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 the part of the Crown. Mr. Lewis,
of Ely-place, attended as solicitor to the prisoner. Mr.
Alderman and Sheriff Carden, and Mr. Alderman Salo-
mons, who has just returned from a tour through Ger-
many, Hungary, &c., 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 on 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'turs 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 have 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 f the Rainbow Tavern in Fleet-street, as to the
loss of a spoon about the 29th of July last, and his
cross•examination relative to that loss.

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

Mr. Lewis—Was your master in the habit of exchang-
ing silver? Witness—He was in the habit of exehang-
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; but 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 taverns upon them. He had none of Mr.
Lovegrove'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 in 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 fur 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 particulars. 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. Dismore 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
accuracy.
Mr. Lewis—You seem to have ,been subject to,
losses ? Witness—We have, lam sorry to say, lately.
,had losses._ . ,
Mi. George bismore, of tlerkenwell-green, jeweller,