The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-04 00:00:00

-41,74-Aty
_ 4c,
CONFESSION OF A R
ROBBERY. N c WS'Ai 714*
The following is a statement made by Daniel Garrett,
who was prosecuted on several charges, to Mr. Nash,
and may be usefully made public--
" These dishonest practices began with me about 13
months ago, when I was living in idleness close to the •
railway station, and used to go on to the platform to see
-the trains come in, and there it was I got into conversa-
tion with the people of the railway, and joined in con-
nexion. My first parcel was a carpet bag, which was
taken on the arrival of a train, as if I was a passenger;
but that mode of acting became dangerous, as, on several
occasions the owners intercepted their property, and,
but for the timely assistance of a confederate, I should
not have escaped so easily. Other methods were hit
upon, which, if made known, may prevent such practices
in future.
" Mr. Hartley's box of scrip, valued at 40,0001., and
supposed to have never reached the line, was not taken
away from the train till we reached Wolverton; and if
passengers will go away from their luggage, without
having it labelled, or seeing that it goes with the train,
or leave it at a refreshment room, they must expect to
lose it. I was not a thief by profession; I had been a
valet and confident of several noblemen, travelling with
them, and never wronging them of a shilling. This
scrip sorely puzzled us. My first impulse was to go to
the continent, where my extensive knowledge would
disguise me. That was opposed, and we determined to
wait. A reward was offered; but difficulties presented
themselves, and in the dilemma; Maynard's services of-
fered, and he introduced a friend of his, a chemist from
the neighbourhood of Brunswick-square, -and they con-
cocted the correspondence and fictitious names with Bush
and Mullens; but they were very anxious to get posses-
sion of the scrip, and I believe that Mr. Hartley is in-
debted to me for its restoration. The earnest' of our
power to restore was shown Mr. Hartly by returning
him his keys, which were the first instalment.' Mr.
Bush paid the 1501. in gold—no notes—and was grateful
to Maynard, and shook hands with hire. lie came to
his house. in his carriage. This gave us boldness, and
when the box of papers (Mr. Prance's) turned up, we
had leis hesitation. .
" Maynard negotiated, but unguardedly, and I told
him so; but he was headstrong, priding himself on his
position' and appearances. He arranged, and went to
his lawyer friend to draw out the necessary papers for
the restoration. He and I then went to the City together
in a cab. He left at the Blossoms Inn, and went on to
Guildhall to settle the affair. I waited some hours, and
then went home to my lodgings, from which we had
started. I felt quite safe, as I was only known to six
people in connexion with Maynard, and they were is
the mess, and there was nothing against me to show
that I had not found it, as was said. In the evening I
was fetched out by Maynard's man, and went to his
lawyer friend about it and Maynard's arrest, but we all
agreed that nothing could be done to him for negotiating
a reward. I went to him next morning, with his man
Friday,' to assure him of support, and again went to
him and provided a criminal lawyer, but finding myself
watched I did not go again, but took means to prevent
any evidence against myself, and felt secure in my in-
cognita and change of dress every day. When the dis-
covery of other matters, and especially Nish's, was made,
and I was wanted' (as I thought), but not known, I
resolved to leave England, and began quietly to realise;
but then came the squabbles between the agents of the
companies, and their disapproval of what had been done
and stoppage of any other investigations. That gave
me confidence, and I determined to remain, forsook my
lodgings and old pals, and traded myself on several
lines, even under the very eyes of the police who wanted
me, yet did not know me except as a gentleman's ser-
vant, and above suspicion. *

" Respecting the Man Farr, he also goes in the name
of (as Lee said) Billy-go-Faster. Lee told me that Farr
was iu the Cambridge affair, and the Blackheath, as well
na fir. Wogdhead's box from your railway and ethers.
Lee is not in the same ship as me. Parr lives at Pim-
lico. but is not known. " DANIEL GARRETT."
Lee was transported in 1845 for robberies. Farr was
not apprehended until May, 1845, when several robberies
were brought to light; amongst others, three on the Bir-
mingham Railway, two on the South-Eastern Railway,
one on the Brighton Railway; also, the robbery of the
Post-office letter-bags, &c. Ye was convicted on five
indictments, and sentenced to twenty years transpor-
tation.

William Farr, who was convicted of,several railway
robberies, and sentenced to twenty years' transportation
on several indictments preferred on behalf of several
railway companies) made the following statements to
Mr. Nash, who acted in his prosecution :—" I was in
respectable employ as valet to a gentleman. Drink
turned me. I left and took a beer-shop at Deptford.
A fracas with Dalton, who was transported with Garratt
last winter, sent me to gaol for some months. I came
out changed and dissolute. It was at the stations all the
mischief was done. lam not the only one:left. * *
If a disconery was made at a station I put it to mistake,
and as I was not known to the police I could work with
boldness. When I heard of Maynard's arrest I crosseds
the water, I returned when I saw that Maynard and
Garratt were not to be prosecuted, and began again..
Mrs. is innocent of my acts, she knew nothing.
of them. Dr. Robert's papers were destroyed ; I did
not have them, another party had. Too many cases were,
brought up against me, some I had only second-hand,.
but escape was hopeless. The whole of Mrs.
property has gone to defend me, about SOL, and more
wanted ; she is now ruined."

