The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-12 00:00:00

THE ATTEMPTED MURDER AT
PADDINGTON.

The three prisoners, Thomas P uzey, George
Reeves, and Sarah Collett, were again brought
up at the Marylebone Police Court, on the charge
of robbery, with intent to murder.
Mr. E. Lewis, of Great Marlborough-street, ap •
peared to prosecute ; and Mr. Venn, of the New Inn
Chambers, appeared for Reeves and Puzey ; and
Mr. Allen, of Chancery-lane, for the woman Collett.
The first witness called was an elderly widow lady,
who said her name was Margaret Susannah Carr,
living at 7, Eastbourne-terrace, and who deposed—
I know the female prisoner, having employed her
as charwoman somewhere about last month, but I
am not certain. Hancock, the carpenter, was doing
some work for me whilst Collett was charing for
me. This might have been in November or Octo-
ber. Hancock made a communication to me, and in
consequence I got rid of her as soon as I could, but

I cannot recollect the date when she left. She left
when the two new servants came. That was on the
21st Oct. Collett was there when they came.
In reply to Mr. Yardley, witness said it was a
forw days before this robbery that Hancock made
the communication to her. I discharged her.
Ellen Breen said—l live at 7, Charles-street,
Lies 3n-grove, and am a single woman. I have known
Puzey about G years. I have cohabited with him
lately. I knew Reeves about three weeks before
the robbery at Fulham-place. I know the female
prisoner. I knew her a week before the robbery.
I have seen the three together, on the Thursday be-
fore this robbery, at a public-house called the
Queen.

Reeves—lt is an infernal lie ; I never was there.
Mr. Yardley—lf you do not keep quiet, I shall
have you removed, and the evidence taken in your
absence.

Mr. Venn—And I must inform you that if you
show yourself like this I will leave the case in your
hands.

Witness continued—The prisoner Reeves lodged '
at Victoria-place, Bayswater. I was at his lodg-
ing on the Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,
and Friday previous to this robbery. I took
tea at his (Reeves's) place on the Tuesday. I did
not see Puzey there. I was there on the Thurs-
day, and saw Puzey about two o'clock on that day.
He and Reeves came in together. It was No. 27,
Victoria-place, and I stayed there till the evening.
Puzey's sister said we should meet them at the
Warwick Arms at eight o'clock. I went to the
Warwick Arms R ith his sister, but did not meet
anyone there. We went up Church-street, and his
sister went into a pawnbroker's and pledged some-
thing, and we went through Manning-street into
Bell-street, where we met Puzey. At that time I
saw a key in his possession, and he said to his sister
he had " been there, and it would not fit." He
then asked his sister for the money to buy another
key, and she gave him some. He said he and
Reeves had been somewhere, and he had missed
Reeves. He said he was going to buy another key.
He said I was to be at the Weighbridge public-
house. His sister and myself went there. We
waited on the bridge about 10 minutes, when Pazey
came up and said he had not seen George (mean-
ing Reeves). About 10 minutes after this Reeves
came up, and we went in and had some rum-and-
water, and I saw a key in Puzey's possession—the
key he had been and:bought. It was a bright key,
and he held it over the gas lamp till it became
black. We then left the public-house and went
straight from the Weighbridge to the bridge near
the Warwick Arms. We then separated, and
Puzey's sister and myself went down one street,
whilst Puzey and Reeves went down Fulham-
place. We had to meet them at Paddington-green-
end. I saw George Reeves come up and lean his
back against the lamp-post. Puzey came up and
spoke to him. Puzey and Reeves then walked up
to me and his (Puzey's) sister, and said to her
" The key would not fit ; it wanted filing." We
took a walk then to Maida-hill-bridge, where I
bade him " Good night," and left Puzey, his

