoon the prisoner called upon Gilpin and
demanded the bag of clothes and a concertina which
Allen left there on the previous Thursday, and said the
bag and concertina belong to me. He also said Chaney,
meaning the prosecutor, has shippe6l and gone to sea. Gil-
pin delivered the clothes and concertina to the prisoner who
was not seen again until yesterday afternoon when the pro-
secutor's father met the prisoner on Snow-hill and gave him
into custody of a city police, named Edwin Rouse, No.
505, who said to him "No that can't, I have just
come from Gravesend." The constable insisted
on securing the prisoner, who said, " Well, I did take the
bag of clothes and the concertina, and lost them all."
Thomas Gilpin and Mary Ahearn proved the delivery of
the bag and its contents to Robson, who turned out all the
clothes and counted every article.
Mr. Partridge thought the prosecutor had acted with con-
siderable imprudence.

Allen—Well, sir, I am not a suspicious man, and I
thought the prisoner was an honest man and would not rob
me. I have lost everything.
Mr. Partridge was sorry the prosecutor's confidence in
the prisoner was so very sadly abused. He remanded the
prisoner for a week, and directed Rouse to make inquiries
about the prisoner, who was a disgrace to the blue jacket.