The Sun.
London, England, 1845-11-13 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
MANSION-HOUSE.

t Y.,esterda4 ayouwi, an, nawd Cgiers, Fas,brought
before the Eord 11. r upon-et-charge If robbery.
.. James Biz;ivie, a waterman. wilar3ssdes at Gravesend, stated
that on Monday morning, :about ten o'clock, he arrived at
Billingsgate in the hatch-boat named the Sir Edward Cod-
rington,. with fresh herrings for sale. He was in partner-
ship with the owner of the bolt in the sale of fish, and the
prisoner was a cabin-boy belonging to the boat. About two
o'clock on Monday the prisoner was missed from on board,
and at three o'clock witness went down into the bed-cabin
for the purpose of getting the sum of 191.45. 6d., which he
had placed under the head of the bed-cabin. Upon going to
the spot where he had deposited the cash he found that
it had been stolen, together with two bags, a memorandum-
book, and some papers. Witness had seen the money safe at
eleven or twelve o'clock, and did not leave the boat after
that time until he missed the money, and no one had been
in the cabin but the prisoner and himself. Between six an&
seven o'clock witness went with an officer, to whom he com-
plained of the robbery, to the Cit., of London Theatre, where
he found the prisoner, in the company of several girls of the
town, amongst the audience. The prisoner was searched,
and in bis possession was found a bag, which the witness
knew at once to be his, and which contained several sove-
reigns, no doubt his property. Upon being questioned, the
prisoner said the bag contained no book, but it did hold a
shilling.
John Bower (policeman 570) stated that he went to the
City of London Theatre on the evening of the day of the
robbery, suspecting that he should find the prisoner amongst
the loose females, and he was not long there when he found
that he was right in his guess. The bag which was taken
from the prisoner contained 101. in gold, and there were three
sovereigns loose in the prisoner's pockets.
The LORD MAYOII—DO you wish to say anything, pri-
soner? Prisoner—Why, I took the money, my Lord, from
the place where it was put, and I went along with a lot.
of girls, but whether I spent the money amongst them or
gave it to them, I don't know, I'm sure. As for the book
that master talks of, that was in the big bag, and I tore
it up.—The prisoner was committed for trial.
Lewis Benjamin was charged with having picked the
pocket of a gentleman of a handkerchief.
Mr. W. H. Bailey, of No. 4, Shaftesbury-terrace, Pimlico, ,
stated that on the afternoon of Monday, as he was passing
along the north side of St. Paul's-churchyard, he suddenly
felt his handkerchief removed from his coat 'pocket. Upon
turning round he observed the prisoner wipe his face with
the very handkerchief that had been removed from his pos-
session. Witness said to him, "What are you doing with
my handkerchief?" to which he replied, " I didn't know it
was yours."—(A laugh.)
Shelford (policeman No 160) said that be apprehended
the prisoner upon the charge of Mr. Bailey, and found two
other handkerchiefs upon his person.
The prisoner said that he had not committed any robbery.
He had been in the habit of carrying three handkerchiefs
for his personal convenience and accommodation, for he did
not know how soon he might lose one or two in the streets of
London.—(A laugh.)
The Lean Marna said the prisoner should have an oppor-
tunity of making that defence before those who would be
capable of appreciating it.
The prisoner—My Lord, I hope you will order the officer
to give me up my own property. The two handkerchiefs he
took from me are my own.
The prisoner was committed for trial.
John Roberts was committed for having picked the pocket
of Mr. J. T. Hyne, Treasurer of the Surrey Theatre. The
robbery was adroitly committed at ten o'clock on Monday
morning, in Gresham-street. The witness suddenly missed
his handkerchief, and upon turning round saw his handker-
chief in the front pocket of the prisoner's coat; when, the
prisoner following him, he stooped and slipped out the hand-
kerchief, and dropped it in the street.
His LORDSHIP acknowledged, with thanks, the receipt of
Si. from Mr. W. West, through the hands of Messrs. Hoare,
the bankers, for the poor-box, and expressed his sincere hope
and belief that the contributions to the poor-box of the
Mansion-house, to which there were so many melancholy
claims, especially in the winter months, would be numerous.
