The Sun.
London, England, 1865-03-04 00:00:00

MST.

Another Great Burglary in the City,

On Friday at 1 o'clock, Robert Rowland, 25, of 5, Half-
moon-passage, Whitechapel, described as a clerk, and Wm.
Bell, 18, living at 5, Newman's-place, Bishopsgate, a porter,
were brought before the Lord Mayor, at the Justice-room
at the Mansion-house, charged with breaking and entering
the premises of Messrs. Twiss and Browning, of 47, Mark-
lane, merchants, and stealing three cash-boxes containing
money and securities representing money and merchandise
to the amount of many thousands of pounds.
City Police-sergeant Jennison was called. He said—
About 10 minutes to 2 o'clock this morning my attention
was called by Mr. Young, of 47, Mark-lane, to• a light in
the premises of Messrs. Twiss and Browning. The house
is principally let out as offices, and Mr. Young lives on the
top floor. The light I saw was on the ground floor. Mr.
Young let me in by the street door, and I found that a hole,
large enough to admit a man's arm, had been broken in the
glazed door leading from the lobby on the ground floor to
Messrs. Twiss and Browning's offices. By the time I had
got into the lobby the light had been put out, and neither
Mr. Young nor I could get into the office. While I was
speaking to him I heard a bell ring in an inner office. Not
being able to get in, I placed a constable at both the front
and back door of the premises, and I waited there until 8
o'clock this morning. The porter Rye then came and opened
the door of the offices. We went in and found the prisoner
Bell sitting in an easy chair in the private room of Mr.
Browning, smoking a cigar and drinking rum. (A laugh.)
The other prisoner was sitting at a table by his side. On
my asking what they were doing there they made no answer.
On looking round I saw the iron safe had been•opened by a
key, that the key was in it, and that two cashboxes were
lying on the floor broken open and empty. Several papers
were strewn about the floor, and the place was in a state of
general confusion. Messrs. Twiss and Browning are large
wine merchants. I charged the prisoners with burglary.
They made no reply, and I took them to the Seething-lane
police-station. They are known to the police. I found
half-a-crown on one of them.

Mr. Robert Moore—l am a solicitor at 47, Mark-lane, and
reside in chambers there connected with my office. I had
been out last evening at a friend's house, and returned home
about 1 o'clock this morning. I had a dog in my rooms on
the second floor which I was going to send into the coun-
try, and I took it out for an airing before I went to bed.
When I got about half way down stairs I saw a flash of
light through a skylight over Messrs. Browning's offices,
but it was pnt out immediately afterwards. Knowing that
no windows reflected on the skylight, I suspected some-
thing wrong. I tried Messrs. Browning's doors, and found
they were fastened. I went out with the dog, and on my
return in about 10 minutes, having my suspicion excited
by what I had seen, I sat down on the stairs near my own
rooms, and remained quiet for a few minutes. I then saw
the gas lit up in Mr. Browning's offices. I crept quietly
down stairs, and tapping loudly at the window in which I
saw the light, I asked who was there, adding that if no
answer was made I should call the police. The light was
put out directly after I tapped at the window, and I went
to the front door to look for a policeman. I waited a few
minutes, and Sergeant Jennison presented himself. I called
him in, and he looked round and found a square plate of
glass in the inner door of Messrs. Browning's offices broken.
All the doors were locked. I went and called Mr. Young,
who lives at the upper part of the house. We placedpieces
of tape on the locks outside with seals, and constables were
stationed outside the house at various places during the re-
mainder of the night. _

The Lord Mayor—Do you suppose the prisoners had
been locked in ?

Witness—From the appearance of the place we think
they had broken the glass door, which is one of two en-
trances to the offices, and had then put their hands through
and opened the door from the inside.

Samuel Speck, a city police-sergeant, said that morning,
about 6 o'clock, by the direction of Inspector Lennard, he
placed two constables, one in Tower-street, and the other in
Mark-lane, front and back of the house. He then went with
Sergeant Jennison into the offices of Messrs. Browning, a
door of which the porter unlocked. On entering the private
offices the two prisoners were found seated as described by
Sergeant Jennison. On searching the prisoner Bell he
found a florin and a fourpenny piece with a hole in it upon
him. He sent the prisoners to the police-station, and con-
tinued to search the place. There is a large strong room
in a corner of the private office, enclosing an inner iron safe,
with three or four compartments. He found the key of the
strong room, and the strong room door open. He also found
the key of the iron safe in the door. The three cashboxes
produced had been taken from the safe, and two of them
broken open. The other, which was not broken open,
contained a number of dock warrants. He found a key of
the outer office door in the private room of Mr. Browning,
and also six other keys, none of which fitted any locks on
the premises. He also found a " jemmy" in one of the
rooms with a chisel at one end and a hammer on the other,
and it fitted the marks made on the cash-boxes in breaking
them open.