sister, and Reeves together. On the Friday
evening I went to !Reeves's lodgings, and was
sitting on the sofa when Puzey came in. There
was nothing said particularly in the room.
We afterwards went up to Paddington, and Puzey
and Reeves went away, and I and his sister went
to James-street, Eastbourne-terrace, where she threw
a stone down an area and said she wanted to see
some one. I do not know whether it was Mrs. Carr's
house. She (Puzey's sister) said to me that was
where I was to go as servant. We waited about for
some time without seeing any one. We took a walk
and came round again, and saw the woman Collett,
without a bonnet on and a jug in her hand, go into
a public house. Puzey and Reeves were in the house,
and I and his sister went in. Collett asked me if I
would go for her husband, as she wanted to speak
to him. I went for him to a public house in Praed-
street, and brought him to the Queen public-house.
They spoke together, and Puzey said something,
and his sister said to me, " That is the woman Ellen,
where you are to go to place; that is the woman
there."
Mr. Yardley—Did she say that in the hearing of
Collett ?
Witness—Yes, sir.
Witness continued—Puzey had said something to
me in the week about going to place. I did not see
them again for about a fortnight, when I saw Reeves
shortly after the robbery. I then saw Puzey's sister
who was living with Reeves. I said to her that Tom
(Puzey) was no man to leave me like he did, and
that he did not care whether my mother would take
me or not. I also said he had found his way there
before, and I knew a little more about him than he
expected. She said the reason he did not come was
because he had not been much out. Sho then said
she had had to cut George's (Reeves) moustache off,
and he hid got a very bad cold through it. She also
said that whilst she was cutting it off she heard
the police pass aud down the door and pass the

Mr. Freshfield, who attended for the Bank, said,
as the prisoner had only just been arrested, he did
not wish to press the charge against him in its
details with anything like haste. If, therefore, it
was his wish, or that of the Court, that he should
only adduce sufficient evidence to justify a remand,
he should be disposed to adopt such a suggestion.
He should, however, make a short statement of
the circumstances under which the prisoner had
been appredended. The prisoner, he was sorry to
say, belonged to the profession of the law, and he
was charged with having uttered two forged
powers of attorney, one on the 6th of November
last for the sale of £2,400 in the New Three per
Cent. Annuities, standing in the names of Maria
Gohegan and William Gohegan Coombs ; and
another on the 29th of Nov., for the sale of £3,266
Is. 9d. Reduced Three per Cents., standing in the
same names ' • and also with making transfers of
the stock. Mr. Coombs, the co-props ietor with
Mrs. Gohegan, resides at Halifax, Nova Scotia, and
therefore it was impossible that he could have exe-
cuted the power of attorney of the 20th of Novem-
ber. Mrs. Gohegan, whom the prisoner knew, and
who was in court, was executrix jointly with Mr.
Coombs of her husband's ~v iI 1, and she had a life
interest in both the sums of stock which had been
mentioned. In November, 1860, she had occasion
to borrow a sum of money, and, seeing an advertise-
ment to which the name of the prisoner was ap-
pended, she called upon him at his office. The
result of their interview was that the prisoner pro-
cured her £2OO, in consideration of which, at his
request, she made an assignment, by way of mort-
gage, of her life interest in one or other of the sums
of stock in question. Again, in September last,
wanting £2OO more, she called a second time upon
the.prisoner, who obtained that sum for her from a
society with which he (Mr. Freshfield) believed he
was professionally connected. In that way he came
to know her personally. Shortly afterwards—
namely, in October, he went down to Mrs. Gohe-
gan in the country, and so became further ac-
quainted with her. She would tell the Court that
she did not execute the powers of attorney in ques-
tion, and knew nothing of their existence until
Tuesday last. It would also be shown that the
prisoner gave instruction to a respectable broker to
procure them ; that they were then made out in his
(the prisoner's) name, at his request ; and that he
attended at the Bank, had the stock transferred,
and received the proceeds of the transaction.
Mr. Henry Gibb Garrett, clerk in one of the
transfer-offices of the Bank of England, was called,
and proved that on the 29th of last month, £3,266
Is. 9d. Three per Cent. Reduced Annuities stood in
the books of the Bank in the name of Richard
Gohegan, jun., of which stock Maria Gohegan,
widow, and illiam Gohegan Coombs were pro-
prietors, as his executors. On the same day wit-
ness attested a transfer of that sum by one Henry
Wells Young, whom he now believed to be the pri-
soner. The transfer was made under the power of
attorney now produced.
Alderman Mechi asked the prisoner if any lawyer
was present in his behalf.
The prisoner said there was not.
Alderman Mechi—Do you wish to ask the wit-
ness any question.
The prisoner said he did not ; he should reserve
his defence. _ _