He apprehended that, everything considered, the approach-
ing winter would tell upon the sympathies of the friends of
humanity with more force than was generally expected. He
therefore thought that he could not commence the duties of
the office of Chief Magistrate in a more proper manner than
by calling upon those who were prosperous to remember the
thousands who had to contend with poverty in its most
frightful shapes.
Two gentlemen who were present immediately contributed
a sovereign each, but would not mention their names.
GUILDHALL.
James Freeman, a cab driver, was brought up on a warrant
before Mr. Alderman Hooper, charged with misbehaviour, in
refusing for half-an-hour to leave the passage of the house of
Mr. Toplis, in New Bridge-street, in order to enforce pay-
ment of an excessive charge.
Roe, the City officer, stated that the prisoner had' treated
two summonses with contempt before a warrant was issued.
Miss Toplis deposed that on the 30th ult. she hired the
cab in King William-street, Strand, to bring her to Bridge-
street, Blackfriars. She had three ladies with her. On set-
ting them down she gave defendant ls. 6d. He said that was
not his fare. She immediately handed him her card, and
said he might summon her for any other demand he might
have. He walked into the passage, and said he must have
2s Bd., as extra passengers were carried; but he afterwards
reduced his claim to 2s. 4d. She refused to pay him any
snore, and he refused to leave the house. She called in the
policeman, who declined interfering without instructions from
his superior. She sent her servant to the station-house and
a second policeman came, but he also declined interfering,
except by expostulating with the defendant, which induced
him to leave. It was between eleven and twelve o'clock at
night, and he kept possession of the passage for half-an-hour.
Mr. Alderman HOOPER presumed there were none but
women in the house at the time.
Miss Toplis said it was so.
Policeman John Eve, 325, was called to prove that the
defendant demanded first 2s. Bd. and then 2s. 4d.
Mr. Alderman Hooreir asked him why he allowed the de-
fendant to annoy the ladies by stopping in the passage ?
The policeman said he was young in office and did not know
how to act in such a case.
The ALDERMAN said that he should not have hesitated,
with the authority of the lady, to use force to put the de-
fendant out. After receiving the card he had no pretext for
stopping.
The defendant said, that the pavement being up in Fleet-
street, he was obliged to make a circuit of three-quarters of
a mile, and this entitled him to ls. 4d., and he claimed Is.
for the extra passengers.
Mr. Alderman HOOPER asked him if he objected to carry
four without an extra fee when the ladies got in ?—The de-
fendant admitted that he did not.
The ALDERMAN stated, that without objecting to carry
four, he was not entitled to any extra fare. If he had ob-
jected lie would have lost the job, and some other driver
would gladly have taken it. The defendant had demanded
4d. more than his fare by his own showing, and he had be-
haved very ill in stopping in the passage and taking advan-
tage of the ladies being alone. Instead of imposing a fine
on him, lie should sentence him to a term of imprisonment,
and he committed him to Bridewell for a fortnight.
BOW-STREET.
Joseph Dowers alias Taylor, described as barman of the
Admiral Vernon public-house in Long-alley, was charged
with being concerned in an extensive robbery of boots and
shoes, some months back, in Great Russell-street, Blooms-
bury.
In April last a burglary was committed on the business
premises of Mr. Tritcher, a boot and shoemaker in Great
Russell-street, from whose shop about 400 pairs were stelen,
valued by him at 200/. No information of the offenders
could be obtained, but about a fortnight ago a man named
George Hill was taken into custody at Norwich on suspicion
of receiving a portion of the stolen property. Hill at once
stated of whom he had purchased the property, and the pro-
secutor was referred to the prisoner, who, on being taxed
with the robbery, declared that he knew nothing of Hill,
and had never seen him before. Hill stated the particu-
lars of the purchase, but, in the absence of some material
witnesses, the prisoner was remanded for a week.
Newman, of the E division, stated that the prisoner was
the landlord of the house a which he was taken, and which
was of the worst description, there being at the time be-
tween 50 and 100 thieves in various parts of the building,
engaged in rat-killing, dog-fighting, boxing, and other sue
pastimes.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.