George Rye, head porter to Messrs. Twiss and Browning
said they occupied part of the ground floor. He was the last
to leave the premises on Wednesday night, which he did at
a few minutes past 8 o'clock. He locked the offices up in
the usual way, and took the key of the front door away in
his pocket. There was an inner door leading to the offices.
He had first seen that the iron safe as well as the strong
room was locked.

The Lord Mayor—Do they leave the key of the safe on
tho premises at night ?

Witness replied in the affirmative, and mentioned in what
part of them it was left. On his returning to the offices next
morning, he found the inner door sealed up and two officers
in charge of the place. He unlocked the door and went in
with the officers, and found the prisoner's sitting in " the
governor's" room. The strong room and the safe were both
open, and two cashboxes were lying on the floor broken
open.

By the Lord Mayor—The key of the safe was placed in
an open pigeon-hole over night. (A laugh.)

Sergeant Speck said he had forgotten to state that on
searching the water-closet on tho ground floor he found a
check for £5, signed by Mr. Browning, a copy of a will, and
other papers. One of the cashboxes, an iron one, contained
57 dock warrants.

Thomas Young, a junior clerk in the office of Twiss and
Browning, said he locked the iron safe and left the office a
few minutes before 7 on Wednesday evening, leaving the
witness Rye to lock up the premises. From the iron cash-
box produced, containing dock warrants, a £5 bank-note
had been taken. The check signed by Mr. Browning had
been taken from one of the smaller cashboxes, as had also
the will. He had not locked the cashboxes, but he saw
them in the safe before he locked it. Money, but he could
not say how much, had been taken from one of the smaller
cashboxes. After locking the safe, he placed the key in a
pigeen-hole of the office.
The Lord Mayor asked if it was a usual practice with
him after locking the safe to leave the key on the premises.
Witness replied in the affirmative.

The Lord Mayor—l see that the key of the iron cashbox
containing all the dock warrants is attached to the lid by
a string. Is it always kept so attached ? •
Witness—lt is. (Laughter.) -
Mr. Henry Wood, cashier to the prosecutors, deposed that
there were seven £5 bank-notes, an Australian sovereign, a
bad half-crown wrapped up in a piece of paper, and a very
bad sixpence in one of the cashboxes. (A laugh.) They
did not take the bad money—(a laugh),—but they took
everything else. Another of the cashboxes which had been
broken open contained stamps.
Bridget Johnson—l am a servant to Mr. John Young,
jun., architect, 47, Mark-lane, who lives at the top of the
house. I never saw the prisoners before, except one of
them on the previous evening. About 10 o'clock last night
the street door bell was rung, and I opened the door. The
premises were all shut up for the evening. On my open-
ing the door the prisoner Rowland gave me a letter and
aaked if he could see a young woman named Bridget. I
said, "I am Bridget." (A laugh.) He said, " I have
brought a letter from Mrs. Notley." I took it upstairs to
the housekeeper, not knowing what the letter meant,
and shut the outer door, leaving the prisoners inside the
passage. I know a Mrs. Notley. She is in the habit of
calling to see Mrs. Young, of whom she was an old servant.
I was absent about five minutes. The housekeeper read the
letter, and told me to say I could not write an answer that
night. When I came down I saw the prisoner still stand-
ing inside where I had left him. I did not see anybody
with him. The letter was as follows :
" Whitecross-place._

" Dear Bridget,---I write this note hoping to find you in
the enjoyment of good health, which lam sorry to say I
am not at present. Dear Bridget, I write for a favour,
which I know if possible you will oblige. I wish you to
call and see me on Sunday, as I am sorry to say I am very
ill. Dear Bridget, send a written answer by the young
man who forwards this to you, as he has got to give it to
a relative who his (sic) kind enough to call for me. Please
to put it in the letter what time you will call, as I may bo
prepared for you. Be sure and come, as I wish to soo you
very particular.—l remain, dear Bridget, your affectionate
" MARY NOTLEY.
friend,
I told the prisoner I could not write an
answer that night,
but I would do so in the morning. He then left, and I
closed the door behind him. I don't know either of the
prisoners.
Charlotte Tillett, servant to Mr. Young, deposed that the
prisoner Rowland came to the street door about 9 o'clock on
the previous evening and asked if a person named Bridget
was in. Witness, who had answered the door, said she was
not, upon which he said he and a friend of his particularly
wished to see her. He did not leave his name, but he said
he would return at 10 o'clock. He then went away.
The prisoners were then remanded to Friday, the 10th.
Police-sergeant Speck believed a previous conviction
would be proved against one of the prisoners.

