The Sun.
London, England, 1857-12-24 00:00:00

b" 13rt LL MOBSMEN ON THE RAILWAY'.

Two steady-looking respectably dressed men, con-
versing together in Steelhouse-lane, on Monday,
attracted the quick eye of Detective-Sergeant Manton
as he was passing through the street about noon. The
officer, for reasons best known to himself, took the trou-
ble to follow them to the Hockley Station, on the Great
Western Railway, whither they proceeded on foot, chat-
ting confidently wish each other all the way. A train
came up just as they arrived, and obtaining tickets, both
of them entered a second-class compartment, in which
there were several ladies, and returned to Birmingham.
I.Vlanton travelled by the same train, and, on reaching
the Snow-hill platform, quietly handcuffed his two
friends the moment they stepped out of the carriage.
Naturally astonished at this unceremonious treatment,
they indignantly asked the cause of it ; and on Manton
charging them with frequenting the railway for the pur-
pose of committing a felony, thee were more surprised
than ever, and declared themselves perfect strangers to
each other. On searching them the officer found on one
a return ticket from Hockley to Bordesley station, the
latter place being quite on the opposite side o. Birming-
ham. From Steelhouse-lane to Hockley the distance was
a mile and three-quarters, and from the same point to
Bordesley only a mile and a quarter ; and Manton, from
his knowledge of the men, and the fact that they did no
business at Hockley, felt justified in taking them in
charge. They were placed at the bar of the pol'ce-court
yesterday, before Mr. Kyeneraley, Mr. Phil ips, and Mr.
Winfield, and gave their names as Townsend Gifford
and Alfred Nicholls, but refused to state either their
addresses or occupation. Mr. Sill appeared to prosecute,
and called Manton, who gave evidence to the above
effect. In answer to further questions, the officer
stated he did not wait to see whether the prisoners
would enter the Bordesley train ; he took them into
custody immediately. He could explain his reasons
for doing so, but it would not be evidence. He knew
the prisoners well as professional thieves and swell mobs-
men. They kept company with convicted thieves. Neither
of them had stopped above a month at a time in Birming-
ham, as they went about from town to town. Mr. Sill
contended that the only reasonable inference from the
conduct of the prisoners was that they purposed some
act of felony ; otherwise, why should they start from
Birmingham to Hockley, and then return by train deli-
berately without speaking to any one or doing any busi-
ness at Hockley ? Latterly the railway company bad
received complaints of frequent depredations committed
by this class of persons on their line. In answer to a
question from the bench, Manton said he had not seen
the prisoners in town for a year or eighteen months.
Mr. Kynnersley—lt would be rather hard to convict
them on evidence of this kind, although I have no doubt
about their charaoters or intention. Manton—We find
it a difficult matter, sir, to catch hold of these people ;
the town is infested with them, and they do a great
deal of mischief. Mr. Kynnersley—You must keep a
sharp eye upon them. Manton—That we do already,
sir ; but I am afraid we shall not be able to get them
again. The prisoners were then discharged, each of
them declaring, as he left the dock, that "Mr. Manton
must surely have made a mistake in supposing them to
be thieves."—Birmingham Daily Post.