Mr. Roger Eykyn—l am a stockbroker in
Change-alley. I know the prisoner. On the 26th
of November I received instructions from him to
obtain a power of attorney from the Bank of Eng-
land for the sale and transfer of £3,266 ls. 9d.
Reduced Three per Cents. from Maria Gohegan
and William Gohegan Coombs executors of
Richard Gohegan, in favour of him, the prisoner.
I did so, and, as -far as my memory serves me,
I either gave or sent it to him. At any rate, it
was delivered to him in the course of business.
He returned it to me, executed, on the 28th, and
I lodged it at the Bank, with a request to be
allowed to act upon it next day. I saw him on
the 28th, and he stated that the proceeds of the
sale were particularly required for a special
purpose,and that he should be much inconvenienced
if he did not get the money on the 29th, or the day
after. The authorities at the Bank consented to
the power being acted on next day. I was not pre-
sent at the actual transfer of the stock, but one of
my clerks was. I wrote the cheque produced for
£2,946 lls. 9d., the proceeds of the sale, and it was
given to the prisoner either by myself or a clerk.
It has since been paid through the Charing-cross
branch of the Bank of London.
Mrs. Maria Gohegan—l am the widow of Richard
Gohegan, and executrix of his will. My co-execa-
tor is William Gohegan Coombs, who resided at
Halifax, Nova Scotia. I know that £3,266 ls. 9d.
Reduced Three per Cents. Annuities was standing
in my name and his in the books of the Bank of
England. To the best of my belief, Mr. Coombs
was at home in Halifax on the 29th of Novewmbiheer.
The letter produced, dated from that place on the
28th of November,is in his handwriting, with which
I am acquainted. I know the prisoner. I never
gave him any authority to obtain a power of attor-
ney for the transfer or sale of the £3,266 ls. 9d.
stock, or of any part of it. The name " Maria
Gohegan," attached to the document produced, is
not my signature, nor is the name" W. G. Coombs"
in the handwriting of my co-executor. It is no-
thing like his writing, It was not until yes-
terday that I first became aware of the transfer
of this stock. I saw the prisoner about a month
ago. He came down to me at my resi-
dence at Datchworth, near Stevenage, Herts. On
that occasion he asked me if I wanted any more
money, because, if I did, he could let me have it
the following week. I said I was much obliged to
him, but I did not require any. In Nov., 1860,1 had
borrowed of a society with which he is connected
£2OO, on an assignment by way of mortgage of my
interest in the stock in question. Again, in Sept.
last, I borrowed £2OO more from the society on a
similar assignment by way of mortgage. In August
last, when I saw him at his office, he asked me to
let him know a few days before I went to receive my
diTidellds, which will be due in 441 next, as he

The London waters used for domestic purposes, according
to the analyses of Dr. Robert Dundas Thomson, F.R.S.,
have begun to exhibit symptoms of being influenced in their
composition by the wet weather. Several of the Thames
waters were turbid, although they are understood to be
filtered by the companies ; but those alluded to required fur-
ther purification by means of household filters before they
could be used. The Kent Company continues to be steady in
its composition. The East London contains the greatest
amount of total impurity, but the organic matter is less than
in some of the other waters. Well water from Hampstead
was characterised by the presence of much sewage :

Total impurity Organic Wi-
per gallon. purity.
gre. or deg. grs. or deg.
o'o 01)

Distilled Water
Loch Katrine water, new supply
to Glasgow (March) 2.35 •603
Manchester Water Supply (March) 3.33 •6SO
Well at Hampstead 53110 B'l6

THAMES COMPANIES.
Southwark
Chelsea
Grand Junction 17•6(1 1•04
West Middlesex 18.61 I'BB
Lambeth
OTIIER COMPANIES.
New River
East London
Kent

19.84
2448
23.60

The table is read thus—Loch Katrine water Contains in the
gallon 2•35 degrees or grains of foreimf matter in solution, of
whieh .605 degrees or grains are of vegetable or animal

At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was 29 786 in.
The mean daily reading was above 30 in. on Mon-
day and Tuesday. On the former day thebarometer
rose to 3032 in., and fell to 29.10 in. on Saturday.
The mean temperature of the air in the week was
40.5 deg., which is 0.9 deg. below the average of
the same week in 43 years (as determined by Mr.
Glaishcr). The mean daily temperature was below
the average on Monday and three following days,
but rose above it by 7.6 deg. on Saturday. The
thermometer fell below the freezing poirrof water
on Monday and two following days. The lowest
point was 27.3 deg. on Wednesday. The highest
day temperature was 53 8 deg. on Saturday. The
range in the week was therefore 26.5 deg. The
mean daily range was 14.1 deg. The difference be-
tween the mean dew-point temperature and air
temperature was 3.8 deg. The mean degree of
humidity of the air was 88, complete saturation
being represented by 100, which point was almost
attained on Friday. The wind blew on Monday
and two following days from the south-east, after-
wards chiefly from the south-west. The total
amount of rain was 0.74 in., all of which fell on the

last three days. Aurora was seen on the nights of
Wednesday and Thursday. The mean of the highest
readings of the temperature of the Thames was
40.2 deg, ; that of the lowest, 41 deg.