The Sun.
London, England, 1856-09-23 00:00:00

ROBBERY OF THE BANK OF
AUSTRALASIA.

John Pratt, a young man 17 years of age, who had
been remanded, but admitted to bail upon a charge of
having stolen a sum of 98/. 108., belonging to the Char.
tered Bank of Australasia, in wbich establishment he
had been employed as junior clerk, was further exa-
mined before Mr. Alderman Carter, at the Mansion-

house.
Mr. Mullens, solicitor to the Committee of Bankers
for the Prevention of Forgeries and Frauds, again at-
tended for the prosecution ; and Mr. Lewis, jun., ap-
peared on behalf of the prisoner.
The evidence taken at the former examination, which
was to the effect that the prisoner absconded with the
money, and was apprehended by Russell, a detective
officer, at a brothel, when only lls. were found in his
posses,ion, having been read,
William Withers, who bad been twice summoned to
appear and give evidence, and who neglected to attend at
the last examination, was sworn and said—l am the
keeper of a brothel at No. 1, Bath-buildings, City-road.
On the morning of the 4th inst. the prisoner was at my
house. He came there late on the Wednesday night or
early the following morning, and remained till the Sun-
day, when the officer apprehended him. I did not change
a 51. note for him. He showed me a 201. note, and asked
me if I could get it changed. I then went with him in a cab
to toe Bank of Engla,.d, when be left me and went into
the Bank. When he came out I asked him whether he
had changed it, and he replied that he had got gold for
it. During the time he stayed at my house he was
almost c fltinually in my company and that of women
and others belonging to it. He treated us in a carriage
to Epping Forest, and afterwards to Barnet fair. He
gave money to a girl named Davis, to buy a silk dress,
a bonnet, and a pair of boots.
Mr. Mullens—Did not your wife, who accompanied
you to the forest, have any of the money ? Witness—
No.
Mr. Mullens—Did not she came out in a new dress
for Barnet fair I Witness—No ; but the prisoner paid
all the expenses.
Mr. Mullens—During the time he was in your house
did you see auy other bank notes in his possession be-
sides the one for 201. which he changed ! Witness—
Ne, I did nit.
Mr. Mullens—Will you swear that? Witness—Yes.
Cross-examined by Mr. Lewis—l did not receive from
the prisoner a 201. note for the purpose of getting it
changed by one of my tradesmen. I have seen the 201.
note produced in the prisoner's possession. It is ',the
one he changed at the Bank of England. He took it
from his pocket-book, which contained a lot more bits of
paper. •
Mr. Lewis—What did you suppose the lot more bits
of paper consisted of, were they the same description of
paper as this note ? Witness—No.
Mr. Lewis—Did he not take this note from off a roll
of notes ? Witness—No ; they appeared to me to be
like letters.
Mr. Lewis—Were they clean looking letters ! Wit-
ness—l did not notice that.
Mr. Lewis—Are you the landlord of this brothel I
Witness— Yes,
Mr. Lewis—When you. saw a boy of 17 come into
your house with bank notes, did you not make some
inquiries respecting either him or his money ? Witness
—No ; I made no particular inquiries. We had plenty
of drink, he paying for it. He lent me 10s. to get my
watch out of pledge. He did not lend me a sovereign.
Mr. Lewis—How was it that be came to treat your
wife to the forest ? Witness—He was taking the other
women out, and asked me and my wife to go with him.
He paid for the. drag, and all other expenses.
Mr. Lewis—Why was he to treat you and your wife ?
Witness—He said he had come up from the country, and
wanted to go out for a day's ride.
Mr. Lewis—Have you paid him back the 10s. that
you borrowed of him ? Witness--:-No. I did not delay
him when the officer came to take him into custody.
Russell (the officer)--Your wife denied that tne priso-
ner was there. You were for two hours in an adjoining
room, and heard My voice when I asked for the prisoner.
Alderman Carter—l fellow of this description is
capable of doing anything.
Mr. Lewis—Did the prisoner not spend 281. in your
house in two days ? Witness—No ; he was with another
female before he came to my house.
Mr. Lewis—Did he breakfast with you and your wife
and the prostitutes in your house ? Witness—No ; he
breakfasted with the female who slept with him.
Mr. Lewis—Do you mean to swear that he did not
breakfast upstairs with two prostitutes ? Witness—The
first morning he did, but the other morning he break-
fasted with me .and my wife and several prostitutes as
well.
Mr. Lewis—Did he not complain of being robbed
.of
21. the following morning after he arrived at your house ?
Witness—Yes ; but I did not persuade him to stay. I
went with him to hire the drag.
Mr. Lewis—As he had plenty of money, I daresay
you thought him a very nice young man to stay in your
brothel! Witness—l thought nothing of the kind ; but
he was very free with his money, and used to treat us
all to drink and everything else. (Sensation.)
Mr. Lewis—You are a big hulking man ; are you in any
business ? Witness—Yes, I am a fancy leather worker.
Mr. Lewis—Where do you carry on your business ?
Witness—At home.
Mr. Lewis—ln this brothel ? Witness—Yes.
Mr. Lewis—Who did you work with last ? Witness
—I have worked at home for shops.
Mr. •Lewis—What was the last shop you supplied ?
Witness—Mr. Beaumont s, at Islington.
Mr. Lewis—How long ago? Witness—l took Berrie
work home on Saturday night.
Mr. Lewis—Of what value ? Witness—lt was re-
pairs, which cause to 7s.
Mr. Lewis—Do you mean to say—be cautious—that
you hsve not seen 701. worth of notes since this boy has
been in custody—notes which he had in his possession
when he came to y our brothel ? Witness—l have not.
Mr. Lewis—Have•you not spoken to Harriet Davis
about them ? Witness—Yes.
being Mo ffir
ci neLr
vsh—oh ue‘nsVe
Ih? avvt
ewnmti
tade
tnheesrsye—o dtdoiedonkty. h
not
att
constable
young
sytahbili man
with
me and told him to look under the bed, immediately
upona
iwr
sh. h
Ht h
je
bwaitdnepsrse
vsianidu,sly" Ob
ebe,
ny e 9,
denied h e ( prb
y i stohnee rw) its.
nessli wife, andLthe witness hoard the denial: s •
Mr, Lewis--Was not a flash man of the name of Davis