Mr. Wood, tho prosecutor's cashier, asked to be allowed
to see the dock warrants, which he said were exceedingly
valuable, in order to find if any of them were missing. He
also asked to have back the keys of the strong room and
safe.

The Lord Mayor gave the required permissim, obsery
ing ironically that, as to the keys, he thought they might
do without them for any use they had made of them. (A
laugh.)

THIRD EDITION.

SUN OFFICE, 6 O'CLOCK.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE—This D,

CITY BETTING—Tars DAY.
LIVERPOOL STEEPLECHASE.
15 to 2 agst L'Africain (taken)
15 to 2 agst Emblematic (taken)
Bto 1 agst Arbury (taken)
100 to 7 agst Lightheart (taken)
100 to 7 agst Emblem (taken and offered)
100 to 7 agst Tony Lumpkin (offered)
100 to 6 agst Jerry (taken)
100 to 6 agst Joe Maley (offered)
20 to 1 agst Stanton (taken and offered)
25 to 1 agst Dwarf (taken freely)
25 to 1 agst Meanwood (taken)
33 to 1 agst Alcibiade (offered)
40 to 1 agst Princess Dagmar (taken freely)
50 to 1 agst Real Jam (taken)
50 to 1 agst Penarth (taken)
TWO THOUSAND.
9to 2 agst Liddington (offered)
9to 1 agst Zambesi (taken)
10 to 1 agst Chattanooga (offered)
CHESTER CUP.
13 to 1 agst Ackworth (taken)
100 to 7 agst Gratitude (taken)
DERBY.
20 to 1 agst Chattanooga (offered)

The Theatres and the Music Halls.

LAMBETH POLICE COURT.—(Tins DAY.)
The adjourned summons taken out by Mr. Roberts, at
the instance of the managers of the metropolitan theatres
against Mr. Charles Morton, managing director of the
Oxford and Canterbury Hall Company (Limited), for the
performance of a stage play contrary to the act, was re-
sumed this afternoon.

It will be recollected the magistrate last Friday week
postponed giving his decision in the case as to whether or
not the extraordinary successful shadow illusion, entitled
" Hodge Podge," at the Canterbury Hall, was a stage
play, in order that Mr. C. Morton might make a special
application to the Lord Chamberlain for a license.

Mr. Besley, attended as heretofore for the metropolitan
managers ; and Mr. Prentice, instructed by Mr. Mercer, of
the firm of Mercer and Mercer, 9, Mincing-lane, solicitors
for the company, appeared for the defence.
Mr. Norton, seeing the whole of the parties in court,
said—l understand from Mr. Besley that the Lord Cham-
berlain has refused to grant Mr. Morton that which ha
required. _ . . .

Mr. Prentice—That, sir, is not quite to the case. I
attend here to-day to ask that you will postpone your deci-
sion for a few days. A petition has been presented to
the Lord Chamberlain, and no answer has yet.•:been
returned. Mr. Morton is here, sir, and he will, if you de--
sire it, tell you what has been done. It is not correct to
say that the license has been refused.
Mr. Besley—The answer, I believe, that has been given
by the Lord Chamberlain is, that when the theatre in the
Canterbury Hall is properly constructed, he will grant the
required license.
Mr. Norton—ls Mr. Morton here ?

Mr. Prentice—He is, sir, and quite prepared to tell you
everything that has been done. I have to ask, sir,
whether you are aware that in your absence,
an application has been made to your colleague,
Mr. Elliot, for another summons against Mr. Morton for
infringing the 15th section of the act whereby he has in-
curred a penalty of £5O each night "Hodge Podge" is shown
at the Canterbury Hall. I think it exceedingly unfair that
behind your back, sir, such an application should be made,
and I cannot think that the lessees of Her Majesty's and
and other theatres can be parties to such an application.
Mr. Norton (having read the notes of the application re-
ferred to) said—lt appears to me the great difficulty in the
matter is who is to move. It appears as if in these matters
the Lord Chamberlain was altogether superseded; and the
question that occurs to me is whether or not we are not
now trenching too much upon his powers.
Mr. Besley—l hardly think that such can be the case.
Mr. Prentice—The parties represented by my learned
friend appear as if they were desirous of being public pro-
secutors.. (Laughter.)

