The Sun.
London, England, 1850-10-22 00:00:00

SOUTHWARK.

Alexander Waterman, ETt7 young man apprenticed to
a bookbinder, was placed at the bar before Mr.
A'Beckett, charged with robbing Mrs. Hannah Robin-
son, the wife of tradesman. The investigation of
the charge excited much interest, owing to the
hitherto unblemished character of the accused, and
the numerous witnesses who came forward to prove
that it was a case of mistaken identity on the part of
the complainant.
Mrs. Robinson stated that on Saturday night, about
a quarter before twelve o'clock, she went from home,
accompanied by her daughter, a girl about fifteen
years of age, to make some purchases, and that while
walking along Cross-street, Blackfriars-road, she
stooped to pick up a child who had fallen down.
While in the act of stooping she felt a hand in her
pocket, and immediately seized that of the prisoner,
who was close by her side. In withdrawing his hand
from her pocket he dropped a half-crown on the pave-
ment, and she exclaimed " You have robbed me," and
tried to detain him, but he ran, away, and crossed
Blackfi jars •road, into the street opposite. She added,
that she kept him in sight nearlr front the nrJmeet
he tried to- make eocape until he was taken into
i s
tti u lac
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ta n op-
portunityas
custody ; and that she missed is. out of her pocket.
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light. That she saw him run from Cross-street to
cf her
George-street, on the other side of Blackfriars-road,
and knew that he and no other person was the man
who robbed her. _

The complainant's daughter confirmed the part of
her evidence v%hich related to the prisoner's identity.
Frederick Jones, apprentice to an engineer, stated
that he heard the complainant cry out ." Stop thief"
in Cross-street, and saw the prisoner, who struck him
a blow in the mouth which knocked him down, run-
ning.away. He (the prisoner) crossed Blackfriars-
road into George•street, and witness pursued him in
thot direction, and only lost sight of him for a few
moments, and while he was near the end of George-

street the prisoner came running back again, and he
was secured. The witneis added that he was confi-
dent as to the prisoner's identity.
Four policemen deposed to the circumstance of
taking the priioner into custody in Robert-street,
and the complainant charging him with robbing her
in Cross-street. They added that he was violent in
his conduct, and kicked one of them on the leg. Nei-
ther of the policemen, however, witnessed what was
alleged to have first occurred with respect to the
robbery. -s - •

Mr.-Solomons said that, notwithstanding the de-
gree of confidence with which the complainant and
the two other witnesses spoke as to the identity of the
prisoner, he would show, by the most incontestable
proof, that he was completely innocent of the alleged
charge. The facts were shortly these—The ac-
cused, who had served four years of his time to a
bookbinder, and was a young man of unexception-
able character, went on Saturday evening to the
George public•house, in George-street, lilackfriars-
road, where he remained with two other young men
until half-past eleven o'clock, at which hour his
mother went to look after him. He at last came out
of the parlour to the front of the bar, where his
mother stood, and she asked him to give her some
money which he had previously promised her, but in-
stead of complying with her request, he pulled a half-
penny out of his pocket, and by way of derision
offered it to her. She felt indignant at his conduct in
offering her the coin, and gave him a slap in the face;
upon which he exclaimed, " I shall not go home to-
night," and immediately ran out of the house. The
mother instantly ran after him up George-street, and
into Robert-street, calling out " Stop thief." This
sbe did thinking he would atop and return, but be
continued running, and she saw him stopped by a
policeman ; and when he was in custody she saw the
complainant come up at the moment, and accuse her
son of having robbed her in Cross-street, as above de-
scribed. Mr. Solomons added that he should call
forward witnesses to prove that it was altogether a
case of mistaken identity, and that the accused had
not been in Cross-street at all on the night in ques-
tion, not having crossed the Blackfriars-road, but ran,
pursued by his mother, in quite a contrary direction.
Five witnesses were then called on the part of the
prisoner, and amongst them his mother, a highly re-
spectable looking woman, who described with mi-
nuteness the circumstances that occurred in the pub-
lic-house, and pursuing her son when he ran away
from her, declaring that she had not lost sight of him
from the moment he ran out of the public-house until
she saw him in custody. She remonstrated with the
complainant, who came up and charged her son with
robbing her in Cross-street, although she (witness)
assured her that she was mistaken. Yet she persisted
in the charge, and her son was taken away to the sta-
tion house, and locked up for the robbery. The poor
woman lamented that she herself was the chief cause
of the arrest of her son by calling out " Stop thief,"
which she did thinking he would return and accom-
pany her home, instead of which it led to an unfounded
charge being alleged against him, of which her son
was entirely innocent.

The landlady of the George and her daughter con-
firmed the account given by the mother of the priso-
ner as to his being irt that house until half-past eleven
o'clock on the night in question, and the other cir-
cumstances as related by her, adding that they saw
him run up George-street towards Robert-street, quite
in a contrary direction to the street where the alleged
robbery took place, and that they heard the mother
shout " Stop thief " after him.
Other witnesses spoke as to the excellent character
of the accused, and two of them, who were with him
in the George, stated that on hearing the cry of
" Stop thief," they followed in the direction he ran,
which was towards Robert-street, and saw him
stopped and taken into custody for an offence of which
he was innocent. The witness added that he had not
left the public-house more than two or three minutes
before he was in custody.
Mr. A'BECKETT (edlressing the complainant)
said—You have heard all that has been stated by the
witnesses called for the prisoner. Do the contradic-
tions you have heard satisfy your mind that you are
mistaken in the prisoner's identity ? Complainant--
Not at all. lam still convinced he is the man.
Mr. ATECKETT—Then if that is the case, I have
no other alterna'ive than to send the case before a
jury. There are a few minutes certainly unaccounted
for, and Cross-street being so near the spot where the
prisoner was taken into custody, and the complainant,
her daughter, and the young man, the other witness,
speaking so positively to his identity, compels me to
send the case for trial.

