The Sun.
London, England, 1833-04-09 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HO USE.

SACRILEGE.—The LORD MAYOR having received
information that Allhallows-church, in London-wall,
had been plundered by thieves, gave directions to
D. Forrester, the officer, who apprehended a young
man, named Thomas Perrin, the bell-ringer, in con-
sequence of some circumstances of suspicion which
attached to his conduct.

Yesterday Perrin was brought before the LORD
MAYOR. The churchwarden and the other parish
officers were present during the examination.
The following statement was made :—The sex-
toness had the care of the communion-plate, which
consisted of two silver flaggons, two silver silvers,
one silver chalice and cover, one silver plate, and
one silver strainer, weighing altogether 166 ounces,
and vety beautifully embossed and decorated. These
articles it was the practice of the sextoness to lock
up in an iron safe in the vestry-room at the conclu-
sion of the Communion service. On Sunday morn-
ing, at eight o'clock, she let in the bell-ringer, who
rang for three or four minutes, and then, as she
supposed, departed. She had arranged the Corr-
munion-plate upon the table in the church at the
time, and about half an hour afterwards she went
home to breakfast, having locked the church door.
Upon her return in half an hour she was horror-
struck at finding that all the plate was gone. There
were three marks on the lock of the door inside,
caused evidently by the wrenching of a crow-bar or
jemmy, so that the thieves must have been locked
in by the sextoness, and broken out in her absence
with the plate. The clergyman was so much af-
-6 cted by the account of the robbery, that he felt
considerable embarrassment in performing the ser-
vice. The wine was handed to the congregation in
a large glass.
The LORD MAYOR considered that there ought to
have been much more caution used in guarding the
plate when it was known, and particularly from ac-
counts of what occurred at the Mansion-house, that
such desperate housebreakers and robbers were
prowling about.
The Churchwarden stated that the plate had been
regularly locked up in a strong iron chest.
The LORD MAYOR said that an iron chest pre-
sented a very trifling impediment to men who were
supplied with such implements as the Londoa
house-breakers were in the habit of using. For his
part, he was astonished that more robberies were
not committed, and that other churches had not
been plundered.
Daniel Forrester having found upon inquiry, that
the prisoner had a set of infamous associates, and
suspecting that the young man knew something of
the robbery, ordered another person to watch him.
The prisoner went through a great many by-lanes
and alleys in a very low neighbourhood, and was at
last lost by the officer. Upon being afterwards ques-
tioned, the prisoner said that he had gone straight
to Islington without stopping a moment anywhere.
The prisoner told other falsehoods also, and For-
rester could not get any true account at all from him.
The LORD MAYOR asked whether the prisoner
wished to say anything ? The prisoner said he
knew nothing of the robbery, and that after having
rung the bell, he left the church.
The LORD MAYOR—You saw the plate, did you
not ? Prisoner—l knew it was there, ,but I had
nothing to do with it.
The prisoner was then remanded.
Cook, the person who was a few days ago charged
upon suspicion of having been concerned in the
burglary and robbery at Mr. Wheeler's house in
Bartlett's-buildings, was again brought up.
It was stated that the boy who had given evi-
dence in the case of Coney and Smith, who were
convicted at the Old Bailey, had been sent out of
the country, and there was, of course, no testimony
of sufficient strength to warrant the committal of
the prisoner.
The LORD MAYOR then discharged Cook, who
declared that he knew nothing whatever of the rob-
bery.
It is believed that there are two or three others
who were concerned in the robbery, so that as some
of them have expended their share of the immense
booty, it may be expected that they will put their
ingenuity to work to accomplish more robberies.
It is necessary to state, that the city police are
making the most vigorous efforts to remove the
gang of swindlers who have been long known to
infest the city. Some of the most experienced
amongst these officers declared yesterday, that they
were surprised more robberies were not perpetrated,
it being the practice of shopkeepers and commercial
men to leave their houses and warehouses exposed
to housebreakers on Sundays.
The LORD MAYOR also received information that
the house of Mr. Myers, the fishmonger, was broken