The Sun.
London, England, 1856-12-08 00:00:00

THE GREAT GOLD ROBBERY.

After the positive manner in which Mr. Bodkin an•
flounced the speedy capture of Tester at the commence-
ment of the proceedings, when Pierce and Burgess were
brought up for re-examination before the Lord Mayor
on Tuesday last, preceded as that announcement had
been by ono of a similar character made by Mr. Bodkin
at the Mansion-house the week before, some little sur-
prise will no doubt be excited when it is stated that Mr.
Bodkin, Mr. Rees, the solicitor for the prosecution, the
authorities of the South-Eastern Railway Company, and
the metropolitan detectives, have all been upon a wrong
scent for some dime past in looking for their man in
Sweden, when he was in reality in this country, and
even under their very noses in this great metropolis.
There is, however, every reason to believe that such has
been the case, and that Tester for this month past has
been quietly biding himself away in London, while
Thornton and Smith, the detectives, were in hot pursuit
of him in a foreign country.
Tester, it is almost needless to repeat, was for some
years in the employ of the South-Eastern Railway Com-
pany, and, in fact, continued so for several months after
the perpetration of that gigantic robbery in which the
evidence of Agar, the conv'ct witness, has recently impli-
cated him as one of the four active principals, if not, indeed,
the original contriver of the daring design. The robbery
took place in May, 1855, and in the month of September
following Tester being offered an appointment as district
traffic sup:rintendent upon the Royal Swedish Railway,
at a much higher salary than he was then receiving from
the South-Eastern Railway Company, accepted the ap-
pointment and went over to Sweden, carrying with him
testimonials and letters of recommendation speaking of
him in the highest terms of official praise. , Some of
these documents had been for some time in his possession,
but others—and among them papers bearing the signa•
tures of officers of high standing on the South-Eastern
Railway—bore current dates, although it has since been
said that his collusion with the gold thieves was from the
first suspected.
He continued to fill the situation thus obtained in a
manner satisfactory to his new employers up to nearly
the middle of November last. In all probability, like
the other parties to the robbery—if such he really were
—he had come to the conclusion that all risk of disco-
very was over after such a lapse of time ; but no sooner
were Pierce and Burgess, his alleged accomplices, in
custody, and the first public proceedings in the prosecu-
tion of the case taken, than Tester, either from private
information or the reports which appeared in the news-
papers, became aware of his danger, and took steps to
place himself beyond the reach of any officers of justice
who might be sent to capture him. As is well known,
there is no convention for the delivery of parties so ac-
cused between this country and Sweden, and therefore,
under ordinary circumstances, he might have stayed in
that country without fear f police interference ; hut
it is said that he received a hint that his continuance in
his situation was out of the question, and that neither
the railway officials nor the Government of the country
would countenance his evasion of justice. Under these
circumstances he quitted Sweden veeretly more than
three weeks ago, and, coming direct to England—it is
even said to London—watched the proceedings in the case
—until at last, either being conscious of his innocence or
aware that ultimate escape was hopeless, he accepted
the advice of a solicitor with whom he had put him-
self in communication, and came to a resolution to sur-
render and stand his trial. In consequence of this reso-
lution Mr. Rees, the solicitor for the prosecution, was
formally notified on Saturday that Tester would give
himself up to meet the charge against him on Wednes-
day next; the day appointed for the further examination
of Pierce and Burgess. Upon that occasion he will have
the right of insisting that Agar and all the other wit-
nesses hitherto examined shall be again put into the
witness-box ; but, acting upon the advice of his solici-
tor, he will, no doubt, waive that right and be content
with having the depositions read over in his presence.
As several more examinations will be necessary to corn•
pieta the case, the prisoners cannot be included in the
Old Bailey Calendar before the January sessions of the
Central Criminal Court, which as the Great Northern
Railway frauds are also likely then to be on the list,
will be of a protracted duration. The services of Mr.
Serjeant Ballantine are to be retained, if possible, on
behalf of Tester, while Burgess and Pierce will have
the best available talent of the bar employed in their
defence.

Tester about two years ago married a very respectable
young woman, by whom he has one child, a daughter,
about a twelvemonth old, and witlin the last fortnight
his wife has borne him twins, both of whom are living.
It will be remembered that on Tuesday last Mr. Lewis
complained that Burgess had suffered in his health
through the closeness of his confinement in Newgate,
and requested that he might be allowed more frequent
opportunities of taking air and exercise. Oa that occa-
sion the Lord Mayor desired that every proper privilege
should be extended to the prisoners and since that time
no relaxation has been ,denied which, consistent with
their safe custody and the due preservation of prison
discipline, could be granted.

EDITH FRANKHEART ; OR, THE BARONET'S DAUGHTER.
—We understand that a novel of fashionable life, in
which the characters are drawn from persons well knov&
in London society, has just been published by Messrs:
Saunders and Otley-. The baronet's daughter, from
which the work takes its title, is a young lady who has
been as much distinguished by her personal attractions
as by the homage universally paid to them. Verb sap.
Those who are au.courant with the on dile of last season
will easily recognise the heroine.