The Sun.
London, England, 1858-05-08 00:00:00

IMPUDENT ROBBERY AT CHESTER,

On Tuesday night last—the eve of the Cup day
—as daring and premeditated a robbery as was
ever revealed took place at the Albion Hotel, Ches-
ter, the visitors at which, nearly all of whom were
patrons of the Tutf, were aroused from their pro-
phetic dreams by the appearance of an unwelcome
visitor into their bedrooms under the circumstances
bt low detailed. Fortunately the scoundrel has
ben captured and most of the plunder recovered ;
but as the facts exhibit a great amount of scheming
and also afford a warning to visitors at race-meetings
to be careful to secure their doors when retiring to
rest, we give a report of the evidence in full as ad-
duced at the examination, at the Chester Police-
court, on Thursday morning, when the prisoner
was brought up before the Mayor, Col. Ladd, Major
French, P. Eton, Esq., and Wm. Wardell, Esq.
He gave his name as Henry Edmunds, and described
himself as residing at Durham and of no occupa-
tion. He wore a deal of hair about his face, which
has a most forbidding expression, and the closure of
one of his eyes, the result probably of the struggle
which ensued at his capture, did not improve the
same. Mr. Reddish appeared for the prose-
cution, and Mr. Massey for the prisoner. The
police-court was densely crowded by the aristocratic
and other visitors at Chester, all of whom appeared
to take great interest in the proceedings.
The first witness called was Mr. Wykeham Mar-
tin, who said that on the night of the 4th inst., he
was staying at the Albion Hotel. He went to bed
about eleven o'clock. The number of his room
was 10. He did not lock the door. He left his
purse, containing 4s. in silver and 2/. or 31. 10s. in
gold, on the chest of drawers in the room. About
half-past four in the morning he was awoke by
hearing some one in his room, and he saw the pri-
soner, partly dressed, without coat or waistcoat, at
the foot of his bed. Witness called out " halloa,"
and the prisoner rushed quickly out. He jumped
out of bed, exclaiming, " You infernal scoundrel,
what do you do here," but the bed-clothes becom-
ing entangled with his feet he fell, and he heard
a noise directly afterwards as of a door shut-
ting. He quickly recovered himself and fol-
lowed the man, but could not see him. He walked
up and down the landing' for some time, think-
ing that he was most likely concealed somewhere,
and then returned to his room, in the hope that
the man, not hearing any one, would come forth.
Upon examining his purse, he found that the gold
had been taken out and one of the shillings put in
it. He then went down stairs to see whether the
front door was open, and returned to his room to
I.sten. After waiting some time he saw the
" Boots," and told him what had happened, re-
questing him to call his master. He offered to
show witness his master's room, and while going to
it he saw the prisoner walking with his back towards
him. He was then dressed. Witness looked him ,
very bard in the face, and the prisoner asked the
reason, to which he replied that he bad been
robbed. Prisoner said, " Do you charge me with
the robbery 9" Witness answered, " I do not
charge you, but I strongly suspect you." He'l'm
a hat on, and his throat and mouth were m_
duver
up, thus concealing his beard. He appeare
and
an
He then motioned
indignant, and demanded witness's name)
talked about taking it down.
to go down stairs, but
witness said he would not
let him go away. He could not at that moment

swear to him, owing to the concealment afforded
by the handkerchief, but he took him into
a sitting-room, and immediately it was re-
move-1 he was perfectly certain that the uri-
soner was the man. Nearly _ half-an-hour had'
elapsed from the time witness saw him on the
landing. When he declared his belief that prisoner-
was the man, he (prisoner) exclaimed, "GootlGod,
you will not swear to me !" Atthis time the land-
lord and two or three others were in the room, and
the prisoner was secured and the police sent for.
Before they arrived Sir G. Armitage said he had
lost a note, and some one suggested
,that he might
have something in his mouth., An attempt was
made to open it, but he resisted very violently,
keeping it firmly closed. Witness suggested that his
hands should be held, and for that purpose he was
thrown down on his back, but he rolled over, and
then witness managed to seize his hands, while
others held him down. At last his mouth became
a little open, and a gentleman present put the
poker between his teeth—(laughter)—and a piece
of paper was talcn from his mouth, which was
handed in the same state to the police constable.
Prisoner made very great resistance, and it was
with extreme difficulty that he was handcuffed and
taken away.

