The Sun.
London, England, 1856-12-09 00:00:00

THE GREAT GOLD ROBBERY.

The formal notice served upon Mr. Rees, solicitor to
the prosecution in this most extraordinany case, that
Tester had arrived in this country from Sweden, and
intended to surrender to meet any charges that might
he preferred against him by the South-Eastern Railway
Company, on the occasion of the examination of Burgess
and Pierce, on Wednesday next, is represented as being
regarded by the prosecution in the light of a feint to put
them off their guard, so as to enable Tester to escape
from England, and, if possible, evade the pursuit of
Jukeice altogether, and it is further said that since that
notice was received by Mr. Rees great exertions have
been made by the police to discover the hiding-place of
Tester, so as to prevent his escape, if such be his inten-
tion, or othtrwiee by his capture to deptive him of any
merit o; appearance of innocence which might attach to
a voluntary surrender. The respectability and titanding
of Tester's solicitor, Mr. Buchanan, upon whose behalf
the notice was signed and served by his manager, Mr.
Beard, precludes all doubt as to the bona fides f the
transaction so far as these gentlemen are concerned, nor
is there any good reason to doubt that Tester himself,
in instructing his solicitor to servo that notice, acted in
perfect good faith, or that up to last night he still ad-
hered to his announced intention of surrendering himself
on Wednesday.
Ile had an interview with his professional advisor
yesterday ; and, althouell what then transpired is neces-
sarily matter of reserve, it is understood that he gives a
general and complete denial to the charge made against
him, and affirms that he neither took part in the deli-
berations which preceded the robbery, was in any way
implicated in the execution of the robbery, nor shared
even to the smallest extent in the proceeds (Idle robbery
after its accomplishment. Of course he was well ac.
quainted with Burgess, and also had some knowledge
that
of
Pierce, through the former connection of person
with the company ; and he admits that Agar was not
altogether unknown to him, inasmuch as the last-men-
tioned person was for some time a frequent traveller on
the line, and he (Tester), from being constantly employed
on various parts of the railway, as relieving station
master," occasionally came in contact with Agar, who
represented himself as being a commercial traveller.
Tester states, however, that there was no sort of inti-
macy between them, and be complains that the evidence
of such a man ae the convict witness should weigh against
him although he speaks in a sanguine manner as to the
results of the charge in his favour. This statement must
be taken for its worth, coining from a man so situated ;
but it is, perhaps, not too much to say, that the uncor-
roborated evidence of Agar could convict no man, even
upon a charge of small importance.
It has been stated at various times that some suspi-
cion of Tester's connexion with the robbery was from
the first entertained by the authorities of the South-
Eastern aes tvei
trine
oRt af
front
yt,h be uftatohta,tt
ht ha
ti s
weihnielnd
Theasrtdelry
abpeptlhieedcaftswe
testimonials as to his fitness for an appointment upon
the Royal Swedish Railway, he received several of a
odoubtny
' highly flattering character from officers of the South-
a goodst e
dealr n Company.
of p As there is, however, generally a
lapse of a expressed upon such subjects after the
lengthened
period, it is as well to add the fol-
lowing, which are copies of documents forwarded t the
Royal Swedish Railway Company by Tester. Tne great
gold robbery, it must be borne in mind, took place in
May, 1855:--
" South-Eastern Railway, London Tetialnus,
Sept. 28, 1855.
"Dear Sir,—With reference to your request to be fur-
nished with a testimonial from the directors upon your
leaving the company's service, I am desired to express
their entire k.atisfaotion with the very efficient manner
in which you have performed the duties devolving on
you in the various capacities and departments through
which you have passe d during the period that you have
been is the company's service —namely, eight years and
a half ; and they also desire use to add that they con-
sider you a very suitable person for the position to which