The Sun.
London, England, 1848-10-06 00:00:00

SOUTHWARK.

John Hebbert was brought up on remand, charged
with three others not in custody, with having robbed
James Prockter and Robert Smith of two silver
watches, fifty-eight sovereigns, and two 51. Bank of
England notes.
On Friday last, when the complainants stated the
case, it appeared that the prisoner, after ascertaining
that they had recently arrived in London from Knot-
tingley, in Yorkshire, had induced them to accom-
pany him to the Surrey side of the water for the
purpose of showing them the Zoological-gardens and
other objects of interest there, and that in the course
of their wanderings they were joined by three other
men, with whom they partook of refreshment at two
public-houses, and afterwards at the King's Head,
in the Mint. They left that place at dusk, but had
not proceeded far on their way to the Silver-cross,
Charing-cross, before they were attacked by several
men, the prisoner amongst them, from behind, hur-
ried down a dark alley, and in considerably less than
a minute robbed of the property mentioned above. In
answer to questions by the magistrate this day, it
turned out that the complainants had gone into York-
shire, and had not returned, but were expected.
Mr. SECIZER then ordered the prisoner to be re-
manded.

Mr. William Saunders, a gentleman connected with
the press, came forward and said that, with the
magistrate's permission, he would explain to him the
particulars of an attack and robbery which he sus-
tained a fortnight ago, because from the similarity
of the mode and attack resorted to on that occasion
and in the case just disposed of, and from other cir-
cumstances, he had reason to believe that the
thieves in both instances belonged to the same gang.
He was walking through Holland-street, Blackfriars,
on Tuesday evening, the lath ult., at eight o'clock,
on his way into the City, and had just reached the
Falcon glass-works, when some one stepped up
behind and.- laid his hands gently over his eyes.
For a moment he supposed it was some friend
with whom he occasionally walked home that way,
and waited to hear him speak ; almost imme-
diately, however, he heard footsteps approaching
the spot rapidly, and believing then that an
attack was intended, he sprang round to disengage
himself from his assailant, when he found himself
jammed up at once between eight or ten men, whose
footsteps he had heard. The fellow behind him
dropped his hands from the eyes to the throat, which
he grasped tightly, while some held him by the arms
and legs, the rest forming a screen around their
companions. The pressure at the throat being con-
tinued almost to strangulation, his watch and chain
were easily taken from. Presently he found himself
alone, his watch and appendages gone, and he was
only able to catch a glimpse of some of the thieves
running away. Mr. Saunders added, that his only
object in relating the case to the magistrate was to
show that this mode of attack seemed to be the com-
mon practice of the thieves in the numerous street
robberies of the kind which had lately occurred,
and to assist in making the public acquainted with it.
He wished also to express his thanks for the assist-
ance and advice afforded him since the occurrence by
the police.

Mr. SECKER said that in so desperate a case (the
police having a complete description of the property),
unless Mr. Saunders could identify the offenders,
everything had been done that could be done, and he
was extremely sorry to be unable to afford him any
additional assistance.