The Sun.
London, England, 1856-11-17 00:00:00

THE GOLD BULLION ROBBERY.

MANSION-HOUSE-(THIS DAY).

The two men, Burgess and Pierce, were again placed
at the bar, this morning, before the Lord Mayor for
further examination, on the charge of stealing gold bars,
Am.rican gold coin, and coupons to the amount of
15,0001, on the South Ea-tern Railway in May, 1855.
Greater excitement prevailed throughout the day than
on the former examination, and for an hour before the
business commenced hundreds of persons had assembled
in front of the Mansion-House in the hope of gaining
admission to the court, to catch a glimpse of Agar, the
principal actor in this adroit and daring affair. The
excellent arrangements made prevented the Court
from being overcrowded ; and by the kindness
of the Lord Mayer and Mr. Goodman, the
chief clerk, every accommodation was provided for the
representatives of the press, and facilities given to the
evening papers for the transmission of copy. Mr. Gordon
Thompson, deputy chairman of the South-Ea-tern Rail-
way Company ; Mr. Cross, a director ; and Mr. Smiles,
the secretary, were present during the investigation,
watching the proceedings on the part of the company.
Mr. Bodkin appeared for the prosecution as on the
former occasions ; the prisoner Burgess was defended by
Mr. Lewis, and Pierce by Mr. Wontner.
The Lord Mayor took his seat on the bench punctually
at 12 o'clock, and Agar, the witness, was immediately
put into the witness-box in eustody of a Portland warder,
and his examination resumed, commencing with the sale
of the gold, which appeared in Thursday's Sun. In con-
tinuation he said—The money received for the gold so
sold was taken to Pierce's house, and he had the greater
part of it. Alter this a horse and cart was obtained by
Pierce, and we removed the bar gold from his house to
mine, at Shepherd's-bush. This was the morning after
the robbery in the night. Pierce hired the cart in Grove-
street, Mornington-square. It was a small shay cart,
with a grey horse in it. The gold was in the courier
bags, placed in small carpet bags. I rather think the
money had for the gold sold was left at Pierce's house,
and was kept in a bag. When we got to my house I found
Fanny Kay and the servant girl at home. The gold
was taken into the front parlour, and placed be-
hind the door for a short time, and afterwards
I took it to my bed room and placed it in a trunk.
Pierce only helped me in to the parlour with the gold,
and then left with the horse and cart. 100 ozs. of the
gold were sold about three or four days after. Pierce
and I cut it from one of the leng broad bars of the Aus-
tralian gold with a cold chisel and a hammer in the
washhouse. The gold was very tough and heard, and it
took 15 minutes to cut it off. My hammer was too light
for the work, and Pierce got a heavier one, which was
bought at Buck's tool shop, in Tottenham•court-road,
with which to cut the remainder, as it was wanted for
sale or melting, The washhouse was only accessible
from the garden ; and to prevent any one seeing
what was going on the glass was whitewashed. Fanny
Kay, on one or two occasions when we were
cutting up the gold, came and asked for a saucepan, or
such article as she wanted, when it was given to her,
the gold being covered over that she might not see it.
Pierce sold the first 100 oz. of gold, but where or to
whom he never told me. 3001., I believe, was obtained '
for it, and I think I kept possession of it. After cut• '

