The Sun.
London, England, 1824-02-19 00:00:00

OLD BAILEY.

ROBBERY OF THE BIRMINGHAM COACH.
Yesterday Charles Crowder was indicted for feloniously re'
ceiving fifty 51. bank notes and other notes to the amount °f
4,0001., the property of Messrs. Taylor and Loyd, of Binning'
ham, bankers, he well knowing the same to be stolen"'
Charles Turnky stood indicted for stealing the said notes, but
he is still at large.

Mums. Alley and Law conducted the prosecution, Alla
Messrs.. Adolphus, Broderick, and Platt appeared for then'

sowers.

•
The first witness called was Rober Brown, clerk to Haaburfr
and Co. bankers in Lombard-street, who deposed that OF
notes of Messrs. Taylor and Lloyd, at Birmingham, were pal'
able at their house, and when they had received a certain quAnm
tity, it was their 'custom to send to Birmingham. In DeceU'
ber 1822, he packed up a parcel containing 4,0001. and having
directed it to Taylor and Lloyd, he gave it to the guard'of the
Balloon stage coach. The witness described the notes.'
William Serjeant, guard of the Balloon coach to Bircnilr:
ham, swore to having received the parcel in question fronr
Brown about twelve or one o'clock in the day. He took it to
the Magpie, in Wood-street where he usually lodged, and PY
it to Mr. Greaves, the landlord, while he took his usual rest'Be got up about five o'clock, and received back the parcel, as
he
believed, in the same atate, from Mr. Greaves. lie took it, t"
the Swan with two Necks, Lad-lane, whence the Ballooll-
starts, and when the coach was nearly ready he putit into the
seat of the coach, and put his coat over it. In about five 111
nutes after he went again to the coach, and the parcel Iv._..
Then gone. He immediately gave an alarm, and pursuft ;
inquiry took place, but in vain.
Cross-examined—Witness knew the parcel contained ccil
valuable property, as he had often taken similar ones. lie „,
sidered it safe in the seat, as the horsekeeper was by. • •
Mr. Greaves proved that he preserved the parcel safe, 11?..
gave it back to Serjeant in the precise state in which he recerf
ed it.

Daniel Gray sworn.--I am by trade a brassfounder, and live
at Norwich, but formerly lived at Birmingham. Inseptetnb"
last I saw the prisoner and Turnley at Walton Fair in.-Esset
and got into conversation with them, in the course of which the/
asked me if I knew Taylor and Lloyd's house .at Birminghell4
and I said I did well. Turnley then said, " We have some note!
of Taylor and Lloyd's to sell. We touted' (watched) the Flit
of Rattler, (meaning the Balloon coach) to the-yard with t.,":
parcel from Hanbury's, and prigged it from the coach, seat.
got nearly 11,000/.—(lt was here stated by the Counsel iv
that two
parcels were stolen.)—Ahd we fenced (disposed of theM to •
receiver) for 2,0001. We afterwards tried to fence them hecig,'
to the owners, but Taylor and Lloyd would not give us a rnek
He then asked me if I would buy any, for they were PuA
hid
things, and I' ight very easy get rid of them. I said I
no money ; and they asked me if I knew any one who had 0,4
money to purchase some. I said I thought I did, and'wout"
introduce a friend of mine who would buy some. It was thee .
agreed that we should meet at the Three Crowns in the Ott"
road, on a certain day, and in the mean time I wrote to, .3V
Payne, the then gaoler at Birmingham, and informed him of
my discovery, and he sent me some money, with instruction'
what to do. When I had got the money, I went to al.
Three Crowns, and introduced George Ward,
that
he friend co:
mine, to the prisoner and Turnley, and it was agreed ':
he should have nine 6/. notes for 101., and I was to have si%
the same rate. The prisoner said the notes were not them readll
but they would be at 6 o'clock in the evening. We then'be°
some dinner, and among other things a crab, and were to enel
again in the evening. We did so, and Turnley then produced
some of Taylor and Lloyd's notes, which he handed to ti2.e.
prisoner, who gave them to "Ward, but these turned out to Pv
8 only, instead of 9. A great squabble (which witness minuted
and in regular flash terms, described) took place, but fulfill;
the notes were purchased. These notes were marked "D. Ch •
by me, and sent to Mr. Payne, at Birmingham..
The witness, in his cross-examination, said he became se'quainted with Mr. Payne in his (Mr. P.'s) capacity as head °
the police at Birmingham. He was employed to detect yet'
sons in uttering forged Bank-notes. He was introduced t°
Mr. Payne, because he was a clever chap, and knew what hi'
was about. He was down to a thing or two ; was always OP'
and was not to be had even by an old un. He received *IWO
one hundred .pounds from the Bank services. The witoeo
then underwent a very long and minute cross-examinations as
to what refreshments they had at the Three Crowns, what thee
they met, what conversation passed, and who waited upon than;
all of which 'he spoke to quite unhesitatingly, and conducted
himself with a degree of confidence not often met with i"'
Court of Justice. , •
other rr The
e witnesses, servant girl a
weret thethe then
calledhree Crowns,to corroborate i n the C
thei
Gray in its minor points.
Pic
The prisoner, in his defence, contented himself with a sin' f
denial of the crime imputed to hiri, and with a declaration- °
confidence that the Jury would not believe such a man as Gra);
Mr. Baron GRAHAM summed up at great length, observill
that Gray, taken by himself, undoubtedly was unworthy L'i;
credit ; but they would look at the whole of the case, and 05
themselves whether his story had not received such confirrio:,
tion from other witnesses as to render it next to impossible no
tYeridedlicaell;
to believe that his whole statement was true. • If they beliely,
that it was, the case was completely brought home to the r,
soner, and they could only come to one decision ; but if t
had any doubt, he need not tell them that the accused was e4'
titled to the full benefit of such doubt.
The Jury consulted a little more than five minutes, and the
Foreman, then addressing the Court, said—" My Lords, cu,q
sidering the whole of the evidence, we have so much doubt;.
from the want of corroboration in the important points of,„Gral
testimony, that we feel ourselves bound to acquit. the pruktle'
Verdict— iv-ot Guilty.
There was a second indictment against the prison& raj
similar offence; but no evidence was .offered, and he eies,;4
course acquitted. He left the Court with a smile upon „
countenance.

Priv*, ia
-30 s id i0'391,"—,,
- • 316`0d ts 40'04

COAL-MARKET, FEB. 16.
Skips at Market. Ships sold
SO Newcastle -
41 Sunderland - 194

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