sent for directly ate p :Ist in or was taken into custotlyl
Witness—No such .th ,rig,
Mr. Lewis—On. tit t i Suns 'ay morning when the pri-
so, ler was aporehendn. I did . •ou not go to a public-house
and fetch a flash man i l'il itness—No, I went to two or
thre e public-houses ,bef.. TO ' Je was taken into custody to
irnd.iitct.eddlen, c•
gets ome I,randy. At is it I got some, but I was obliged
to tell the landlord th at• it was for a case of cholera,
others rise I should tic I L ave been able to procure it.
(Sense tion.)
Mr. Lewis—Then yoi t did not mind telling a lie t
yv'ttnei as—No, but I new n tell wilful lies.
.g. 1,34 rman Carter—Wh a t do you call that but a wilful
lie ? 1 Vitness—l knew I could not get the brandy
unless 1 [ said it was for a . 7.a se of cholera. (Sensation.)
IVIr. :, Lewis—This man ( la serves upon his own confer.-
ne of the cashiers in the Issue
Depart" %ent of the Ban' rof England said—On the 4th
inst. the . •
101. note produ, red was brought to the Bank
siol‘nirt,o
:i ble.
and chang ed by me for g :old.. It bas tne name of "Wil-
liam Walt, 'rs (the last lit Pitiless), No.• 1, Bath-buildings?
City-road," on it.
Mr. ii. M, • Young, c• l erk in the Bank of Australasia,
identified the initials " J. P." on the note to be in the
handwriting of th e prisc men
Grose-extmitined..--I b. ilieve it was the prisoner's babit
to put his it 6:vials upon all notes that passed through hie
hands.
Harriet D, wis v eas th en called, and examined by Mr.
Mullene—l 11 :Fe at . No. .1, Bath-buildings, City-road. -L
have been sum. mot ,ed to-,lay to produce a 501. note and
a 201. note, with'th are alloged to have been given to lue
by the prisoner. I cannot produce them. I never sari
them, and know 136 thing of them.
Cross-examined b. ir Mr. Lewis—l never even saw the
201. note which the prisoner is said to have change 3.
,71hen Russell, the officer, cantle, the prisoner was in
11 ty room, I s.vear tin 't I hay* 3 never had any converra-
ti; la with the keeper of the br, othel about 70/. worth of
no,,,‘e. When Russell wa,4 out side my room I did not
see "4 -0/. of notes in the pr:sore, er's possession. I per'
suadt 'd him ail I could to give up • the notes to the officer
if he had them.
Mr. . Lewis—,Did you not tell th e officer that you sail
tho pr isoner burn the notes INN fitness—No, not the
note's.
I said that I saw him place some papers under
the kottl, 1 which was on the fire at t, tie time. e in
Mr. less vis—Upon your oath did 3 'ou not tell m
my office sk, at the prisoner had burnt them I Wanes.
—No, I said "papers," not "notes." ,1: saw him place
some papers which were in an envelove, under the
kettle, but what thvy were I do not know. The prisoner
. wrote to me frown N",)vfgate to go to you—he wished fine
. to No you. ot
Mr. Lewis—Did I .talk to you about anything Oee.
the 701. worth of notes 1 Witness—No.
tVII
M:r. Lewis—Did I not'; tell you that you had got tho
Witness—Yes, but I dettied it. V
Mr. Lewis —Will you. swear that you did not tell 1
' that the prisoner burnt the notes in your presence

