The Sun.
London, England, 1860-02-28 00:00:00

IN RE ALCOCK AND COMPANY.

These bankrupts were earthenware manufacturers. &c.,
at Burslem, Staffordshire, and to-day was appointed for the
last examination. The failure is to a large extent, and the
accounts being voluminous the balance-sheet had pot been
filed, and an adjournment took rlace by consent.

CENTRAL C_RI2I.I.IN,AL COURT—(This Day.)

OLD COURT.
(Before the Recorder.)
THE ROBBERY AT GRESHAM HOUSE.

John Edgar and Edmund Moore were charged with stoal-
ing £ll6 in gold and other moneys, amounting in all to
£215, the property of her Majesty.
Mr. Cole and Mr. Camplsell appeared for the prosecution,
and Mr. Sleigh and Mr. Metcalfe defended the prisoners.
The prosecution was instituted by direction of the Com-
missioners of Inland Revenue.

From the opening statement of the learned counsel for
the prosecution it appeared that Mr. Redford, a collector
of inland revenue, occupied a portion of the offices used by
the Government in Gresham House, Old Broad-street, and
on the afternoon of the 16th of January the money in ques-

tion was left by him in an iron safe in a cupboard in his
office, and on the following morning it was discovered that
the lock of the cupboard had been forced, and the safe and

its contents were gone. The prisoner Edgar was a carpen-
ter, and the other prisoner was a French polisher, in the
employ of Messrs. Smith, contractors for Government work,
at Pimlico, and they had both been at work
in Mr. Redford's office shortly beforo the robbery
was committed, and it was proved that they were
both in the office after Mr. Redford had left, and that they
had ample opportunity of committing the robbery if they
had been so disposed. Suspicion at once fell upon them,
and they were taken into custody, but the evidence was not
sufficient to sustain a charge, and they were dismissed. A
reward of £5O was then offered for the detection of the offen-
ders, and a cabman then came forward and stated that on
the night of the robbery he took two men, with an iron
safe, from the neigbourhood of Old Broad-street, and upon
being shown the two prisoners, at once identified them as
the men, and said that he drove there to a place called
Montague-mews, Bloomsbury, where Edgar resided, and
where he and Moore got out of the cab, taking the iron safe
with them. The evidence of the cabman was materially con-
firmd by the evidence ofMr. Field, land lord of the Marlborough
Head public house, in Bishopsgate- street, which was to the
effect that at the time mentioned by him he saw the pri-
soners in the cab at his house, and they went away to-
gether. The prisoners, upon this additional evidence, were
again given into custody, and upon the officer going to
make a search at Edgar's house his wife handed him a box
which contained 57 sovereigns, which was about half the
amount of gold that was stolen, and £1 Bs. 8d in copper,
amongst which were a great many farthings. A number
of farthings were amongst the money stolen.
There wore a great many witnesses examined for the pro-
secution, the principal of whom was
James Stokes, the cabdriver. 3607 (examined by Mr.
Cole), who said—On the night of the robbery I was on the
stand near Gresham House. I was called off the stand
about seven o'clock by Moore. He told me to pull round,
and I followed him up St. Mary-axe about 30 yards.
When I got there I saw the other prisoner with an
iron safe by his leg. It was about 18 or 20 inches
long and 15 wide. They put the iron safe in the cab and
told me to drive to the Marlborough Head, Bishopegate-
street. Edgar then got out out, went into the house, got a
carpenter's basket of tools, put them in the cab, and then
returned to the bar for a pint of porter, of which I partook ;
he then returned the pot. Edgar then told me to drive to
Bloomsbnry-square. At Montague-street Edgar got out
and went in the direction of Montague-mews. He returned
in a few: minutes, :and as the safe was being taken out of
the cab he said, "My portmanteau is very heavy." I re-
plied that it was. A few days after the robbery I was in a
publichouse, where I saw a bill offering a reward for the
discovery of the robbery. I told a policeman, who hap-
pened to be present, all I knew about it.
Cross-examined by Mr. Sleigh—l never expressed any
doubt about the identity of the prisoners. I will
swear I never did. I saw the bill offering the re-
ward of £5O, on Thursday night about 10 o'clock 1 had
not seen Brett, the officer, or any constable before I gave
information. I had never seen either of the prisoners be-
fore the night of the robbery, and then it was dark. I did
not go to Inspector Hamilton. I told the officer who was
distributing the bills. I was taken by Brett, the officer,
to Edgar's house. Two other officers accompanied us. It
was on Friday morning between 9 and 10. The officers
went into the house, and I remained outside. I was after-
wards called in, and on Edgar being pointed out to me, I
said he was one of the men. I never, when I was first
asked the question, went out of the room with one of the
officers, and on my return said I was sure he was
the man. I never expressed any doubt about the
prisoner's identity. I never, in my depositions, said I
went into another roomwith the officer, and on returning to
the room said, "I am sure that is one of the men." Atier
this the officers and myself left the house. Edgar was not
taken into custody. Edgar said he would remain at home
as long as they liked. We afterwards walked up the street
to the public-house. Tho officers were sent, and the pri-
soner was: again arrested.
By Mr. Metcalfe—l first saw Moore on Friday night as I
was on the rank. I immediately said, " I believe him to
be the man." I never told Brett I had any doubt about

