The Sun.
London, England, 1857-11-07 00:00:00

ROBBERY OP OOV ERN ME T SMALL
ARMS AT BIRMI Gll AM.

For a considerable time past it would appear a
systematic robbery of materials of various descrip-
tions given out by the War Department at the
I Tower, Baggott-street, Birmingham, to the Govern-
' ment contractors for the manufacture of small
arms, has been perpetrated with the greatest im-
punity. To such a serious extent, and with such
skill and caution has it been carried on, that some
thousands of pounds' worth of property had disap-
peared, apparently without the least clue to its re-
covery and the detection of tht offenders. Fortu-
nately, however, through the agency of the metro-
politan and local detective pace, a portion at least
of the mystery has been unravelled, and three men
are in custody on the charge of being implicated in
these depredations. About six weeks since, Messrs.
Whately, solicitors, at the instance of J. D. Good-
man, the chairman of the small arms trade, com-
municated with Colonel Dixon, the chief of the
War Department in London, and in due course the
matter was placed inthe hands of the police autho-
rities at Scotland-yard. The result was that Ser-
geants Smith and Lockyer, two of the most clever
and experienced officers of the Metropolitan De-
tective Force, were despatched to Birmingham,
and commenced their inquiries, in conjunction with
Inspector Glossop and Detective Sergeant Man-
ton. They ascertained that the materials stolen
were in the various stages of completion, and
were lost during the process of manufacture ;
that they were the property of the 'War Depart-
ment, and though given out to the contractors for
the purpose of being "set up" into guns, the latter
were responsible for their safe return iu that shape.
If any portion of them became lost after going into
the possession of a contractor, others were sup-
plied, but the cost was deducted from the account
of the contractor at the settlement. Thus if a con-
tractor were robbed, he alone sustained the pecu-
cuniary liability. As many as twenty firms in
Birmingham contract in this way for the War De-
partment, and the magnitude of the interest involved
may be inferred from the fact that there are never
less than from 20,000 to 25,000 sets of materials
entrusted to them, for the purpose of "setting up."
The manufacturers employ cperatives, termed
" out-workers," to execute the greater part of the
work.

Investigation, in the course of a short time,
placed the detectives in possession of some infor-
mation which induced them to watch closely the
movements of a man named Thomas Williams, em-
ployed at the Tower as a lock setter-up and ex-
aminer. They were for some time foiled in dis-
covering anything that could implicate him, but at
length they clearly traced out a complicity between
him and two men named Brueton, in the service as
outworkers of Mr. Turner, Fisher-street, one of
the Government contractors, who has been a
sufferer by these depredations to a large amount.
We are unable to Mate the precise nature of the
connection of these men, but evidencs was ob`ained
against them to warrant the apprehension of the
three on Saturday last by Sergeants Smith and
Lockyer, the Bruetons on the charge of stealing,
and Williams on that of receiving a large quan-
tity of stolen guns. They were brought up at
the public office, Birmingham, on Wednesday, be-
fore Mr. H. Van Wart and Mr. T. It. T. Hodgson.
Mr. George Whately, who appeared for the prose-
cution, without going into any of the facts of the
case, which be said was not then complete, formally
applied for a remand for a week. Mr. Elers, barris-
ter (instructed by Mr. Palmer), on behalf of the
prisoners, did not oppose this course, but asked
that bail for their appearance might bs taken. Mr.
Whately, however, resisted the application on the
ground that the liberation of the prisoners would
tend materially to interfere with the ends of ju4tice ;
and after some conversation it was refused by the
bench.