The Sun.
London, England, 1832-08-08 00:00:00

HATTON-GARDEN.

Yesterday Edward Mason, aged 14, Thomas
Isaacks, Robert Isaacks (brothers), aged 16, Mat-
Mew Bryant, aged 16, and Charles Bennett, 24
years of age, were brought to this office, before Mr.
Serjeant SELLON and Mr. ROGERS, charged by Mrs.
Elizabeth White, grocer and cheesemonger, of 25,
Joseph-street, Somers-town, under the following
extraordinary circumstances :
It appeared from the evidence of the prosecutrix,
that some months ago she had occasion to prose-
cute two boys of the prisoners' acquaintance for fe-
lony, when they were tried and convicted at
the Old Bailey ; ever since which period she had
been frequently robbed, and was repeatedly annoyed
by their companions. On Monday night last, at
about a quarter before ten o'clock, she was about
to close her shop, when the prisoner Bennett entered
it with a large sack upon his shoulders, and heaving
it down in one corner of the shop, requested her to
allow him to leave it there during the night. Wit-
ness, not approving of his character, refused to grant
the desiied favour, but he said " You shall take care
of it until the morning, I am so tired that I can
carry it no farther." She inquired what the sack
contained ? and he replied " only rags and bones,"
and he ran out of the place. Witness closed the
shop, and proceeded to the parlour, when she con-
ceived that she heard somebody cough, to which she
paid but little attention, but afterwards hearing a
rustling noise she became alarmed, and went into
the shop, and proceeding towards the sack,she kicked
it, on which she thought she saw something move.
She gave it two or three other kicks, but received no
answer, and feeling satisfied that there was something
human in the sack,she pulled it down and then jumped
upon it, when the contents exclaimed "Oh God,
save me, lam burked." Witness was dreadfully
terrified, and ran into the street and called " Police,'
on which 50 E, 163 E, and serjeant Moore, entered
the shop, and untying the mouth of the sack, they
released the prisoner Mason, almost suffocated, and
considerably agitated. On questioning him as to
the cause of his being in that situation, he gave a
confused and unsatisfactory account. He said that
he had no bad intention, but that while he was
crossing the Regent's-park he picked up the sack,
and coming along he met with Bennett and the
other prisoners, who said " Let us burk him," and
they forced him into the sack, and tied him into it.
They said it was only a game, and he knew no more
of where he was, or what they had done to him,
until he found somebody trampling upon him, and
he made sure that his companions were putting their
threat to " burl( " him into execution, and in a state
of alarm he cried out " help." The officers imme-
diately proceeded to take the other prisoners (who
were known to them) into custody, when they all
confessed having been concerned in putting Mason
into the sack, but said it was only a " lark."
Mr. Serjeant SELLON inquired what sort of cha-
racters the prisoners were of?
Mr. Mallet, the clerk, said that the prisoners Bry-
ant and Isaacks had been tried at the Old Bailey.
Mr. Serjeant SELLON asked Mason what he had
to say ?
Mason—l agreed to be put into the sack, and to
be left in the house, but I had no bad intention.
Mrs. White was constantly worretted by the pri-
soners ; and, if she had retired to rest, the proba-
bility was, that a robbery might have been committed
in the house.

Mr. Serjeant SELLON said, if a robbery was not
intended, and they meant it merely in fun, it was an
impudent and audacious proceeding.
Police constable 50, had no doubt but the sack
in which Mason was enveloped had been stolen, and
Bennett was employed as an occasional labourer at
Mr. Rsfol's, of St. Pancras, from which a great num-
ber of sacks had lately been stolen.
Mr. Serjeant SELLON—Is there any mark upon
it by which an owner may be traced ?
Constable--The name of " Whittington," your
Worship.
The other prisoners said that they were merely
concerned in the transaction by way of a lark.
Mr. Serjeant SELLON and Mr. ROGERS concurred
that as regarded the conduct of Bennett and Mason,
the case partook of a suspicious aspect, and they
were remanded until Thursday next, but the other
prisoners were severely admonish( d and discharged.