The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-04 00:00:00

THAMES.

ROBBERY OF COFFEE IN THE ST. KATHARINE DOCIC.
—Charles Gore, a carman, late in the employ of Peck,
Brothers, tea, coffee, and spice merchants, aged 30, and
Benjamin Smith, up to the time of his apprehension a
labourer in the employ of the St. Katharine Dock companYt
aged 62, were brought before Mr. Selfe for final examination,
and for the completion of the depositions, charged with
stealing a bag of coffee weighing 1 cwt. 3 qrs. 41b.
Mr. Gomm, from the office of Mr. Charles Young, soli-
citor, defended the p risoner Smith.
It appeared from the voluminous • evidence given, that
on the 25th of August last, the prisoner Gore came to the
D warehouse of the dock for a bag of coffee consigned to
his employers, and produced an, "identity note," which wag
made out on the deposit of the delivery order in the Tong'
room of the dockhouse in the morning. Gore bad
previously drawn his cart and horse under the
F loophole of the D warehouse, a place where
it was not the practice to deliver coffee. The
prisoner, after leaving his horse and cart in the area,
had some conversation with Smith and another man named
Elsom, and then waited on Mr. Charles Hagan, a worker
in the warehouse, and said, "What have you for me to-
day ?" to which Hagan answered, "A bag of coffee ;" and
Gore said, "Is that all ?" Hagan answered, "It is ; is
your cart in ?" Gore said it was, and he was then directed
to draw under, meaning that he was to draw under the
loophole of the warehouse where coffees are usually de-
livered. Gore then left the warehouse, and directly after-
wards Hagan, whose suspicions had been excited on seeing
Gore conversing with Smith and Elsom, looked out and
saw the two last-named persons lowering a bag of cab°
from the F loophole, and Gore, who was underneath, re'
ceived it in his cart. Hagan immediately gave information
to Mr. Mumford, the superintendent of police in the
dock, and the prisoners were arrested. Elsom directly
absconded, and although a large reward has been offered for
his apprehension, he has eluded the search made for hire'
Directly after Gore had received what was called "the false
bag of coffee," he drove his horse and cart under the D leer,
hole, where he ought to have gone at first, and bawled 011;
" coffee, coffee." Before he could receive the " true bag °A
coffee" he was taken into custody. The theory of the pr°;
secution was that, by an artful contrivance, it was intendet;
to steal two bags of coffee. Gore had previously receive'
goods at another dock, and upon entering the St. Katharine
Dock, Whitcomb an assistant gatekeeper, asked him h°W,
many packages ? to which he replied 18, and also called OP
12 seed, 3 cases of nuts, 1 bag of pepper, and 2 bag 4
of coffee. Whitcomb, repeated this to Mr. Riff, the
principal gatekeeper, who inserted the same in 16
book. After the arrest of the prisoners the packages it!
Messrs. Peck's cart were counted. They amounted to
17
in all, including the false bag of coffee improperly delivered
to him, so that, in fact, he came into the dock without any
coffee at all.
Mr. Selfe expressed an opinion that the packages in ill°
cart ought to have been counted directly the horse and cart
entered the dock, and that their mode of doing business Ni's 6
a loose one, and likely to lead to the commission of nuilic-
rous robberies.
Mr. Murnford said that sometimes a cart or waggon
entered the dock with 100 or 150 different packages, and it
would be impossible to count them without unloading,
which would consume an immense deal of time. The dock
company relied on the integrity of their servants and upon
an effective police, which cost the company £4,000 annually
It was proved that the bag of coffee delivered by Smith and
Elsom to Gore was not a cargo bag, and had no rotation
number upon it. The false bag of coffee was made up for
plunder.
Mr. Selfe committed the prisoners for trial, and refused
the application of Mr. Gomm to bail Smith.