POLITE HIGHWAYMEN.—A highway robbery, at-
tended with circumstances of extraordinary audacity,.
took place on Tuesday evening, on the road from:
Bourges to Chateauroux. The diligence of MM. Gher-
tier and Co., between those towns, and having at the
time ten passengers, and a sum of 44,500 francs, in fire_
franc pieces, 33,000 francs of which were for a banker at
Chateauroux, 10,000 francs for the iron-works at Cla-
vieres, and the rest belonging to a merchant at Bourges,
had arrived, at about 10 o'clock, at the part of the road
called Les Vallies, when the horses were stopped by a
barricade of stones, raised up for the purpose. At the
same instant several men made their appearance, took
the horses by the head, and desired the conductor to.
alight and deliver up his keys. The conductor, in his
fright, not being able to alight at the moment, he was
forcibly pulled down, and one of , the ruffians
stabbed him with a knife three times in that
shoulder. They then forced open the chest is
which some of the money was placed, and made
the passengers alight, two of the robbers standing over
them with levellsd muskets. Having taken out the
10.000£, they said they were sure there was more money,
and they got up on the roof, where they found the larger
sum. They then desired the passengers to resume their
seats, and allowed the diligence to go on. Whilst they
were robbing the diligence M. Lebrun, a notary, at
Charost, and his wife, came up in their cabriolet. The
ruffians ordered it to stop, and when they had finished
the plunder of the diligence, were about to examine the
cabriolet, but Madame Lebrun uttered such loud cries.
that they desisted, and even took the pains of leading
his horse through the barricade. M. Lebrun, it is said,
had a large sum of money with him. On arriving at
St. Florent, the passengers of the diligence made their
declaration to the authorities. They stated that the
number of robbers was six, armed with pistols, knives,
and fowling-pieces, and wearing masks or false: noses to
disguise their faces. They injnred no other person than
the conductor, and his wounds are not dangerous. The
gendarmerie instantly went in pursuit. but up to.
Thursday no trace had been obtained of the robbery.--
Galienani. , -

MILITARY EXPERIMENTS AT CHATHAM.-011
Tuesday, the Ist instant, the Royal Sappers and Miners,
under the command of Colonel Sir Frederick Smith,
K.H., repaired to the field-works near to the Case mate
Barracks, at Gillingham, where they have been for a
considerable time forming works, mining- and counter-
mining, representing the actual siege of a citadil. The
day was densely foggy and cold, and very few persons
were present, the only officer unconnected with the
military on the ground was Captain Sit; Thomas
Bouchier. K.C.8., Captain Superintendont o' : Chatham
Dockyard. The commencement of the e: tperimental
operations was that of the first parallel, why. re two four-
gun batteries are erected, and upon two different prin-
ciples, for the purpose of testing the differ ence of their
rivements, one with fascines, and the otb.ei: with gabions,
filled with earth. The first firing (:.orcaneneed with
a 12-pounder gun from the field b•Atte'ry, when the
embrasures were formed with fa seines, and after
firing 20 rounds, the cheeks began to budge from the
pickets that held them, and the continual firing at
length caused the fascines to give way. The firing
party then retired, and commenced firing from the other
battery, when a 24-pounder gun was placed at one of the
embrasures, its rivements being formed with gabions
filled with earth. Here were also fired 20 rounds. The
repeated firing shook the cheeks on each side, and from
the repeated flashes of the gun caused some of them to
ignite. The gabions are pronounced to be decidedly the-
b experimentse the-
best, an d w i will
esrtea stand longest
the purpose of actuals h
in 0
w iservice.
n the
yTohnese.
ug
officers the practice of firing guns through these rive-
ments. The firing being concluded, Colonel Sir F. Sreith,
with the officers and men, proeeeded up the field-..vorks
in front of Prince Frederick's and the Duke of Cumber-
land's bastions and a ravelin, and commenced tb.e opera-
tion of breaching a double stockade for the purpose of
a passage for troops. The stockade was about
20 feet in width,
and firmly built with oak timber and.
fieffagrebeatliks.; each pin of timber was 12 feet out of the
ground„ and 4 feet in, firmly united with earth, and
held together at top and bottom by , ribands of
Oak plank, secured by 10-inch spikes. Owing
to the immense strength of this stockade, and to
effect an entrance of the outside line of the erection,
two charges of gunpowder of 601 b. each, in bags, were
placed on the ground, close to the building. 'On the
top of them was a large sand-bag, and two others were
firmly jammed against the charges. Everything being
ready for firing, a fuse about 6 feet in length was fixed
to the charges, which allowed three minutes to burn,
giving time to the party to retire, when an explosion
took place which shook the earth for a considerable dis-
tance, smashing the balks of timber into fragments.
Some of the pieces of timber were thrown up into the
splinteredair,
t timber
ma
hb
eo
ra tw3eoeo forcedfeet
ieto thethe s
Interiorpot. .
Some
line o
off
stockade. A breach was made 12 feet wide, and
cthe in-
terior line was driven out of its perpendicular_ -2 feet 9
inches, and one of its ribands forced out. One of the
officers commenced taking a sketch of the rum. , The
result of the operation was very satisfactory to .tb* e Co-
lonel. Another stockade is to be immediately ra .ised.
THE STRIKE AT KEIGTILEY.---We understa) nd that
the
woolcombers' strike at Keighley has termini ited by-
an amicable at rangement between the masters end the
1 men.—Leeds Intelligencer. •
The steamer Antwerpen, Captain Jackson, arrived
here very early yesterday morning,• having made bier
j passage from Antwerp in twenty hours with wind an id
I tide against her. The Baron de Hochepied larpont and
1 family were passengers by her. -