The Sun.
London, England, 1841-04-19 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGESCE.
MANSION-HO USE.
A young man of dark complexion, and black woolly hair,
named Williams, was charged before Sir Peter Laurie
with having robbed a number of churches of bibles and
prayer books. Upon this occasion several sextons
and pawnbrokers, as well as a few owners, were in at.
tendance. The prisoner, who is a person of exceed-
ingly serious aspect, leaned over the bar with his
hands clasped in the attitude of prayer, as if in the
very act of supplication.
The sexton of the church of St. Veda. t, in Foster-
lane, stated that on Tuesday last there was a meeting
of the vestry at the church, and witness descried the
prisoner walking round and looking at the tablets.
Soon afterwards the prisoner was seen walking out, and
seemed to have something concealed about him, and
witness asked him what be had, to which he replied
that he always carried his bible and prayer-book about
with him when he went into places of worship. Wit-
ness thought the prisoner's hat was rather awkwardly
placed upon his head, and took the liberty of examining
it. He found in it two prayer books, and in the pri-
soner's pockets a bible and another prayer-hook.
City policeman No. 426, said that after he bad taken
the prisoner into custody, he found that the pious-look-
ing person had robbed seventeen or eighteen churches
of prayer books and bibles, the duplicates of which
were found upon him.
Sir P. LAURIE (to the prisoner)—Why, you live by
the church ?—(A laugh.) Prisoner—No, Sir, I am
a labourer. I only go the church now and then.
The sexton said that the prisoner had been at the
church on two or three Sundays previously, and no
doubt for the purpose of ascertaining where the best
books were kept.
Mr. J. Powell, of Cheapside, warehouseman, stated
that the Bible and three prayer-books, belonged to him,
and had been all left in his pew. There were two other
prayer-books in the pew, but they were worse than
those which were stolen by the prisoner.
The sexton of Bishopsgate church stated that he
knew the prisoner as a church-goer, and that the pew
in which the prisoner had last been was robbed of two
prayer-books of the value of 1/. each.
Mr. Thomas Fox, of Bishopsgate-street Within,
stated that a Bible and two prayer-hooks were missing
from his pew on Good Friday. He afterwards was in-
forrnod that a pawnbroker had the books, and he found
that they had been pledge].
Mr. Elliott, a pawnbroker, stated that the prisoner
had pawned the Bible and two prayer-books at his shop,
and what was rather extraordinary in his (witness's)
own name.—{A laugh.)
Sir P. LAURIE—You asked him the usual questions?
Mr. Elliott—Certainly, and he answered every question
without hesitation.
Several other sextons, recognised the prisoner as a
visitor. They stated that the prisoner plundered on
the Wednesdays and Fridays, but mede his observations
on the Sundays, when he doubtless marked out parti
cular pews for his visits. He always, it appeared,
seemed very attentive to his religious duties. A
screw-driver, which must have been useful to him in
opening the despositaries in which books wore kept,
was found amongst the duplicates.
Sir PETER LAURIE—I suppoze you wish to say
nothing ?—The prisoner, who still remaiaed in the at-
titude of prayer, shook his head.—Ho was committed
for trial.
Three young men, named Brown, Taylor, and
Smith, were charged with having stolen a piece of cloth
in a shop in Bishopsgate-street. The prisoners, who
were all exceedingly well-dressei persons, were dis-
tinctly seen to walk into the shop and whip the cloth
from the ground. Tney were apprehended and made a
desperate resistance, swearing that the police never
should take them. A mob of thieves endeavoured to
rescue them. Two solicitors attended for the pri-
soners, but the case was so clear against them that they
did not think it would improve their chance of escape
to make a single observation.—They wo;.e committed
for trial.