Witness-I do.
pri-
Mr. Lewis—Did you tea the poor woman the
Boner's mother) that he bum t the notes in your Pre-
Bence Witness—No, I said "papers." I never said
" notes." Two other girls were in the room at the time
he put the papers under the kettle.
Dlr. Lewis—Now, be cautious ; do you mean to,gei
that the notes were burnt at all to your knowledge
WMr.itness --I could not say.
Lewis—Are they not in possession of a man
tact as they were I Witness—Not to my knowledge.thee°
Mr. Lewis—Was it not proposed by you to p,ut
very 701. worth of notes under the bed-post W itness'
That is false,. When the officer apprehended the, prisoner
three girls, I Matilda, Ellen, and Betsey, were in the room,
mes.
'as well as rt iyself. Ido not know their other na
When we wont for a drive to North Woolw,ieht
th
prisoner askec I me • to accompany him to Paris. t
Mr. Lewis - Do you mean to swear that you did the
tell Mr. Mulle, ns and myself that the prisoner burnt
notes ? Witne se—The prisoner asked me to be tree'
and I was true.
Mr. Lewis—lVid you not tell Mr. Mullens that Yo•
u
tried to get them .from out of the fire with a poker ? Wit";
ness—l said " pape. rs." I took the poker and tried to ge
them out of eie fire. The prisoner when he put the paPtill
under the kettle said to me, " Don't frighten yoursel.4
Harriet dear, all right now if you will be true •
and I said I would be true. (Laughter.) Mr. and Mrs
Withers, and tho other girls and myself used to go ou,s.
riding together. he prisoner "stood" about Si. or 4i'd
worth of brandy whil 'et he was at the brothel.
$e used
to drink lots of neat spirits out of a tumbler, ADU
used to ask him how h e could drink so much brandy
had about 101. of him in' two days. He bought nae tive
new dresses, a visite, a cloak, and a hat—one of the.
"flop" ones. (Laughter.j‘
Mr. Goodman (chief cl.ei 'lo—Have you given us your
right name.
Witness—Yes. My Hans, e is Davis.
Officer—She gave me the name of Davidson.
Mr. Lewis—Did not the. prisoner complain of being
robbed at this brothel!
Witness—No; we all thougislt he was a gentleman who
had money left him, which he vas squandering away. I
did not rob him of the 21. It tux ust have been the girl be
slept with before he became att atohed to me. (Laughter/
He stood a shillingsworth of br.o idy, and said he ghoul
like to stay with me, and I of ca )urse had no objection.
The girl that robbed him did not• belong to our regular
establishment. She was only a ca, mat visitor, but lam
a regular lodger there.
Mr. Mullens—That is the case fa r the prosecution.
Mr. Lewis—l cannot resist this case going for trial,
whatever may ultimately become of ii t•
The depositions were then read over and signed by the
witnesses, and the prisoner was comm itted for trial; but
liberated upon bail.