The Sun.
London, England, 1850-11-06 00:00:00

THE PLATE ROBBERIES.

Mr. Sirrell, of Barbican, appeared yesterday before
Alderman Gibbs at the Mansion-house, according to the
terms of his sureties, to answer the charges brought
against him of having purchased goods, knowing that
they had been stolen. Mr. Powell appeared as counsel
to prosecute upon th© part of the Crown. Mr. Lewis,
of Ely-place, attended as solicitor to the prisoner. Mr.
Alderman and Sheriff Carden, and Mr. Alderman Salo-
coons, who has just returned from a tour through Ger-
many, Hungary, Ste., were upon the bench during the
investigation.
Mr. Powell proceeded with the cases in the follow-
ing order, as the most convenient under existing circum-
stances:—

Mr. Henry Godden said—l am a brewer, and reside
near Maidstone. My house was broken into on the
night of the 25th or the morning of the 26th of Septem-
ber. Access was gained by the dining-room window. I
was first made aware of the burglary at about seven
o'clock o❑ the morning of the 26th, when I ascertained
that I had lost three silver pepper castors and various
other articles. I have since seen the pepper castors at
Scotland-yard, at the police station. These (looking at
the three pepper castors produced by Inspector Lund
upon the first examination) are they. The cook, who
was the first person up in the house, informed me that
the house had been broken into.

Alderman Gibbs—You know nothing of the prisoner
I suppose ? Witness—Certainly not.
Alderman Gibbs—And you never sold the article to
any one? Witness—Never.
Cross-examined by Mr. Lewis—The crest upon each
of the pepper ca,tors remains undefaced. They are,
except in a very slight degree, uninjured.
Mr. Goodman (the chief clerk) having read his notes
of the evidence of Inspector Lund, asked whether that
witness wished to add anything to his statement as to
these Particular articles?

Inspector Lund—l bave nothing to add.
Mr. Lewis—l shall not cross-examine Inspector Lund
yet, as he is, I understand, a witness in other cases.
Mr. Goodman next read the evidence given by Ed-
ward Ashmore, principal waiter to Mr. Argent, the pro-
prietor of the Rainbow Tavern in Fleet-street, as to the
loss of a spoon about the 29:1 of July last, and his
cross•exaanination relative to that loss.

Mr. Lewis (in cross-examination)—That spoon has an
initial upon it which is not your master's? Witness--It
has.

Mr. Lewis—Was your master in the habit of exchang-
ing silver? Witness—He was in the habit of exchang-
ing with Messrs. Makepeace and Co. He sold some about
a month before the 29th of July. Those spoons which
he sold had not the initial " M " on them; bat I will not
swear that the spoon produced was not sold to Makepeace
and Co. a month before the 29th of July. I do not know
that it was so sold. My master has sold spoons with the
words "Rainbow Tavern" on them to Makepeace and
Co. He sold some miscellaneous spoons, with the names
of different tav,rns upon them. He had none of Mr.
Lovegrovo's. The house was the George coffee-house;
he had no other. Ten or twelve were so marked. I
cannot say how many had the words " Rainbow Tavern"
on them. There were more than twenty of them. We
had no numbers on our spoons.
Re-examined by Mr. Powell—We lost one spoon on
the 29th of July, but I can't say that that is the spoon
lost on the 29th of July.
Alderman Gibbs—Had any of the spoons that were
sold by your master to Messrs. Makepeace the letter
" M" on them as well as the words "Rainbow Coffee-
house?" Witness—l cannot swear that they had.
Re-examined—You stated, in your evidence in chief,
that a spoon was lost i❑ your house on the 29th of July.
Was there any mark upon that spoon to show that the
spoon produced is that spoon? Witness—No.
Mr. Isaac Argent, the proprietor of the Rainbow
Tavern—l know something of the loss of spoons and
forks in my house lately. I cannot exactly state the
day, for the waiter keeps and is responsible for the plate.
About six or seven weeks ago the loss was reported to
me. The last loss occurred on Saturday week, when
six gravies and one spoon were missed. About six or
seven weeks previous to that, about the latter end of
July or beginning of August, we had a loss of plate. I
have not my books here, or I could exactly tell the time
and particular.. I have seen a spoon at Scotland-yard
which I identified as having been loss at the latter end
of July or the beginning of August. It was engraved
with eleven others. I bought a dozen spoons of Mr.
Dismore, of which that spoon is one, and this is the
spoon. I never sold any one of the dozen spoons I
bought of Mr. Di*more to Mr. Makepeace. I have the
invoice and everything relating to them at home.
Cross examined—My waiter has the custody of the
plate, but I see it every day. I can rely upon his
accu racy.
Mr. Lewis—You seem to have been subject to
losses ? Witness—We have, lam sorry to say, lately
bad losses.

Mr. George Dismore, of Clerkeuwell-green, jeweller,

said ho had sold spoons to Mr. Argent between the 23d
of November and the 8:h of December.
Mr. Thomas Brocklehy, carver and gilder, of No. 13,
Rathbous said, I was at Epsom on Wedn,day,
the 23:1 of May, the D,rby-day, and had a gold watch
with ma. I missed it from my right-hand waistcoat-
pocket immediately atter the races were over. This is
the watch. I saw it in Scotlaud-yard, in consequence of
a communication which I had with the police. It is a
Geneva watch, and I know it by the name of the maker,
Dubois." Ido not know the number, but I purchased
the watch at Machin and Debenham's quarterly sale in
the winter of 1849, and I paid for it immediately. A
gentleman of the name of Sanger had worn it a few
days, and can al. o identify it.
Mr. Lewis—What sort of a chain was there to the
watch ? Witness—lt was a sort of India-rubber chain.
Mr. Lewis—Will you swear that you did not drop it
out of your pocket? Witness--No; but I lost it when
a great rush was made. It was opposite the Grand
Stand. I missed it about three or four minutes after I
had looked at it.

