The Sun.
London, England, 1833-09-24 00:00:00

UNION-HALL.

Yesterday Janus Richards, an elderly man of re.
spectable appearance, was charged with having
committed
various robberies in and about the
metropolis.
The prisoner had carried on a system of robbery
for a great length of time, and his appearance and
address gave him opportunities, of which he availed
himself, as will be perceived by the following account
of his examination. It was his practice to peruse
the advertisements in the newspapers, in order to
ascertain where houses were to let; and upon find.
ing this he made application to the house agents for
cards to view. He generally made a point of calling
at houses where the occupiers had not left, and on
presenting the house agent's card it was considered
considered a sufficient introduction, and he was
shown over the premises. In the progress of view-
ing the dwelling he uniformly expressed a desire to
examine all the rooms, and when he entered one in
which plate or any valuable article of a portable
nature was deposited, he usually requested the per-
son who accompanied him either to throw up a

window, or do something that made a noise and en-
gaged the attention, while he possessed himself of
the property ; and this accomplished, he quitted the
house as soon as possible.
Miss Farmer, the daughter of a gentleman resid-
ing at Clapham, stated that on the 2d of July the
prisoner called at her father's house, and expressed
a wish to view the whole of the premises, as they
were to be let on a lease. He then produced one
of the house-agent's cards, And, as he was a person
of apparent respectability, one of the servants was
directed to show him over the house. In doing this
it appeared that he expressed a strong inclination to
view the whole of the apartments, and agreeable to
this wish he was conducted up stairs and examined
the different rooms, in the course of which he en-
tered one of the dressing-rooms, in which a tray
containing plate was deposited. Having remained
about ten minutes in the house he then took his
departure, saying that he should have an interview
with the house-agent relative to the terms. In a short
time afterwards several silver spoons were missing
from the tray in the dressing-room, and as no stran-
ger but the prisoner had access to it, and the articles
being missing soon after he had left the house, the
supposition was strong that he was the thief.
A lady, the occupier of another house in the
neighbourhood of Clapham, stated that about three
weeks ago the prisoner called at her house, and
producing one of the cards to view, which he said
he had been furnished with by Mr. Banting, of Pall-
mall, expressed a wish to look at the premises. A
servant, as in the other case, accompanied the pri-
soner over the house, in the course of which he was
shown into the front drawing-room, where several
articles of plate were deposited in an open cupboard.
He had not left the house many minutes before four
large table spoons were missed from amongst the
plate, and as no other person had been there on that
day but the prisoner he was suspected of the robbery.
Mr. Maberley, a gentleman residing at Clapham,
in December, 1831, had a house to let in Russell-
place, Finsbury-square. The prisoner called to look
at it, and in the course of his inspection he managed
to pocket a large silver cream ewer, which was not
missed until he had gone away.
The Magistrates should remand the prisoner until
Friday, to give an opportunity for the attendance of
other parties who have been plundered of property
by the prisoner.