The Sun.
London, England, 1866-10-03 00:00:00

BOW-STREET.

Abraham Marks was placed at the bar, on remand,
charged with being concerned in an extensive robbery o f
silk of the value of £BOO.
The prosecutor, Liefmann Schaap, said he arrived in
this country a short time ago, and went to live at 37,
Alfred-place, a house in tho occupation of the uncle of tho
prisoner. Whilst there he received a quantity of silk, and
shortly after it had been deposited in the house a great
quantity of it was stolen. The prisoner slept in the back
parlour.

In cross-examination by Mr. Straight, who appeared for
the prisoner, the prosecutor said he hack no occupation in
London. He formerly carried on business at Arnheim,
in Holland, in woollen goods. He also dealt in silk to a
great extent. He left Arnheim about five weeks ago, be-
cause his business did not get on regularly ; he was a
bankrupt, and came over here until his affairs were arranged,
and then he intended to go back. He did not bring a large
quantity of goods with him, but he had sent some over, but
not a short time before his bankruptcy. The silks stolen
came from Holland, and were sent over by Meyer, whose
goods they were. Ho is a cabinetmaker, and lives in
Arnheim, but the last time he had seen him was in the
vicinity of the court.
Mr. Lewis, who appeared for the prosecution, said he
should like to know the exact course that was to be taken
by the defence.
Mr. Straight said it was exceedingly difficult at that
moment to say the exact course, but as matters at present
stood ho should endeavour to show that the silks had never
been stolen, but had been disposed of by the witness, who
was a defaulting bankrupt.
Mr. Vaughan said the learned counsel was quite entitled
to put any question which would tend to show that the
prisoner had not stolen the silk.
Mr. Straight wished to show that it was witness who
was dealing fraudulently with the silk.
Mr. Vaughan—According to the depositions the silk be-
longs to Meyer, who'ought to be called for the prosecu-
tion.

Cross-examination continued—He could not state exactly
the value of the goods he had in the house, but he believed
they were worth about £1,400 or £1,600. He did not
know they were worth £2,500. He had been advised to
offer the prisoner £lOO if he told him where the goods
were. He had not actually done so, but he had been ad-
vised to do so. He was in bed until half-past 10 on the
morning following the robbery, but he did not hear any
one move during the night. The goods were placed at
the lower part of the house, but ho slept upstairs. Ho was
in great terror at the discovery of the robbery. He ob-
served that a table-cloth in the prisoner's room had been
removed and could not be found.

Charles Cole, an errand-boy, employed at 37, Alfred-
place, said ho thought he told the prisoner that the silk
was in the box marked No. 1. The prisoner made the in-
quiry before the box was opened. Mr. Ferguson opened
the box, the prisoner being present. Some of the silk was
taken out, but he could not say whether it was put back.
It was about 12 o'clock at noon when the box was opened.
Rosa Cohen said she was a servant residing at Mr.
Marks, and was so on the night of the robbery. On that
• day she fastened up the door. She placed a string in such
a manner on the door that no person could force it open
without breaking the string. Before she went to bed she
asked the prisoner to call her at five o'clock the next morn-
ing, and he said it was time enough for any servant to get
up at seven o'clock. She saw all the silk safe before she
went to bed. She had the conversation with the prisoner
about half-past ten in the evening. The prosecutor had
gone to bed. She heard the prisoner come up to call Mr.
Marks at six o'clock, and say thieves had been in the
house, and had taken the silks and the table cover away.
Cross-examined—Mr. Marks locked the front door, but
she knew that before she went to bed all the doors were
secure, and all the inmates had retired to rest.

