The Sun.
London, England, 1859-09-29 00:00:00

POLICE INT. LLIGENC_Z—Sept. 28.

LAMBETH.—AN ACCOMPLISHED GANG OF
FOREIGN PLUNDERERS.—Jacob Levy, Louis Levy,
and Rosa Levy, believed to belews and natives of
Prussia, and also members of a gang of foreign
plunderers who have been most successful in plun-
dering tradesmen in the metropolis, as well as many
of the provincial towns in England, were again
placed at the bar, before Mr. Elliott, on various
charges of robbery.
Mr. S. Solomon, of No. 22, Finsbury-place, one
of the firm of J. and S. Solomon, attended for the
prosecution, and Mr. Wood and Mr. Neale for the
prisoners.

The first charge entered on against the prisoners
was that of stealing three gold watches, of the
value of £25, from the shop of Mr. Pearce, watch-
maker and jeweller, of No. 45, Mount-street, Lam-
beth, and from the testimony of James Mauncey,
the prosecutor's shopman, it appeared that on the
14th inst. the prisoner called at Mr. Pearce's shop
and selected guards of various descriptions, amount-
ing to nearly £4OO, which they represented they
wanted for the Spanish market. They desired
that the invoices might be made out for each sepa-
rate parcel, and ready for th:-:m on the same
evening, when they should call and pay. This,
however, they forgot to do; and on the stock being
looked over the following morning, three watches
and other articles were missed ; and information of
the robbery and a description of the prisoners, was
given to the police, which led to the apprehension
of two of them on the 22d, and the third on the
24th.

The witness, who distinctly identified all the
three prisoners, was cross-examined at some length
by Mr. Neale and Mr. Wood, and at its conclusion,
Mr. Solomon remarked. that as the matter elicited
tended to strengthen the case for the proseCution,
he did not intend making any observations limn it.
The next witness called was Mr. William Henry
Wells, a jeweller, carrying on business at No. 14,
Corn market, Oxford, who said—l know all the
prisoners from having seen them in my shop fre-
quently with a young man not in custody. They
said they had a brother coming from Australia to
get married, and that they should require a number
of articles for wedding presents. They exhibited.
several chains which they said were not of a quality
good enough to give to the Germans as wedding
presents—(laughter)—and they exchanged them
with me for goods of a superior quality, and I paid
them the difference in money. Two or three days
after the prisoners came again, when they said they
liked my goods very much, and that their relative
should come to Oxford to make his purchases there
instead of at Liverpool or London as he intended.
On Friday, the 9th instant, the prisoners called to
select the articles they wanted, and were so profuse
in their selections that the counter became so
crowded with the articles they had chosen that at
the request of the elder prisoner I removed them
into an inner room. While making this selection
of goods, the prisoner Louis Levy wished to see a
violin, and on its being handed to him he at once
commenced to play it, walking about the shop
while doing so, and also into the room where the
selected articles were placed. From their wishing
to select goods from a number of trays at once I be-
came doubtful of them, and told my young man to
keep a good look out. At this time the female
prisoner Rosa fainted, or at least pretended to faint,
and I had to call out to Mrs. Wells to go upstairs
and bring down some old rum—(laughter)—and
some scents to revive her.

Mr. Solomon—Well, I suppose that this assumed
fainting and your attending to the female prisoner
was calculated to divert your attention from the
other prisoners ? Mr. Wells—Yes, it certainlywas,
but as soon as she recovered they commenced se-
lecting the goods again, and went on until she
fainted a second time. (Renewed laughter.)
Mr. Solomon—Oh, she fainted or pretended to
faint a second time, did she ; and I suppose you
was diverted a second time from the others to at-
tend to her? Mr. Wells—Yes; but she recovered
the second time quicker than the first. by the younger
male prisoner rubbing her on the cheek a little
harder than she wished ; for she said something to
him in German, which I understood to mean fool,
and he went on with his fiddling. The goods
which they selected amounted to and they
requested that an invoice might be made out to
them, to be ready by ten o'clock on the following
morning, when they should call and pay for them.
They said they should remain four weeks at Ox-
ford, and selected some pearls to be made' into ear-
rings, and their order altogether would amount to
£2OO.

