The Sun.
London, England, 1847-10-21 00:00:00

DARING BURGLARY.

On Monday, four men of notorious character were
brought to Nottingham county gaol, charged with
having committed a burglary of a daring and extra-
ordinary nature. On Thursday morning last, at a
quarter before one o'clock, five men, with blacked
faces, smock-frocks, and otherwise disguised, broke
open the house of Mr. Richard Atkinson, victualler,
at Grassthorpe, 'even miles from Newark, by re-
moving a pane of glass from the parlour window, and
forthwith they proceeded up stairs to the chamber,
where the landlord and his wife were in bed. Find-
ing the door locked, they smashed the panels and the
lock, and forcing their way in, surrounded the bed,
holding up their lights and brandishing a plough-
coulter, and threatening to murder both the man and
his wife if they did not lie still, or made any resist-
ance. The villains swore repeatedly that the old
couple should lose their lives if they did not at once
tell where their money was to be found. Two of
the gang went up stairs into the female servant's
bed-room, and, holding a plough-coulter over her,
insisted upon being told who were sleeping in the
house, and where her master put his money. Having
ascertained that there were only three inmates in the
house, a sentinel was left over the girl, and one
over the landlord and his wife, while the other three
secured all the keys of the doors, broke open the
boxes and drawers, and ransacked every room and
place, in search of booty. In the course of an hour,
after refreshing themselves, they had collected thirteen
sovereigns, a five-pound note, several half-crowns,
shillings, and pence, a silver watch, half a dozen
silver tea spoons, a razor, two gallons of brandy,
four gallons of gin, and other property, with which
they left the house, going in the direction of Egman-
ton. The servant girl crawled out of her bed directly
after the sentinel had left her room, and saw the vil-
lains effecting their retreat. Information was given
the same morning to Mr. Wills, superintendent of
the county police at Newark, and a vigilant inquiry
being instituted, John Ashbourne and Robert Green,
of Egmanton, and George Herring and Hezekiah
Beardsall, of Retford, Were all apprehended the next
day. A fifth man has absconded. The police con-
stable of Taxford saw five men on the morning of•the
robbery, at three o'clock, on the road leading in a
direction from Atkinson's to Egmanton. On Satur•
day the prisoners were examined before Mr. W. F.
Handley, a magistrate at Newark, and Green and
Ashbourne were positively sworn to, and Beardsall
had the key of the cellar-door found upon him. These
men form part of the Egmanton gang, who have long
been the terror of the neighbourhood, and Beardsall
is a returned convict. The prisoners were committed
to Nottingham gaol to take their trial for the offence.

PRISONERS CONDEMNED TO

DEATH.
The following circular has been forwarded from
the office of the Secretary of State to the magistrates
of the different counties in .England

" WEitehall, Sept., 1847.
" am directed by Secretary Sir George
Grey to transmit to you the enclosed rule relative to
the treatment of prisoners condemned to death, which
has been framed after a careful consideration of the
subject, and I am to request that you will lay this
rule before the magistrates assembled at the next
general quarter-sessions; and Secretary Sir George
Grey's recommendation that they should add it to
the rules in force for the government of the county
prisons, and submit it to him for his certificate of
approval, pursuant to the 2d section of the Act 5
and 6 William IV., sec. 38.—1 have the honour to
be, Sir, your obedient servant,
" DENIS LE MARCHANT."
" RULE PROPOSED TO BE ADDED TO THE GENERAL
REGULATIONS OF PRISONS.
" PERSONS CONDEMNED TO DEATH.

"In all cases vv- heresentence of death has been
passed and convicts are left for execution, the keeper
or matron shall, immediately on their return to gaol
from trial, cause them to be thoroughly searched, and
shall remove from them any such articles as may be
considered dangerous or inexpedient for them to re-
tainin their possession.

"'rhe cell and room to which a convict is recon-
ducted after being sentenced to death, shall invariably
on all such occasions be previously examined by the
keeper of the gaol, who is to satisfy himself of its
fitness and safety, and insert a record of his exami-
nation in his journal.

"In all cases where sentence of death has been
passed, and the condemned prisoner is left for execu-
tion, such prisoner shall be placed under the constant
charge and superintendence of an officer of the prison,
both by thy and night.