By Mr. Vaughan—The prisoner went to his bed about
half-past ten. It was in the back parlour. She saw the
cloth on the table after the prisoner's bed was made up on
the sofa. Two men were at work painting the house out-:
side, but none within. Only ono person came to open the
box. All the persons who lodged in the house on the
night of the robbery still remain there; none hare left.
Police Constable 86 E, said on the morning of the 26th
of Sept. he was on duty near Mr. Mark's house. He went
up to the street door and found it open. He rang the bell,
when the prisoner came to the door in his shirt. He (wit-
ness) then went into his room, and, on looking at his
trousers, said he had lost three sovereigns. Downstairs he
found a screwdriver and a pair of pincers.
By Mr. Vaughan—Prisoner said he could not account
for the door being open. He (prisoner) also made the re-
mark that the tablecloth had been taken away. Mr. Marks,
the prisoner, and he (witness) went downstairs to see whe-
ther the silk was safe, when it was discovered that a large
quantity of silk had been stolen. He noticed that the area
door was wide open, and examined the place minutely and
could not find marks of violence on any part of the pre-
mises. There were no marks on tho wall of the back
yard.

Robert Carter, 117 E, said that last Wednesday morning
about 11 o'clock the prisoner was given into his custody
by the first witness. He told him he was charged with
stealing a quantity of silk from the kitchen over which he
(prisoner) slept. The prisoner said some one had stolen
three sovereigns from his pocket and a table cloth from the
room in which he slept while he was in bed. Ho denied
all knowledge of the silk. On the way to the station-house
he said "recollect one thing, it was brought from Holland
on the cross ; I might as well have. it on the crosses them."
Ho then said his poor old mother, if she knew he was
locked up, would break her heart.

Ur, Lewis said that WU 045 far as he could carry th©

case that day, and he therefore had to ask fora remand
until that day week. He should also oppose the applica-
tion to admit the prisoner to bail.

Mr. Vaughan said as the case bad been materially
strengthened he should refuse to accept bail for the pri-
soner's appearance.
CHARGE OF PERJURY. —John. Edward Brasher, of 14,
Portsdown-road, Maida-hill, appeared to answer a charge
of making and swearing a fictitious deed of arrangement.
The additional evidence offered to-day was that of a
witness named William Courtney, a dealer in old clothes,
residing in Union-place, Marylebone, who stated that he
signed the deed in question for a debt of £365, although
no debt whatever was due to him from the defendant.
Ho did it because the defendant told him ho only wanted
time in order to enable him to pay his creditors 20s. in the
pound. He signed the deed at Mr. Brasher's office, but
ho could not positively state that he was present at the
time, but he believed he was. He got a bill for £65 at the
time from the defendant, bnt he- returned it to Mrs.
Brasher when she applied for it. He did not fill in the
deed, but merely put his namo down as directed to oblige
the defendant. Defendant told him that the reason he
was compelled to prepare the deed was because he was
being severely pressed by a gentleman named England.
Evidence was then given to prove that the deed of ar-
rangement, containing other fictitious entries, besides that
spoken to by the last witness, Courtney, was sworn to as
true by the defendant before Mr. Johnson, of the Bank-
ruptcy Court.

Mr. Vaughan fully committed the prisoner for trial, but
accepted bail for his appearance at the next session of the
Central Criminal Court.

THAMES.

DARING ROBBERY AT A RAILWAY STATION.—Edward
Kelly, an Irish labourer, was brought before Mr. Paget
charged with stealing 191bs. of copper, the property of the
London and North Western Railway company, on their
premises, Haydon-square, Minories.
Mr. Henry Pusey, a shipper at the station of the -rail-
way company, saw the prisoner beating up some copper
in the goods department, and after he had done so he
put it under his coat and passed out of the gateway into
the street. He was taken into custody by Mr. Pusey and
Mack Perry, a foreman, and the copper taken from him.
HO said a man in the wool department gave him the copper.
It was valued at 7s. 6d.

The prisoner, in defence, said he had the copper, but

was given to hiM.
Mr. Paget committed the prisoner for trial.

IDLE PAUPERS.—Four casual paupers, named James
Clark, aged 37, Edward Lawrence, 21, William Banson,
21; and Charles Skinner, 19, were brought before Mr.
Paget, charged with refusing to execute the task of work
assigned to them in the workhouse of St. George-in-the-
East, where they were provided each with a bed and the
usual rations, and they refused to pick 21bs. of oakum each.
They now said if the magistrate would permit them they
would go back to the workhouse and finish the work
assigned them.

