The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-22 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—May 21.

MANSION.HOUSE.—Two very well-dressed
men, who described themselves as John Weston, of
32, Weymouth-street, New Kent-road, pattern
maker, and William Harper, 3, West-place, St.
George's-road, Southwark, cigar maker, were yes-
terday brought before the Lord Mayor, in custody
of Michael Haydon, one of the detective officers of
the City police, charged with being in the Bank of
England, the Union Bank of London, and the Lon-
don and Westminster Bank, Lothbury, for an un-
lawful purpose ; also with having stolen a bag of
gold from the Unity Bank, in Cannon-street, and a
£lOO Bank of England note from Messrs. Master-
mans', in Nicholas-lane.
Mr. Base, from the office of Mr. Mullens, the
solicitor to the Bankers' Association, attended on
behalf of the prosecution.
The prisoners are both Americans, and it is be-
lieved that they are part of a gang of Yankee swell-
mobsnen who have favoured this country with a
visit upon the occasion of the Exhibition. They
have not been very long in England, and although,
from information in the possession of the police, it
is believed they have been tolerably successful, still
their career, through the tact of the officer, who, it
appears, has been constantly on their track, will in
all probability be a short one. It will be seen from
the evidence that the attention of the prisoners has
been directed to the " higher branches" of their
profession, namely, bank robberies, and that they
were provided with all the necessary materials to
satisfy inquiries and to avoid suspicion.
The prisoner Harper, at the commencement of
the proceedings, addressed his lordship, and, with a
strong nasal twang, said he should like to have the
inquiry postponed till he could gst legal assistance.
The Lord Mayor, who had made himself
acquainted with the case, said that it would be
necessary there should be an adjournment for the
purposes of justice, and he only proposed on the
present occasion to take sufficient evidenceto justify
him in remanding them, and they would thus have
ample opportunity of procuring professional assist-
ance.

I Michael Hayden was then sworn. He said—l
am one of the detective officers of the city of Lon-
don, and on Tuesday afternoon, about half past
three o'clock, I was on duty in Princes-street, and
I saw the prisoner Harper go into the Union Bank
of London, and the other prisoner followed him, and
I watched their proceedings. In about three or
four minutes they both came oat and went
straight to the London Joint-Stock Bank, where
they also stopped a few minutes. A gentleman
came out who had a bill case in his hand, and
Weston followed him across the street to the
corner of Lothbury, where he was joined by the
other prisoner, and they then both went into the
London and Westminster Bank. I continued to
watch them, and atter they had been in the bank
two or three minutes, they came out together. At
this time each of the prisoners had a book or porte-
monnaie in his hand, as though they had gone into
thu bank upon business. The prisoners then walked
together along D6.,tholomew- lane, and stopped at
the Rotunda entrance of the Bank of England, and
remained for a short time, and they then both went
into the Bank. I went in after them, and met them
coming out. I stopped them, and addressing Weston
said that I was a police-officer, and I must take the
liberty of asking what his business was in the Bank
of England? Ho replied that he had come to the
Bank to get change for four £5 Bank of England
notes, and he pulled four notes of that denomina-
tion out of his pocket, and showed them to me. I
then asked the other prisoner, Harper, what busi-
-1 ness he had in the Bank of England, and he said
he had come with his friend to show him the way,
as he was an American and a stranger in London.
(
Upon this I asked the prisoners what business they
had in the London and Westminster Bank, and
they said they thought it was the Bank of England.
I then said that I had seen them go into the Union
Bank, and the London Joint-Stock Bank, and asked
what they went to those banks for, and they said
they were under the impression that they were the
Bank of England. After the prisoners had made
these statements, I told them that the account they
gave of themselves was not satisfactory, and I should
feel it my duty to take them into custody, and charge
them with having gone into the banks I had men-
tioned with the intention of committing a felony.
The Lord Mayor—Did either of the prisoners
make any reply when you said this ?
Haydon—They did not, my lord. I told them
that I should also charge them on suspicion of having
stolen a £lOO note from Messrs. Mastermans' bank
about a week ago, and to this also they made no
reply. I accordingly, then, with the assistance of
Sergeant Green, one of the City police, took the
prisoners into custody, and conveyed them to Bow-
lane Police-station, where both the charges I have
mentioned were entered and read over to them,
and they gave no answer. A third charge, upon
which I expect to have further evidence on a
future day, was also read to them, and they were
both silent. I searched the prisoner Weston, and
found in his possession four £5 Bank of England
notes, three £1 notes of the Bank of Scotland, and
two £1 notes of the Bank of Ireland, and £3 16s.
60. in money. I also found upon him a gold WAtolat'