Sir G. Armitage deposed that, oil the night of the
4th he was staying at the. Albion Hotel, awl Vie
number of his room was 18. He was awoke just at
daybreak by hearing somebody in his room. Theman
had a good deal of hair on his face. He calk('
out, " Who's there ! What the devil are you.doing
here ?" There was no answer, but the man went
quickly out of the room. Thinking all was not
right he got up and looked in the passage; but could
see no one.. He went to Lord Exmouth's room,
which was next to his, and advised him to lock his

door, as he bad had a strange visitor, to which his
lordship replied that he had hot beetrAistairbecl,
Noticing the door of Capt. Curzou'e . room op-a,
which was on the same landing, he asked hini if he

had heard any one. He said "no." ThinkiW6;
that it must be some one having mistaken the
room, witness went to bed again. About half an
hour afterwards, however, he heard a noise and
altercation in the passage on the landing below,
and recognised Mr. Martin's voice. He went to
,ee what it was about, and as soon as he saw the
pt ironer, witness said " stick to him, Martin, I be-
lieve that is the fellow who has been in my room."
Prisoner was then taken into a sitting room, and

the moment the hat and handkerchief were re-
moved, Le had no doubt as to ' his identity.
Witness went upstairs to see if he had lost any-
thing, and he missed 4/. 10s. in gold which was
upon the dressing table with some silver. The

latter was untouched. He also mi,sed f:ont
his betting book a 101. note, the number of which
he could give if required. (For obvious reasons the
number was not made known). He then again
went and asked Lord Exmouth if he had lcst any-
thing, and he took up his lordship's purse and slit:,k
it. It rattled and his lordship then said, • Oh.!
it's all right," but did not open it. Witness re-
turned to the room where the prisoner was and
found him kitting -with bis hands over his mouth
muaibling in a whining tone. He was present at
the station when the prisoner was searched, and on
the roll of paper produced being taken from him,
witness immedia• ely identified it as the samo which
he had left on the previous evening by the side of
the gold. The sum of 181. was taken from the
prisoner. Witness upon this again went to Lord
Exmouth's room and examined his purse. He •
found that all the gold had been taken, and silver
put in its place.

S. H. M. Dixon said he assisted in opening
the prisoner's mouth with a poker—(roars of laugh-
t, r)—and a piece of chewed paper was taken out,
which was handed to the police. He was disturbed
by hearing Str G. Armitage's voice, and, upon exa-
mining his pocket book, found that two notes had
been taken out of it. He had reason to believe
that the three produced were the same. He ob-
tained them from the Farnham Bank, whose stamp
they bore, and the numbers were nearly conse-
cutive.

Mr. John Chambers (the landlord of the Albion)
said the prisoner had no room in his house, but
there wai one unoccupied ou the same floor where
Mr. Martin slept.
Police-constable 0 wens, 4 0, deposed to search-
ing the prisoner, and finding on him 8/. 10s. in
gold, the roll of paper produced and sworn to by
Sir George Armitage, and the chewed paper he
took out of his mouth and handed to Mr. Hal the
chief constable, who, on opening it, discovered it
to be two 5!. notes, which he now produced.

Mr. Reddish informed the bench that another
gentleman had been robbed of 551., which might
be traced. Perhaps, however, enough had been
adduced to warrant a committal.

The prisoner was then cautioned in the usual
way, and by the advice of his solicitor reserved his
defence. An application was made on his behalf to
obtain possesios of the watch he wore, in order
that means might be given him to &fend himself
at his trial, but the bench at once refused the ap-
pl'cation. The prisoner was then fully committed
for trial at the ensuing sessions.