Mr. Solomon—While the prisoners were at your
shop, did the elder prisoner and the female go into
the room where the selected goods were, as well as
the younger male prisoner ? Mr. Wells—They did
more than once. They left my shop at about half-
past six o'clock, and soon after I missed a ring from
a lot of twelve, and could not find it, but thought
it might have got mixed up with the selected goods.
The younger prisoner came back after they had left
the shop to purchase an opera-glass, but the elder
prisoner seemed to protest against his doing so, and
they then left, from which time to the present I
have not seen them. On the Monday following I
missed more property—half-a-dozen of dessert
spoons, and half-a dozen of the pearls the prisoner
had been looking at, and this morning I have ex-
amined the property found on the premises, and in
the possession of the constable, and found amongst
it a gold chain, a pencil case, a seal, and a ring, my
property, and part of the property I had shown
them. I had also made inquiries respecting the
prisoner at the time, and found, that though they
said they were about to remain at Oxford for about
four weeks, they went straight to the railway sta-
tion, and started by the seven o'clock train. I also
found that the prisoners were well known at the
station, and suspected as pickpockets, and all per-
sons travelling with them were cautioned to " take
care of their pockets." He further ascertained that
a young fellow, who used to travel with them, had
started from Hull to Hamburg, taking with him a
box containing property to the amount of over
£l,OOO, belonging to the gang, and which they had
stolen at different places.
Mr. Neale objected to this latter statement, and
cross-examined Mr. Wells.

Afr. Neale—You have sworn to the gold chain
produced as your property P—Mr. Wells—Yes ; I'll
swear positively to it, as I put the rings on it.
Mr. Neap : When had you it last in your pos-
session P—Mr. Wells : On the Friday when the
prisoners were at my shop.
Mr. Elliott : Oh, you had it then, and showed it
to the prisoners, and that was the last time you had
it P—Mr. Wells : It was, sir.
Mr. Elliott (to the clerk)—Add that fact to the
depositions.

The officers swore that the goods identified by
Mr. Wells they found on each of the prisoners.
Mr. Solomon here said this was all the evidence
he intended offering to-day, but as the prisoners,
it was well-known, had been for some time carry-
ing on a system of plunder in the metropolis as well
as in the provinces, and as the officers were in pos-
ses:ion of information respecting other and exten-
sive robberies, he had to request a further remand.
Mr. Elliott granted the remand, as requested,
until Wednesday next, and the prisoners were
removed from the bar.

DEPARTURE OF 6OLDIERS'FAAIILIES FOR INDIA.
—SOUTHAMPTON, Sept. 23.—The Taymonth Castle, 632
tons, Capt. John M 'Aister, sailed hence to-day for Calcutta,
with the wives and children belonging to the 23d, 48th,
and 71st Regiments. She has on board -6 married soldiers
and wives, 136 women, 7 children above 12 years of age,
189 between 1 and 12 years, and 4 infants • total, 342 souls
—oval to 2431 statute adults. The Duarook, 601 tons,
Capt. Forster, came into dock this morning, and will to-
morrow embark the women and children of soldiers
serving in the 27th, 51st, and 52d Regiments, and sail at
the end of the week for Kurrachee. A third ship, the
Euxine, is under orders to be here by the 3d of October, to
embark women and children for Madras. These ships are
chartered by the Emigration Commissioners, and all the
arrangements are under the superintendence of Mr. E. A.
Smith, their officer at this port. Mr. T. W. C. Murdock,
the chairmen of the Emigration Board, 'was here on Satui-
day for the purpose of looking over the arrangements, and
seemed to be perfectly satisfied. The orders for embarka-
tion are given by Major Lacy, staff officer of pensioners at
this place, who is assisted by a ton-commissioned officer
sent expressly from London. Each woman receives £l.
and each child 10s. towards their outfit; and the Major i;
also provided with funds by the Central Association to
afford relief to any distressed cases which may come undei
his notice. The whole of the arrangements connected wia-
the embarkation and tho despatch of the ships are being
carried out in the woat taatigaotory manner,