The Sun.
London, England, 1848-10-19 00:00:00

DARING ROBBERY.

On Thursday night one of the most singular and
daring robberies we ever heard of was committed in
this town. Mr. Filmer, proprietor of the Temperance
coffeehouse, Week-street, after having retired to rest
at a late hour, was awoke from a sound sleep by find-
ing a man's hand placed forcibly over his mouth, and
another over his eyes, pressing his head down on the
pillow, while, at the same instant, some person got on
him as he lay in bed and held him down. A hand-
kerchief was then passed round his head, and tied
tightly over his mouth gagging and almost suffocat-
ing him ; his hands were tied together with a stout
twine, and a cord was passed across his body from one
side of the bed to the other, completely tying him
down. All this time the poor fellow was so com-
pletely prostrated by surprise, fright, and the vio-
lence used towards him, as to be totally incapable
of the least resistance. Being pinioned and gagged
in the manner described, one of his assailants said
to the other, in a feigned voice, " Don't hurt the
I know he's got some money here." His eyes
were then released, and he saw two men leave the
room, one of them had under his arm his cash
box, which on retiring to rest he had placed on
the floor near the bed. One of the fellows had on a
velveteen coat, with his face covered with crape ; the
other wore a fustian jacket, and had his face blacked.
It was moonlight, and they were distinctly visible.
They were afterwards heard in the front room ad-
joining the bedroom, where they broke open a cup-
board and took away some clothes and a timepiece,
and also down stairs, where they emptied two chil-
drens' money boxes of their contents, about 125., and
carried off an old silver watch with a broken hand,
which hung on the mantelpiece. The cash box unfor-
tunately contained upwards of 601., being a sum pre-
pared to meet a payment for grocery, which was due
on quarter day, and to raise which Mr. Filmer had
been making the greatest exertions for some months
previously. Mr. Filmer continued in the position we
have described, unable to move or speak, till a lodger
named Savage, who slept in the room above, came
down in the morning, when, hearing Filmer
groan, his bed room door being left open,
he went in, and was thunderstruck at see-
ing what had happened. He hastily released his
head - and hands, and ran off to give in-
formation at the police-station. On the ar-
rival of Inspector Faucett with two constables, they
completed the release of Filmer, who was too faint
to help himself, and commenced an examination of
the premises. In the passage was found a bundle of
clothes and the time-piece tied up, but apparently
dropped in the retreat of the thieves, whose entry
had apparently been obtained through the back room
window, a pane of glass in which had been starred,
and a hole made in it large enough to introduce a
finger and pull back the fastening. Unfortunately no
clue has yet been found to discover the thieves,
though strong suspicions exist. To Mr. Filmer, who
is a most hardworking industrious man, and who has
always borne an unimpeachable character, the occur-
rence is almost ruinous. Independently of the pecu-
niary loss, which is very severe, as he had only been
in business a few months, and was just overcoming
the difficulties of a new undertaking, with every
prospect of success ; his health has been greatly
affected by the fright and excitement of the midnight
assault upon him, added to the personal injury he en-
dured. We sincerely hope that the efforts which are
being made to investigate this mysterious affair will
be successful, and that the offenders will be brought
to justice.—Maidstone Journal.