Thomas Harrison, George Rayner, and Elizabeth Rayner,
were put to the bar charged with atteApting to pick pockets.
Charles Walter, baker, lianwayitreet, said a lady came
into his master's shop, about lialf•aMour before, to purchase
some muffins. The three prisonersitho entered the shop, and
while the lady was about replacing leer purse in her pocket,
the female prisoner, whose movements were directed and
screened by her companions, made an attempt to possess
herself of it. Witness's attention was first directed to the
prisoners iu consequence of seeing them attempt the pocket
of the lady before she entered the shop to make her pur•
chase. Witness, on seeing this second attempt at robbery,
immediately took measures to have them lodged in the ens--
tody of the police.
To a question from the Magistrate witness said he had often
seen the male and female prisoners Rayner in the street, and
had more than once noticed that they attempted to pick
pockets, but he was in 'such a situation as not to be able
readily to give an alarm or afford assistance. He almost al-
ways saw the Rayners about on the days when the Museum
was open to the
Thomas Harrison, in defence, said he was.a stranger to his
companions. lie merely went into the muffin-shop to pur-
chase a couple of buns.
Rayner said he went into the shop to give some refresh-
ment to his sister, when he was falsely charged with being a
pickpocket.
Mr. MALTBY remanded all the prisoners until. Monday
next. _ _ •

LAMBETH.
Caroline Cummings, Mary Cummings, Anne Renelanan; Alice
Langley, and William Goff, were further examined before
Mr. Norton, on a charge of plundering Mr. Charles Shaw, a
solicitor, residing at No. 11, Terrace, Walworth, of property,
consisting of plate, jewellery, wearing apparel, &c., to the
amount of over 600/.
Mr. Parry, the barrister, attended with Mr. Shaw to prO-
secute, and Mr. Games and Mr. Pelham appeared on behalf of
the prisoners.
The evidence in the case was of so voluminous a nature
that it occupied the chief clerk nearly five hours in reducing
it to writing, and -the_ case altogether presented the most
wholesale system of plunder that
perhaps was ever brought
before the public.
The short facts of the case were these :—Some vears ago
the mother of the prisoners Caroline and Mary Cummings
lost her husband, and was left with a large and helpless
family, and the circumstance becoming known to Mr. Shaw,
the prosecutor, that gentleinan became the benefactor
and almost the entire support of the family. When the
prisoner Mary Cummings was at a suitable age, she was
taken into the house of Mr. Shaw as a servant, but owing to
some misconduct was discharged at the end cf two years.
She was succeaded by her sister Caroline, in whom the most
implicit confidence was reposed, and to whose family Mr.
Shaw continued his humane assistance. Her honesty was
not suspected until a few months ago, when Mrs. Shaw dis-
covered that a plate-chest which had been left in her care by
a young lady named Calcraft, during her absence in Ireland,
had been emptied of its valuable contents, and the prisoner
Caroline admitted having pawned it,
and implored forgive-
ness. Mrs. Shaw at the same time, unknown to her husband,
supplied a sum of 271. to redeem the property, which was
pleAged at the shop of Mr. Turner, pawnbroker, of Crown-
row, Walworth-road, and, replacing it in the chest, locked
and corded it. About the middle of the last month the ohest
WO again eaniined, and it was then found that it had been
forced open, and its contents
gone. The circumstance was
mentioned to Mr. Shaw, and that gentleman,- on making an
examination
of his own plate-chest discoVered it quite
omPIY d and, with the
exception of a few spoons and
articles in daily use, every article of plate, a gold and a
silver watch, rings, brooches, wearing apparel, and, in
fact, a great quantity of property were gone. The missing
property was traced to the shop of Mr. Turner,
where the principal part of it had been pawned
by the prisoner Mary Cummings, and this led
to the apprehension of her and her sister Caroline, The
other prisoners were 111§0 4PPT-oheiided la consequence of
their having been seen frequently to call at the house of Mr.
Bbuw and carry away things, and Langley and Reachmq