Mr. Paget—No, certainly not. You will go to the House
of Correction and to hard labour for 14 days each.

MARLBOROUGH STREET.

EXTRAORDINARY ASSAULT ON A DOCTOR.—Sarah
Knight and ,Caroline Galten, two unfortunates, were
charged before Mr. Tyrwhitt with assaulting Dr. John
Hamilton, of No. 404, Oxford-street.

Dr. Hamilton said that about 10 o'clock last night, while
leaving his house, smoking a cigar at the time, and not
hiving quite closed his door, he saw the prisoners, one of
them having her hair hanging all over her face coming
along the street. One of the prisoners then came up to
him and seized him round the waist. Hp told them to go
away, and his hat was then knocked off. He stopped to
pick it up and the prisoners flow at.him, struck him,
scratched his face, tore his hair, pulled his coat sleeve off,
and, in fact, behaved like two infuriated beasts. He ran
into a neighbour's shop for protection, and afterwards went
to his own house, and while waiting for the servant to open
the door the prisoners came up and assailed him with a
volley of the most disgusting abuse. The prisoners were
kept away from him by several persons, and when a con-
stable came up he gave them into custody, the prisoner
Knight having his coat sleeve in her hand. The damage
done to his coat amounted to 10s.

Mr. Frederick Brookes, artist, gave similar evidence.
Wilson, 110 C, said that both prisoners had been drinking
Inspector Bowles said that Knight had been tried for a
murder in Barleycourt and acquitted ; she was committed
for trial for wilful damage in Oxford-street, and sentenced
to six weeks' imprisonment ; and she had been about a
dozen times charged with disorderly conduct and assaults.
The prisoners said they had been out drinking all day,
and were drunk together.

Mr. Tyrwhitt said it was clear that Knight was one of
the bad characters infesting London, and he should commit
her for a month. The other prisoner would be committed
for 14 days.

HOBCRAFT T. DIXHEIMER.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Sin,—Your report of the above case, on the 26th ult.,
makes it appear that the defendant detained my Correggio
for rent I owed to him.
1 beg to say that -I never had-any business with him ;
never was his tenant, and never owed him anything.
The facts are these. The person that cleaned the picture
for me was his tenant, and the defendant detained my
painting for a debt of his, I believe £l2, in preference to
other security. It was this person that gave the evidence,
and not me ;• hence the mistake your reporter has fallen
into. Your correction of this error will oblige your
obedient servant, Was. HOBCRAFT.

Terrific Fire at the Hatcham Wax and
Paraffins Works.

Yesterday evening, about seven o'clock, a fire of a most
destructive nature broke out at the Hatcham Wax and
Paraffin°Works, the property of Messrs. Leech and Hatha-
way, situate at the bottom of James-street, Old Kent-
road, and alongside of the Surrey Canal. Shortly after the
fire was discovered a column of flame, nearly 200 feet in
height, shot forth, and lastednearly an hour, only being oc-
casionally broken by an explosion from the ignition of another
quantity of paraffine, there being an extensive stock both
of paraffin° and wax on the premises at the time. One of
the explosions was of such a frightful kind, the flames
spreading to such an extent that the crowd of persons
assertibled in James-street ran in a frenzied manner a con-
siderable distance before they dared to stop, and several
persons—there being a large number collected on the
bank of the canal—jumped into the water, fearing the
flames would roach them, but they were all got
out in safety. About half-an-hour after the out-
break a small engine arrived, and after the lapse of
another half-hour some of the land steam-engines
arrived, and, having set to work in a most energetic man-
ner, succeeded in about three-quarters of an hour in ex-
tinguishing the fire. At one time there was great fear
that a high shaft would fall, but fortunately it did not.
Very little of the property was saved, and the loss to the
proprietors of the place must be extensive. Considerable
damage was done to adjoining property