The Sun.
London, England, 1849-01-15 00:00:00

MAIL ROBBERIES ON THE
GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY

COMMITTAL OF THE PRISONERS.
EXETER, SATURDAY.—This inquiry, which was ex-
pected to have been commenced at eleven o clock this
(Saturday), was adjourned to one o'clock, on the ap-
plication of Mr. Peacock and Mr. Dilountford, solicitors
to the Post-office. At one o'clock the great hall, in
which the examination took place, was crowded by
anxious listeners, and the jury galleries were filled
long previous to the appointed hour. The arrangements
for the preservation of order in the extensive assembly
were judiciously made by Mr. Steele, the Police Super-
intendent.
On the bench were the Right Worshipful the Mayor
(C. Arden, Fag.), S. Kingdon, Esq., Dr. Pennell, Dr.
Miller, Dr. Barham, G. C. Hoiroyd, Esq., E. Woolmer,
Esq., and H. Hooper, Esq.
Mr. Peacock and Mr. Mountfori appeared for the
Post-office, and Mr. Willesford for the prisoners, with
whom he communicated at the corner of the dock in
which they stood. The prisoners were well dressed, but
looked pale and anxious.
The first witness called by Mr. Peacock was Mr.
Henry Lee, who said, I reside at No. 1, South Parade,
Clifton. lam a retired gentleman. On the morning of
the 2d inst. I was a second-class passenger in the down
mail train from Bristol to Tiverton-road. I went to the
Exeter shed at Bristol about 12 minutes past one in the
morning. The booking-office door was shut. Whilst
there, I saw the further prisoner (the unnamed man)
coming towards me. Poole was with him, but three or
four yards behind. Poole was dressed with a Jem Crow
hat, and a cloak thrown over him. The other prisoner
came to the office door, tried it, and finding it not open,
wont back to Poole, and they both returned back and
remained under the archway, about 18 feet from the
, door. This was about a quarter after one. I said to the
• prisoner who tried the door, " There is no admittance—
it is very cold." I did not hear him reply. I continued
to walk up and down in front of the station, waiting till
the door was opened, and heard the sound of whispering
coming from under the archway. The door was shortly
afterwards opened by a porter, and I went in, but the
clerk was not there then. Presently the booking-
clerk came in at the door—he was followed by the
two prisoners. Poole continued to walk up and down
by the side of the wall inside the office. The second
prisoner asked for two first-class tickets—l do not re-
collect to what place. Both tickets were given to the
• second prisoner, and he paid for both. I remained on
the higher side of the desk. I turned round abruptly
towards Poole, and caught his eye. He turned his head
towards the wall from me. This made me look more
particularly at them. Both of them then left the book-
ing-office, and went up stairs to go on the platform. I
followed. When I got there I saw no one. I walked
straight up to the end of the platform, and then I turned
to the left on the other platform towards Bristol. It
was dark at the end. I went so far as the last light ;
it was dark beyond that. I heard some one whispering,
not talking loudly, in the direction of the dark part. I
saw no one. The trains shortly afterwards came round.
I took my seat in a second-class carriage.
A cloak was produced and a hat, which this witness
stated to be similar to the dress worn by Poole on
that night. The cloak was an old blue one, and the hat
a green Join Crow, or round soft hat, as sometimes worn
by " gents."
Mr. William Wilcncks—l reside on Pengelley's Farm,
Exminster. I recollect the lit of January. I was on
the Exminster-road between eleven and twelve o'clock
that morning. It is a turnpike road leading from Exeter
.to Exminster. I overtook two persons walking towards
Exminster, from the direction of Exeter. Poole was
one; I nodded to him, having known him many years.
I believe the second prisoner to be the same men who
was his companion. Poole was carrying a blue bag,
three parts full apparently. I think he had on a dark
- brown coat with pockets at the side. He had on a hat.
The other person had on a dark coat.
Henry Chapple—l reside at the Stowey Arms, Ex-
minster. I recollect the lest of January. I saw two
persons—l believe the two prisoners to be the men—
come into the Stowey Arms. They called for a pint of
beer, with which I served them. They remained about
ten minutes, drank the beer, and went on towards Stars
cross. This was before dinner. I think it was between
ten and twelve o'clock. That gent (Poole as I suppose
him to be), was carrying a blue bag. It appeared about
half filled with something.
Mary Ann Southwood—l reside with my father,
James Southwood, who keeps the Courtney Arms at
Btarcross. I recollect the Ist of January. Two men
came to our house that evening, between six and half-
past. They had two glasses of brandy and water each.
I served them. They left just before eight. Both of
them, or one, asked me what time the train would be in.
I said one would be in at six minutes after seven, and
the other twenty-three minutes after eight. One said
they would go on by the mail train. One had a cloak
on—l think a blue cloth cloak. I know there was a
collar, which was up. It was something like the cloak
produced. I believe if either of the prisoners is the one,
it is the one nearest me (Poole).
Mr. Willesford complained that before the full answer
was taken down from a witness another question was
suggested.
Mr. Peacock (to the witness)—What answer do you
wish to be taken down ? Witness—l believe the one
nearest me to be the one who bad on the cloak.
Mr. Willesford—But you can't swear to either.
Mr. Peacock—What is your belief ? Witness—l be-
lieve the one nearest me to be the man who wore the
cloak, but I did not take much notice. ,
Sarah, wife of
_William Elworthy, employed on the
South Devon Railway, and residing at No. 6, North-
street, said—l know Mr. Poole. He lodged with me.
He came with me in May last. He remained for six or
seven weeks. During the time •he remained with me I
observed him with a scarf. I should know the colours
of it again, but I have no private mark.
The police superintendent produced the scarf. The
witness said—lt is something like the handkerchief, but
I will not swear to it.
Edward Langley, sergeant in the metropolitan detec-
tive police—l know the prisoner who refuses to give his
name. I have known him eight or nine years. I have
lost sight of him for the last year and a half. His name
is Edward Nightingale. I knew his father; his name
was George Nightingale.
Mr. Willesford declined to cross-examine any of the
witnesses, and the depositions were then read over.
The Mayor put the usual question to the prisoners,
Whether they had anything to say previous to being
committed.
They made no reply.
The Mayor then finally committed the prisoners for
trial at the next assizes fur this city.
Mr. Willesford—l suppose there will now be no ob-
jection to allow me to have free intercourse with the pri-
soners in gaol.
The MAYOR— Certainly not, at all proper hours.
We have heard that the father of the prisoner Night-
ingale was tried at Maidstone, in 1826 or 1827,' on a
charge of robbing the Dover mail. He was acquitted
upon an alibi being proved, a person having sworn that
he was at the time in Devonshire. This George Night-
ingale subsequently attended Goodwood races, and was
proprietor of one of the only two gambling booths, which
were at that time permitted. Since then he has carried
on business at Hoxton, near London, as a horse-hair
manutacturer and brickmaker, and died about two months
since.

