The Sun.
London, England, 1838-03-03 00:00:00

RIMLNAL COURT-(THIS DAY).

OLD COURT.
(Before Baron PARKE.)
Thomas Bailey, aged lid, was indicted for feloniously receiving 32lbs.
Weight of thrown silk, the property of Edward Fellowes, knowing the
same to have been stolen.
Ir• Sergeant ANDREWS shortly stated the case. The prosecutor was
a '5
'lik broker residing in Broad-street in the city, and on the night' of
the
15th January his warehouse was opened by skeleton keys, and a
,„'f"ity of valuable silk of various descriptions stolen. On the 27th
la the same month, a person of the name of Gilbert called on Mr. Fel-
b 'yes. and showed him some samples of tram and organaine silk, which
e said had been °ff.:red to Lim for sale by the prisoner Bailey. These
fart4les were found to correspond with the silk which had been stolen
_a'? 31r. Fellowes, and on being informed by Silbert that the prisoner
;it to call on him the same day about the silk, he made an arrangement
h him which led to his apprehension, and the discovery of the re_
al, der of the property in his possession.
William Fisher, warehouseman to the prosecutor, deponed that it
i',sB:-'l5 duty to attend to the warehouse in Broad-street. The silk was
"14 in .4 room down stairs. To get to this room from the one above,
Person 1160 to pass through two doors, each of which was secured by
Y strong Jocks. Witness always secured the doors of the
Warehouse Did so previous to the night of the 15th January. He
en went home, And about eight o'clock the same evening,
114) consequence of information which he rbeCived, returned to the ware_
wlt'Se, and the first person he saw was the housikeeper of the family,
"0 occupied the upper part of the premises. Witness found that the
ds°" of the warehouse and also of those leading to the rooms beneath
41 b:een Opened apparently by skeleton keys. Witness then examined
BLik room, and found about f)46.11g. Weight of sin( taken. The pro
verty stolen consisted of tram and organgipg Pil)i. The value of the

whole amounted to between 700/. and 800/. The silk was in the state
in which it usually came from the throwster.

Peter Richardson, porter to the establishment of Mr. Fellowes, stated
that on the evening in question he left everything secure in the ware-
house before going home.
William Gilbert sworn.—Lives at No. 6, Fort street, Spitalfields
Known the prisoner about six years. He acted as an agent to severa
parties for the sale of silk. Does not know where prisoner resides. He
came to witness about twelve o'clock on Saturday the 27th of January,
and showed him some samples of tram silk, and some of organzine, which
he offered him the first at 255. and the second at 265. per lb. Witness
asked him "if the silk was all right ;" his reply was, " Oh yes or I
should not have brought it here : it belongs to a man who is
going to Macclesfield this evening, and who is in want of the
money." He said that he had 321bs. of organzine and 521bs. of tram,
but that he would not bring the tram until Monday. The organzine
he would bring at three o'clock that day. Witness had heard of the
robbery at Mr. Fellowes, and his suspicions were aroused by the fact of
the samples corresponding with the description of the silk stolen from
Mr. Fellowes which was given iu the investigation. Asked him if it
was Mr. Fellowes' silk, and he replied in the negative. When the pri-
soner was going away, he asked witness " if the organzine w ere double
in quantity to what he had originally stated, would it be any matter ?"
Witness said not, as he could easily procure the money. This was all
the conversation which passed between them. The prisoner then went
away, saying that lie would call on witness at half-past three o'clock
in the afternoon with the organzine. Witness returned home,
at three o'clock, and found that the prisoner had been there and left the
silk, but had left word lie would come back at half-past three. In the
mean time witness went to his next-door neighbour, Mr. Fowler, who
accompanied him to the house of Mr. Fellowes, to whom they showed
the silk. They made an arrangement with him with respect to the ap-
prehension of the prisoner, and witness then returned home. The pri.
soner came as he had appointed, at half-past three. He told witness
that he had left a bag containing the silk in the kitchen. Witnels de-
sired him to bring it out and lay it on the counter, which lie did. Herds.
field and another officer then came in and apprehended the prisoner.
Identifies the silk produced as that which had been taken from the pri_
saner.

Mr. BODKIN declined asking this witness any question.
Eliza Farrington, Mr. Gilbert's housekeeper, deposed to the fact of
the bag having been left with her by the prisoner.
Thomas Theobalds, the City Marshall, stated that he went on Satur-
day the 27th of January to the house of Mr. Gilbert, in company with
Herdsfield, observed the prisoner going into the house before them, and
en their entrance he was standing at the counter with a black bag in
his hand. In reply to questions put to him by witness, prisoner stated
" that the bag contained silk, that he had received it that morning from
Macclesfield by coach, a.l that it was all right." Wi neon asked him
where it had been delivered and from whom he had received it. He
said that it had been delivered at his own house, but evaded the other
part of the question for some time. At length, however, he admitted
that he had received it from a person named Ridgeway. Witness then
took him into custody, and brought him to the Station house, where
he searched him, found some silk upon his person and some cards
with the direction, " Ridgeway, Foster-lane." Went subsequently
to the prisoner's house in Eagle-street and searched it—found
some silk in a cupboard and in a drawer, which he produces.
While making the search, he heard a knock at the door, and a man
came in, who, on being asked his name, stated it was Ridgeway. Took
him into custody. There was a woman in the house who he understood
to be the wife of the prisoner. He complained to Ridgway on his
entrance that he was the cause of all this trouble.
Thomas Hcrdsfield was next called, and corroberated the facts de.
posed to by the last witness.
Enoch Fenton stated that lie was a silk dealer in Fort-street, Spital.
fields. Knows the prisoner. His residence is at 57, Eagle-street. Had
a conversation with Mr. Gilbert on the 27th January, in consequence
of which they went together to Mr. Feliwes's, and compared samples
of silk which Mr. Gilbert brought with him with the stock in Mr. Fel-
lowes's warehouse, and found them to correspond exactly. Has seen the
silk which was found in the Black Boy and in the prisoner's house, and
has no doubt whatever that they are the same as that which he saw at
Mr. Fellowes's. It was witness who pointed out Bailey's residence to
the officers.

Mr. FeHowes was then called, and identified the stolen silk as his
property.
Mr. BODKIN addressed the Jury in a very powerful speech on behalf
of the prisoner, but did not call any witnesses.
The Learned JUDGE recapitulated the evidence as great length, and
after a few minutes' deliberation the Jury returned a verdict of Not
Guilty.