Mr. Roberts—lt is laid down in the 15th section of the
Act of Parliament that every stage play should be previous
to its representation submitted to the Lord Chamberlain, and
that in the event of such not being done the parties repre-
senting a a piece should be fined£2 for each representation
Mr. Prentice—That is a matter not at present before the
Court, as the summons is not actually granted.
Mr. Roberts—The magistrate said he would grant the
summons, but that he would consult you, sir, before he
named a day for the hearing.

Mr. Norton—The summons has not actually been
granted. I have seen Mr. Elliott, and he infor►ned me
that he directed that in the event of any new point arising
in this case you could apply to him on Thursday. The
real matter before the court is an application for the post-
ponement of my decision.

Mr. Roberts—lt is an attempt to delay your judgment.
Your remarks, sir, on the last occasion, have been well
advertised, and instead of gracefully bowing to your
decision and withdrawing the objectionable performance,
its popularity has been greatly increased. If " Hodge
Podge " had been withdrawn there would have been no
second summons asked for.

Mr. Prentice—What we desire is time to see the result
of the application to the Lord Chamberlain. That the
other side wish to refuse, and I must say that the metro-
politan managers are acting in the most oppressive
manner.

Mr. Norton—Does the Lord Chamberlain know that the
case has been already adjourned ?
Mr. Prentice—The fact, I believe, was mentioned in the
petition that has been sent to him.

Mr. Roberts—Lord Sydney and the Hon. Spencer Pon-
sonby have both visited the Canter bury Hall, so they are
well acquainted with the matter. If Mr. Morton will with-
draw the piece, I will withdraw the other summons.
Mr. Prentice—l should not make any reference to the
other summons. If you give your decision to-day, sir, and
it should be against us, I shall have to ask you for a case,
in order that the whole question may be tried in one of the
superior courts. I shall not advise my clients to withdraw
the-piece.

Mr. Norton—Well, I think, under all the circumstances,
I had better pronounce a decision. Mr. Morton must pa
£1 and the cost of the summons:

Mr. Prentice—And you, sir, will give us a case ?
Mr. Norton—Certainly.

Mr. Roberts—There is a case already before the Common
Pleas from Birmingham.
Mr. Prentice—That shows that we also ought to have
one. _ .

—.
Mr. Roberts—lt is not quite so bad as this one.
Mr. Prentice—This, I've no doubt, is the worst you ever
heard of. (Laughter.) We are no parties to the case you
mentioned.

Mr. Roberts—Since your remarks, which appeared so
favourable to Mr. Morton, the Canterbury Hall has been
crowded to excess.

Mr. Norton—My remarks were favourable to Mr. Morton,
and also, I thought, to the Lord Chamberlain. Some
change will eventually be made, and I thought that change
might as well be made gradually as suddenly.
Mr. Roberts—There is a negotiation, I believe, going on
between the managers of the theatres and the proprietors
of the music halls to see whether matters cannot be
arranged between them. •

Mr. Norton—l'm very glad W frpr it.
Mr. Morton—l have heard nothin' of it yet, sir.
Mr. Norton—Well, it is the best thing-that can be done.
If Mr. Morton follows my advice ho will-withdraw the
piece until the matter is fully decided.iece
Mr. Roberts—Every night the p is represented, Mr.
Morton incurs four penalties. The actors can be taken into
cnstody by the police, so can the audience.
Mr. Norton—The police, I'm afraid, would be transfixed
by the beauty of "Hodge Podgo"—(laughter)—so you
would not have to expect much from them. (Laughter.) I
strongly advise that nothing should be done in the other mat-
ter until this is disposed of. You can apply to Mr. Elliott
of course, but if the objectionable but beautiful piece
" Hodge rodge" is withdrawn, you ought to be satisfied
etnhtei hen
hearing
netge reefd
tihneto
ma a
tbtoenr dhef of
er
rf forone
ef the
expenses the
Morton
r eo sf
judges, and the parties retired.