his being the other man. I was quite sure when I saw
him at the station-house that he was the man. He was
walked up and down by the officers before me. That was
after I had said I was certain he was the man. I don't
know why he was walked up and down before me. I had
never said I withcd to see him walk. I again say I don't
know why they walked him before me. I said on Thursday
night to the officers I should know him by his walk. I had
never seen either of the prisoners before the night I was en-
gaged by them. Edgar paid me.
By Mr. Cole—there was plenty of light from the street
lamps for me to see Edgar when he first engaged me. I had
not the slightest doubt about the identity of the prisoners.
Mr. Field, the landlord of the Marlborough Head Tavern,
Bishopsgate-street, confirmed the evidence of the cabman in
every particular.
The learned counsel, in addressing the jury for the pri-
soners, contended that it was clearly a case of mistaken
identity, and commented very severely upon the conduct of
the cabman, who had not thought fit to open his mouth be-
fore a reward of f... 50 was offered for the apprehension of the
persons committing the robbery.
The Recorder having summed up, the jury returned a
verdict of guilty against boti prisoners, and they were
each sentenced to 18ixonthe hard labour in the House ce
Correction.

NEW COURT.
(Before the Common Sergeant.)
The Court was occupied the whole of the morning with
Mint cases, none of which possessed the slightest interest.

POLICE INTELLIGE'NOE-(THIS DAY.)

MARLBOROUGH .STREET.
UNPROVOKED ASSAULT ON A SOLDIER—A FORTUNATE
WITNESS.—EIIen Hurst, a low looking woman, was charged
before Mr. Beadon with committing a savage and unpro-
voked assault on Charles Moyes, a private of the Ist bat-

talion of Scots Fusiliers.
The complainant said that on the previous night he was
returning to the St. George's Barracks down Pulteney-
street, when the prisoner, whom he had never seen before,
struck him on the head with a basin, smashing the basin to
pieces and inflicting a very severe wound on his head.
Prisoner said she threw the basin at the soldier, but did
not intend to hurt him.

Butcher, a constable of the C division, said he saw the
soldier walking quietly along Pulteney-street, and saw the
prisoner walk behind hint and take from under her shawl
a basin with which she struck him on the head. The
soldier appeared to be sober, and the prisoner was well
known.

Mr. Beadon said it was excessively
had struckfortunate the con-
stable was a witness If the soldierher she
would have asked him to give hint three months* He was
sorry he could not give her more, but he should give her
s
the longest term h, could, and should, therefore, fine her
' or two months.
Charles Kellett and Francis Williams, two young
were next charged with a very unprovoked assaultonmen,
John
proved
by of 8, Sutton-street, Soho, and the case being
by the complainant and by Mr. Kitt, of the Rose and
Crown, Charlotte-street, Foley-place, Kellett was fined 40s.
or a month, and Williams having also assaulted a constable,
was fined 40s. and a month.
OBTAINING AN EXTENSIVE AMOUNT OF GOODS la
FALSE PRETENCES FROM MESSRS. MEClif S.—Ralph
Cavendish, of 40, Brompton-crescent, Brompton, was
charged before Mr. Beadon, by Sergeant Silverton, of the
C division, with obtaining by false and fraudulent pre-
tences at 112, Regent-street, 1 dressing case, 1 dressing
bag, 1 despatch box, and of her articles of the value of
£309 165., the property of Messrs. John Joseph Mechi, and
Charles Bazin, dressing-case makers.
Some of the property was produced in court by Sergeant
Silverton.
It appears that the accused presented to a person
from Messrs. Mechis, who took the goods, a cheque on
Messrs. Drummond, for the amount of £309 165., and
they having a suspicion, got the services of Sergeant Sil-
verton, who accompanied the shopman. Sergeant Silver-
ton watched the place while inquiries were made at the
bank, and it being there found that the prisoner had no
effects the sergeant took the prisoner into custody, finding
property to the amount of about £5OO in bis possession,
which he had obtained from different tradesmen.
Sergeant Silverton asked for a remand, which was

granted.
The recovery of the property is due to the exertions of the
sergeant, who acted with the greatest promptitude in the
matter,