Mr. Solornons hoped the magistrate would take
hail for the prisoner's appearance to answer the
charge ; he could have surety to any amount, his
friends being convinced of his innocence of the alleged
charge.
Mr. AT ECILETT said that the sessions commenced
that day, and that the witnesses might at once go
before tha grand jury, and that there need be no delay
in prosecuting the charge.
The prisoner was then committed.
-

In the latter part of the day bail was offered and
received for the prisoner's appearance to answer the
charge.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

BLACKWALL.—There is a report that the London
and North- Western Company have come to an ar-
rangement with the directors of the London and
Black wall Railway, in terms of which the stock of
the latter company is to be purchased by the former,
at 11/. 15s. per share.
CALEDONIAN.—In consequence of the resignation
of Captain Plunkett, chairman of the Caledonian
Company, Mr. Fawcett, the largest holder in the
company,with four or five other extensive proprietors,
waited on Mr. Glyn, to ask the assistance of the Lon-
don and North-Western Company in the present diffi-
culties of the Caledonian. The answer of Mr. Glyn
to the application was, that while there existed diffe-
rences among the directors the London and North-
Western Company could not interfere; but if once the
directors of the Caledonian were united among them-
selves the London and North-Western would render
them all the assistance in their power.
THE EASTERN COUNTIES RAILWAY DOCKS OPPO-
SITE WOOLWICII.—The boring operations for the
Victoria Docks, connecting the Eastern Counties
Railway with the Thames, by means of their North
IVoolwich branch, have just been commenced by the
engineers, and the excavations, for which all the
necessary engines and plant are being purchased, will
shortly be begun. The operations are for a line of
docks and canal, larger than any yet constructed on
the banks of the Thames, along which they will ex-
tend a total distance of nearly three miles. One dock
out of the four proposed, the westernmost one, is the
flrst being constructed with the canal, locks, and
river entrances extending over the track of the
marshes, and intersecting the North -Woolwich Rail-
way, where the upper lock will be crossed by the rail-
way on an incline of from 1 in 100 to lin 200. The
width of the one dock now commenced will average a
quarter of a mile. The water area that will be afforded
by these docks, at a cost, of half a million, will be 280
acres, equal to that of all the other docks put together.
WHITEHAVEN AND PURNESS.—It is expected that
the remaining portion of this line, from Bootle to the
junction with the Furness Railway near Broughton,
a distance of 14 miles, will be opened for passenger
and goods traffic about the end of the present month.
The length at present in operation, from Whitehaven
to Bootle, is 21 miles, and when the remaining portion
is opened the total length will be 35 miles. The cost
of construction will be about 10,2001. per mile, which
is much less than one-third of the average cost per
mile of railways in the United Kingdom.
BIRMINGHAM, WOLVERHAMPTON, AND STOUR
VALLEY.—A meeting of the inhabitants of Wolver-
hampton was held on Friday last, to take into consi-
deration the non-opening of the Stour Valley Rail-
way to Birmingham. The Mayor said he had reason
to think that if a deputation were appointed to wait
upon the directors of the London and North-Western
Railway Company with respect to the subject of
which they had such just reason to complain, and
without any reference to the disputes existing be-
tween that company and the BirminghaM 'and
Shrewsbury, .and Shrewsbury and Chester Compa-
nies, they might be successful. He stronglfurged upon
the meeting the propriety of adopting such a step.
A general feeling of concurrence in the opinions ex-
pressed by the Mayor was manifested by the meeting,
and it was proposed—" That .the Mayor, Mr. G.
Briscoe, Mr. J. Barker, and Alderman Andrews be
appointed to confer with the directors of the London
and North-Western Company." Mr. Lowe seconded
the resolution, which was carried unanimously.
LANCASHIRE AND YORKSHIRE. —The committee of
shareholders, representing the holders of the fifth
shares, have met the new board, who have agreed to
modify the terms upon which those shares were
created. The terms are as follow :-91. out of the
11/. called up, to receive the full dividend paid on
the Lancashire and Yorkshire stock. The remainder
of the shares uncalled (11/ ), to receive a guarantee
dividend of 4,per cent., so far. as 10/. is concerned ;
1/. per share being considered as sunk, As this class
of shareholders received under the terms of the crea-
tion, about 17 per cent. for a considerable period, or a
total sum beyond that accruing to the ordinary hol-
ders of about 87,0001., the old shareholders are of
opinion 'that an undue preference is being given; that
a deliberate bargain, of which the fifth holders have
had the sweets, is being violated, because the terms
of the bargain are now adverse to them ; and that a
new guaranteed stock is being virtually created, to
the damage of the shareholders. It is said that one
of the new board holds about 3,000 fifth shares.
The whole- question, however, will have to be can-
vassed by a special meeting to be held on the 21 of
November.

The number of attorneys and solicitors at present
in London, Westminster, and Southwark, and their environs,
is 3,269 only.