Mr. Lewis—What is there in the watch which enables
you to identify it? Witness—l had the steel hands re-
moved, and gold ones substituted. I paid 41. 19s. for it.
I had lent it to Mr. Sanger, who was to purchase it of
me; and he returned it to me about a week before the
races. I never inquired its value.
Mr. Lewis—When you lost the watch, where was the
chain? Witness—lt was suspended from my neck.
Mr. Lewis—Was it cut? Witness—No; the chain
was perfect, as was the ring attached to it, from which
the watch was suspended. The ring was steel. I was
surprised how I could have lost the watch at all, as the
ring and guard were entire.

Mr. Lewis—Did you advertise your watch? Witness
—No.

Mr. Lewis—Were you not unable to give the police-
man a descriptio❑ of the watch? "Witness—l said it was
a Geneva watch, engine-turned.
Alderman Gibbs—Am I to understand that you do
not know whether you dropped the watch or not?
Witness—l am quite sure that I did not drop it. I
placed it in my pocket a few minutes before I lost it.
Mr. Sanger, a barrister's clerk—Mr. Brockleby is a
friend of mine. I had a watch from him, which I was
about to purchase about six weeks before the Derby day.
I wore it three or four days. I do not know the number,
but I believe the maker's name is " Dubois." I observed
it particularly, as I was going to purchase it, and there
was something peculiar about it. Th© words " Dubois,
Geneva," were very unskilfully engraved, almost
scratched upo❑ it. I did not notice any other peculi-
arity. When I had it it had steel hands. I believe this
to be the watch.

Cross-examined—l was to pay 51. for the watch. I
was at the Derby with Mr. Bruckleby, and was standing
by his side at the time of the loss. I observed him place
his watch in or somewhere about his waistcoat pocket.
I will not swear that he put it into his pocket. In fact
he was timing the horses with it, and probably his at-
tention was as mach attracted to the horses as to the
watch. lie stooped under the ropes.
Mr. Lewis—Could he not have lost it in getting under
the ropes? Witness—l do not think it possible. Ilow
the watch could have been got away from the chain I
cannot tell. Neither the chain nor the ring by which
the watch had been fastened to it had been broken.

Mr. Lewis—Will you swear that he might not, while
he had the watch in his hand, have removed it himself
from the chain ? Witness—l am quite sure he did not
remove it himself. There was much crowding at the
time upon us both.
lie-examined by Mr. Powell—You have been asked
whether the watch might not have fallen down while
he was stooping. Suppose it had fallen, would it not
have been trampled upon, very much to its injury ?
Witness—l thick it must have been smashed altogether.
Mr. Lewis—That would depend upon the rapidity
with which it might have been picked up by an ob-
server.

Witness—lt must have been pressed by the fret of the
crowd rushing along.
Luigi Balerna, of North-gate, Halifax, Yorkshire,
jeweller, said—On the night of the 13th or morning of
the 14th of July, I lost above a hundred gold and silver
watches, upwards of four hundred finger-rings, five pairs
of gold spectacles, and other property. There were
four new and and one old pair of spectacles, and I have
since seen the old pair ; I know it from having worn
it myself, and I have had them ten years in stock. I
have occasionally worn them in the shop and in my
room, and I should know them if I saw them again.
They are red old-fashioned gold. They have been
mended near the temple. The spectacles produced are
the old pair Iso lost. I'll swear to their being mine.
Cross-examined—l deal a little in second-hand plate,
and change articles with different makers in London. I
know of whom I buy them in general. Ido not melt
plate myself.
Miss Emily Coates, of No. 25, High-street, White-
chapel, said—Mrs. Freeman, of No. 8, Grove-terrace,
Kentish-town, is my sister. The ring produced is her
ring. I have a similar ring. There is engraved upon
my sister's ring " Wm. Thompson, obiit September,
1836, aged 22."
Cross-examined—Many of the Thompson family are
now alive. My father gave three similar rings away in
memory of my uncle. My other sister has the third
ring. Tho ring produced was lost about twelve
months ago.

Jonathan Whither, sergeant (27 A)—l was in com-
pany with Inspector Lund and Sergeant Shaw on the
2d of October, at the time the prisoner was apprehended.
I afterwards assisted in searching his place in Barbican,
and amongst other watches in a drawer in the back shop
I found the watch produced (referred to by Mr.
Brock leby ).

Cross-examined--We afterwards cleared the shop out
and took the property to the station-house. There were
a great many spoons. There were four officers engaged
in the case. Two were left i❑ the house.

Inspector Lund—Amongst the property I found at
the prisoner's house were the gold spectacles and the
mourning ring produced. They were in thelback shop.
Cross-examined—l have the list of the property which
we removed from the prisoner's premises. There are, I
should say, 1,000 spoons, some hundreds of watch move-
ments, perhaps thirty watches, and between sixty and
seventy rings. There were, I should say, twelve or four-
teen mourning rings. We have had, I dare say, a hun-
dred or two inquiries about the goods. The value of the
property we took may be between 3,000/. and 4,0001. I
have heard that Mr. Sirrell has carried on business there
thirty or forty years.
Alderman GIBBS then consented to take bail for the
appearance of Mr. Sirrell upon a future day, when the
investigation will be resumed.