The Sun.
London, England, 1865-03-07 00:00:00

The Great Robberies in the City.

Yesterday, at 1 o'clock, a man named Frederick William
Wilkinson, otherwise Erskine, but better known among his
acquaintances and to some of the police by a sobriquet, was
placed before the Lord Mayor, at the Justice-room of the
Mansion-house, on the charge of being concerned in break-
ing and entering the shop of Mr. Johnson, jeweller, in
Threadneedle-street, on the 4th of July last, and stealing
jewelry of the value in all of about £4,000.
Mr. Lewis, jun., of Ely-place, conducted the examina-
tiod, which he prefaced by a brief statement of the cir-
cumstances under which the prisoner had been arrested,
as they were afterwards proved in evidence,
James Brennan, an inspector of the F division of metro-
politan police, Bow-street station, whomho called, deposed
that at 7 o'clock on Saturday evening, in company with In-
spector Potter, of the G division, City Detective-sergeant
Moss, and Police-constable Rayner, he went to the first
floor front room of the house No. 10, Tabernacle-walk,
Finsbury-square, and saw the prisoner sitting in a chair by
the fire. Calling him by the name of " Fred," by which he
was known, he said they had come to apprehend him for
being concerned with others who were in custody in seve-
ral robberies of jewelry in the city, and more especially one
at the shop of Mr. Johnson in Threadneedle-street. The
prisoner replied that he knew nothing about them, and that
he had done nothing of the kind for the last ten months.
Witness searched him and found in his possession a silver
Geneva watch, a gold Albert chain with a locket attached,
a pin, and signet ring, all of which he was wearing. He
knew the prisoner by the namo of " Carroty Fred," and
also as Frederick Erskine. On this occasion he gave the
name of Wilkinson.

sergeant Moss said he had found what purported to be
the prisoner's marriage certificate, from which it appeared
that his name was William Wilkinson.

The prisoner declined to ask Inspector Brennan a ques-
tion, denying all knowledge of the matter.
Sergeant Moss said he accompanied the previous witness
when the prisoner was apprehended, and afterwards searched
his lodgings, where he found two bankers' pass-books of the
London and County Bank (Southwark branch) in the name
of F. H. C. R. Erskine. (A laugh.)
Mr. Lewis—A high-sounding name, certainly. What
else did you find ?
Witness said he found in one of the banker's books the
entry of a deposit of £5O under the date of the 14th of
November last. He also found five keys, some of which
had been flied and altered, three metal chains, two rings, a
brooch, and 13 duplicates, one of which related to a silver
watch, another to a pin, and the rest to wearing apparel.
The prisoner said he was an agent, and on being asked for
whom, he replied for himself. He was living recently in
Fryer-street, Blackfriars-road, where he kept a little cigar
shop.

Mr. Lewis, upon that evidenee,7asked to have the priso-
ner remanded, in order that he might be brought up with
the rest of the ten prisoners now in custody.
The Lord Mayor acceded to the application, and the
prisoner was remanded accordingly.
The prisoner asked on what grounds he was remanded.
He did not think there was any evidence to justify his
detention. He could produce witnesses to show how he
came by the articles found upon him, and as to the keys,
they were those of locks of the house in which he was now
living, as he could prove by a locksmith.
The Lord Mayor told him he might urge those points
on another occasion. He should not let him go.
The prisoner was then removed.

The diver has now recovered 12 watches in all from the
bed of the Thames, at the place near the temporary bridgo
at Blackfriars where he has been at work for the last week,
all which have been identified by Mr. Walke'r as part of the
property stolen from his premises. For the present the
operation, which cost at tho rate of about £25 a week, has
been discontinued, in the belief that no more of the missing
property is to be found there.