The greatest credit is due to those active and intelli-
gent officers—Mr. Steele, the Superintendent of the
Exeter Police, and Inspector Field and Sergeant Lang- '
ley, of the London Detective Police—for their great ex-
ertions,
and the admirable manner in which the evidence
has been procured.—Exeter Gazette.
A Sunday paper states that the officers who had been '
sent down by the Post-office authorities, Mr. Inspector '
Field and Mr. Sergeant Langley, bad made a thorough
Search over the whole of the Bristol station, where, it
was supposed, the bulk of property stolen from the up
mall had been secreted. It was shown there was no
time for the prisoners to have gone further than the
public-house, and yet nothing could be found; the search
is to be continued.
Among the robberies that have been perpetrated on
the Great Western Railway, and which there is every
reason to believe have been concocted by the guard
Poole, are those of two cash boxes, each containing
2,000/., both consigned to bankers. Other robberies
have taken place, of which no information has ever reached
the public, it having been deemed advisable to keep
them perfectly quiet, in order to their spedy detection.
In the latter part of last year, the Great Western Com-
pany's strong box, at Paddington, was broken open and
gold and silver to the amount of nearly 2,0901. was taken
in an equally mysterious manner. To that robbery no
clue has been obtained. The booking-office had been
bcoken open in the night, and the box had been plun-
dered without any apparent difficulty, leading to the
Presumption that the robber knew the premises well.
Soon after the discovery of Poole's connexion with
the recent robbery, his house was searched by the police,
but scarcely a piece of paper containing any mcmoran-
dura Was found, all such documents having evidently
been destroyed. On his person, however, were found
several I 0 U's for 201., 501, and and 751., showing, that
since he came into the possession of his money (now
accounted for) he had some extensive transactions in
loans. It is a remarkable tact in connexion with the
robbery, that no official notice of it was sent to the
Post-office authorities, and that Mr. Peacock did not
hear of it until the following day, when the prisoners
were under examination at Exeter, and that, while in-
vestigating the particulars of the first robbery the an-
nouncement of the second reached him.
The Cornwall Gazette contains the following para-
graph:....." We are requested to state, that neither
Messrs. Robins, Forster, and Co., of the East Cornwall
Bank, nor any of their branches, sustained a farthing
loss by the recent robbery of the mail on the Great
Western Railway. All the letters of the firm and
branches duly reached their respective destinations."
The following extraordinary statement appears in
Trewman's Flying Post :—" We are in a position to a,
sert an extraordinary fact connected with these Jack
Sheppard like achievements. The plan of the late rob-
bery of the down train was communicated to two highly
respectable persons in Taunton (one of whom we have
the pleasure of knowing) some four or five months since;
the detail was so accurate as to give the man's name
(who is now actually in custody), the description of dis-
-liT.„l4,4ruise, and tile manner in which the robbery was to be
iiido'obtp4iehed, the whole of which has been perpetrated
17-getter. The information was given to the
riciks-7---7ta- 111"Ye
r ' parties above alluded to by the wife of one of
':";:‘,-tr (yield accomplices in this and many other: rai l-
schem
es;' the parties immediately communicated
''"; away authorities, and we trust that it may
";L" , 1010 )o:.e capture of as formidable a gang of ruffians as
iskVir ed any community. The persons to whom
the inatimation here referred to was given are of the
4A hibest respectability—Mr. Eales White, proprietor of
theßast Reach Brewery, and Mr. James Dyer, surgeon,
'Dalton."