ting off the 100 oz. the remainder was melted, Pierce
assisting me. The gold was cut up in small quantities,
and the stove in the back room on the first floor was
taken out, where a furnace was made and the gold
melted. Pierce bought the fre-bricks for making
the furnace, and brought them to my house in a
bag. The bricks produced are those used in making
the furnace alluded to, on which were distinctly now to
be seen particles of gold adhering to it. I left them in
the garden at Cambridge-villa, and I have never seen
them from that time till now. We used charcoal and
coke in melting it. Two bags were used, one I procured
and Pierce the other, which we bought near Wilderness.
row. The first lot of crucibles (5 or 6) were bought in
St. John's-square, and they were purchased by me and
Pierce. It was proposed to melt the gold into an "iron
ingot," which was procured at a jeweller's shop near
Clerkenwell Church-yard. I think I purchased it ; it
was about 3 foot long, 3 or 4 inches wide, and tapering
at the bottom. The melting occupied three or four
days. On the first day Faany Kay was not there ; we
had sent her to see the child who was at nurse, that she
might be out of the way; she returned at
night. The servant girl at the time had been
discharged. On the following day Pierce came in
the morning and assisted me in cutting it
up and melting it. Fanny Kay was at home that day
and provided dinner for us. She came up to the door,
but we refused her admission to the room. The melting
created& very great heat. Fanny- Ky remarked it, and
as we were much heated and in a state of perspiration,
it being warm weather, she wished to know what we
were about. On one occasion the heat was so groat
that we had to put the fire out to prevent the house
taking fire. In lifting out one of the crucibles from the
fire a piece broke and it fell, and part of the gold ran
about the floor and burnt it, and the remainder into a
tub of water we had at hand. Each bar when melted
arwrwae
eeemmi
ehgb:oehai
horse
remained
edeffe
odd about
Ibmaaao
putnpuf
sdosthtrloemiOacrnoeatdt
rr.oott
occasion,
amenltetisuawi
aorriaannkei
sd;
rianearetnhnheod,er
aawnawyeehavi
topseb
however,
hiredesdwee ,artbhsoloeec
removed
er
bouts,
yawTwomnhvph
same cart
dreTbeer bars
so
The gold remained there for a abort time. I had a
quarrel with Fanny Kay, left her, and took lodgings at
Kilburn-road) leaving the furniture with Fanny ; the
lodgings I took were about two miles from Kilburn-
gate. I went there by the name of Adams. I went by
that name at Shepherds'-bush, and Fanny Kay as Mrs. I
Adams. The gold was afterwards removed by two or ,
three bars at a time, by me and Pierce, from his house
to my lodgings, on the Kilburn-road. Pierce then
shifted his residence to Kilburn-villa, and I assisted him
in moving his furniture. I then lodged with him, and
the gold was taken to Pierce's house in my luggage,
which was removed by a horse and cart. I excused
my leaving the lodgings by saying I was going to
Scotland. The gold remained some time in my trunk,
and then Pierce said he would make a hole in the pantry
and bury it. He did so, and I saw nothing more of it I
afterwards. The pantry was underneath the front steps
of the house. Abou; three weeks after this I was
arrested on the charge for which I am now suffering.
Before that some of the gold was sold. First two bars,
about 200 oz., at 3/. 2s. 6d. per ounce, I sold to a person
by appointment at Dalston. The witness at first oh.
jected to name the party to whom it was sold, but Mr.
Bodkin said it was necessary. • Witness said he sold it
to James Seeward, who is known as a barrister.
(Laughter.)

Mr. Bodkin—A. friend of Mr. Lewis. (Laughter.)
Mr. Lewis—lle in known as the King of the Seeward
gang. Is ho not !

Witness—YeA. He is a pigeon fancier.
Mr. Lewis—And a gold fancier. (Laughter.)
Witness—Yes. He resided at Villa-house, \Val worth-
common. I had known kim before I had transactions
with him. I understood he lived by his profession as a
barrister.

Mr. Bodkin—And bought gold ti •
Witness—And bought gold. I met him and the gold
was spoken of. He said he could gat rid of it, and an
appointment was made to meet him at a public-house
near the Dalston.gate. He said he had seen the news
papers, and he supposed this was a part of the pro-
duce of the robbery. I said, yea.
[This announcement of Seward's connection with the rob
bery appeared to take the prosecution by surprise, and
a private conference took place between the witness, the
counsel for the prosecution, and the legal advi-ers of the
prisoners. A person named Seal was about the time
alluded to apprehended by Hayden for having a large
quantity of gold in his po-session, but he was discharged
as the gold could not be identified.]
Witness continued—l took the gold by appointment
to a beer-shop called the Alma. He left with the gold,
and afterwards returned with the money in gold. I took
the gold home to Pierce's house, where we counted it
and found it all right. About 1,800/. worth of
gold was disposed of in this Way by Seward.
I made him a present of a is. or sixpence for his trouble
on each occasion, but what he got else I don't know.
He did not tell me where he sold the gold. I have told
the Court of all the gold sold that I know of down to
the time of my arrest. I know a man named Seal, but
I never sold any gold to him, nor am I aware he had
anything to do with it. The gold sold realised from
2;2001. to 2,3001., and the money was changed with
Bank of England notes by Pierce. After that, a rdeet-
ing of myself, Burgess, Pierce, and Tester took place
in Pierce's parlour, at Kilburn-villa. It was stated
that the gold had been melted, and how
much money there was in bawl. It was divided.
Tester had 6001., Burgess 7001., Pierce 6001., and I bad
Twhheicdhivlision took place in
no servant, and I believe
put in my trunk,
ta6
hnO
edo .
e v shortlyeln wn ga s.
after p al e
parted.
kept
note',t
be sent Mrs. Pierce to the theatre that night to be out
of the way. 1 continued a week longer with Pierce,
and I then went to live with a female named Fanny
gcet°e-green, and was
visitedl me there.
sCoa mw
hp be
ne 1 at
was taanplperye-hplace, d
.P a clpdiieiri
When I was arrested Pierce had the remainder of the
gold, with, the exception of two or three bars that I