The Sun.
London, England, 1835-09-18 00:00:00

THAMES-OFFICE.

APPREUENSION AND COMMITTAL OF A GANG 'OF
COlNERS.—Yesterday considerable interest was excited at
this office by the final examination of John Jones, Mary
Jones, and James Gladwin, who were apprehended in Wal-
worth on Friday last by the Thames Police, whilst engaged
in the manufacture of counterfeit coin. _ .

From the statement of Mr. Powell, the Mint Solicitor,
it appears that the prisoner, a young Irishman, who gave
the name of Jones, is an old offender, and has been con-
fined once in Brixton Gaol, for two years, and in Maidstone
Gaol for six months, for passing base coin. The woman,
who represented herself as his wife, has also been convicted
for smashing. Gladwin, a very aged Irishman, who is sup-
posed to be the father of Jones, is unknown to the police.
The coining implements, moulds, counterfeit coin, plaster
of Paris, &c., were produced by the officers, and covered
the floor. _ _

James Fogg, a Thames police surveyor, stated that on
Friday morning last he accompanied Mitchell, Isbester, and
other officers, to thehouse, No. 1, Pleasant-row, East-street,
Walworth. He and two others got over some pailings into
a yard at the rear. Mitchell and two others were at
the front, and on the former knocking, he burst open
the back-door, which led into a room; where he saw
the prisoners in the act of making and finishing base
half-crowns. The female immediately got up from a
chair, seized the moulds, and, after throwing them
into the fire, clapped the tea-kettle on them. She then
endeavoured to escape at the door, but was stopped. Is-
bester at the same time opened the door to Mitchell. Wit-
ness seized John Jones, who was sitting at. a table, with his
back to the window, and found on the table a base half-crown
quite hot. He grasped his left hand, from which he took
a handfull of half-crowns, a great portion warm, which he
handed to Mitchell ; from his right hand he took nineteen
half-crown pieces, which he put in his own pocket, and
handcuffed the prisoner. There was a very brisk fire, and
Mitchell called out " Look here Fogg, before I disturb it,"
and pointed his attention to the half of a half-crown mould
in the fire, 'which bore the impression of the reverse side.
He also observed the pieces of several other moulds in the
fire, which Mitchell took out, and in doing so severely
burnt his fingers. While Mitchell. was cooling his fingers
with his breath, John Jones got away from the river con-
stables to whose custody he had been consigned, and
smashed the moulds with his feet more than they were be-
fore. He secured him, and left Mitchell to pick up the
pieces while he searched a nest of drawers, in which he
discovered an old stocking filled with base coin, which he
also gave up to Mitchell. He examined the hands of the
prisoners, they were all dirty, and they appeared to have
been actively engaged in making the spurious money. The
witness, who was frequently interrupted by John and Mary
Jones, and with great difficulty made himself heard from
the noise they kept up, produced the nineteen counterfeit
half-crowns he took from Jones's right hand.
William Isbester, a surveyor of Thames Police, said
that by direction of Mitchell, his inspecting surveyor, he
had been watching the house for several days. He
had seen the prisoners pop in and out. He had
seen an old woman, who he believed to be Gladwin's
wife, go in and out. On the Bth instant he was sta-
tioned at the window of a house opposite, when he ob-
served John Jones come to 'the front window of his par-
lour with the half mould of half-a-crown. He left the
window for a few moments, and soon afterwards returned
with a whole half-crown mould in his hands. The woman
was sitting by the window, doing something as he supposed
by the motion of her head, but he could not tell what.