The Sun.
London, England, 1802-09-08 00:00:00

DESPZRATE BANDITTI.

PUR LiC-OFFICE) WORSHIP-STREET.-VeSter.
day thirteen young men, supposed to have been
concerned in the recent depredations committed in
the vicinity of Finsbury.square, and the City-road,
were brought before the Magistrate, to see if any of
them could be identified. Many Gentlemen at-
tended, who had unfortunately suffered from the
brutal violence of the banditti alluded to. The
Magistrate desired the Officers to place the men in
a ruw, and put their hats on, requesting, if any
one could he recognized he might be pointed out.
A more desperate set of fellows perhaps was never
before exhibited in a justice-room, or who stood
the .scrutiny with more bare-faced impudence, Not
a person present but believed them to. be a part'of the
gang ; but the night being dark when they robbed,
and assaulted, the persons attending could' not swear
positively to their persons, with the exception, how-
ever, of one Gentleman, Mr. Thomas Clarke, of
Bunhill-row, who instantly pointed out two, Joseph
Aldis and William Barber, as the persons most
adive in robbing him,
.and consequently nearest his
person. The first he could swear positively to ; the
second he only believed to be the man. .The Ma-
gistrate desired the two men to be put to the bar,
and Mr. Clarke io be sworn, when he would take
down his deposition.
_ _ _

Mr. Clarke then stater!, that on Thursday night
last, between the hours of nine and ten, he was
going from his own house in Bunhill.row to the house
of a friend in Old-street, the whole distance not more
than two or three hundred yards. The moment he
got into Old-street, he heard a great noise, and a mob
advancing ; he knocked at his friend's door ; but the
servant not coming readily, he was not let in, and
before he could knock again a woman came running
, up to him with a child in her arms, and begged of him
for God's sake, to shield her from the fury of the
mob. He placed her next the wall, and stood be-
fore her, thinking they would pass ; but some fel-
lows came up to him, and asked him if he had seen
a mad bull run that way ? Before he could reply,
his hat was taken off his head, and he received
a severe blow, from which the blood immediately
flowed. He was then surrounded by the most
dreadful set of fellows he had ever seen, who used the
most horrid imprecations towards him, swearing if
he did not take his hand from his fob they would cut
his arm off. He said he would, and begged for
mercy. They then took his watch, and the first
division of thieves passed on ; the woman in the
mean time made her escape. He had hardly got
upon his legs, when a second party came up, and
began beating him as before; the prisoner, Midi:,
put his hand into witness's waistcoat pocket, and
took out his purse, containing between 2 and 31.
while Barber (he believed him to be the same)
pulled out Isis papers from his side pocket; after
which they also passed on, while a third party
dealt on him some more blows from their blud-
geons,.as they followed their companions. After
they were all gone, his friend and the neighbours
ventured to give him assistance, and he was taken
in doors, very much disfigured with blood, having
received several cuts in his head, and being other-
wise mooch bruised.

The Prisoners denied the charge.—Aldis said he
was a weaver, and wa9 at Bethnal Green on the
night alluded to. Barber said he was a servant in
the house of Mr. Clementi, in CheApside, and that
he was in a reverse diredion at the time the. rob-
bery was committed.

The Magistrate ordered them to be brought up
for a second examination ; and by no means to let
the other Prisoners go, in the hope that some other
persons may yet come forward to identify them.