The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-26 00:00:00

TILE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, AUG-UST 26, 1844.

was kept, was locked. At a little after ten o'clock
it was found that the room had been forcibly entered,
and the box, containing the cash and some silver
spoons, &c., stolen away. The persons who had com-
mitted the depredation must have gained access from the
back part of the house. To connect the prisoners with
the burglary, it was shown that the two men, about a
fortnight previously, had been sitting in an upper room
in the house, from which room they could obtain a view
of Mrs: Taylor's bedroom. On the Saturday night bi -
fore the robbery, the male prisoners were seen in
Chapel-street, opposite to Mrs. Taylor's house, from
which situation they could see the bedroom window.
The prisoner Locke lodged in Spear-street, which is
about a mile and a quarter distant from Mrs. Taylor's
house, and there had several times been seen with him
at his lodgings a short man, not in custody, who must
have been one of the parties who committed the bur-
glary. On the Sunday evening in question, Locke and
and the little man spoken of, left the house at which
Locke lodged, in company together, and went to a public-
house kept by a person named Wilson, where the little
man changed his dress ; subsequently Locke and this
man, in company with the other two prisoners, were to-
gether at the College Inn, near to the old church. The
next glace in which they were seen was in Sidney-street,
near to Mrs. Taylor's premises. The prisoner Jennings
was keeping watch at one corner of the street, and the
little man before alluded to at the other, and the
prisoner Locke was passing about before the house,
and after doing so for some time, he turned the
corner into Scholefield-street, and was lost sight of for
about a quarter of an hour, when he was seen to come
apparently from the house, carrying something under his
arm, and on going up to the other men some one said it's
all right, and the parties separated. In a pit standing in
the road taken by the man who was seen to carry some-
thing under his arm, was found the stolen cash box, and
on the road taken by the man who has escaped the vigi-
lance of the police, were found other portions of the
stolen property, and also a dark lantern. To connect the
female with the transaction, it was shown that at the
time the prisoner Locke was walking before Mrs. Tay-
lor's house, she had gone, in company with Jennings,
into Mrs. Taylor's vaults, probably with the view of as-
certaining in what situation the inmates of the home
were stationed. Jennings, after this, went to his lodg-
ings, where he left a message that if a man, answering
the description of the little man spoken of, called, he was
to meet him at the College Inn ; and at a quarter after
ten o'clock this man and the male prisoners were toge-
ther at this public -house, where a transaction took place
which was important to the inquiry into the guilt of the
prisoners. The landlady and her daughter were sitting
in the kitchen opposite to the room in vvhieli the par-
ties were, and they hoard a sound as of gold money
being counted. In consequence of this, on hearing of
the robbery, a communication was made to the police,
and instructions were given what was to be done if the
parties came again. About ten o'clock the following
morning the two male prisoners did come again, and the
police were sent for, who took them into custody. Locke
had on an entire new suit of clothes, and in his pockets
were found seven sovereigns, and in the pockets of Jen-
nings were found four sovereigns. When told the charge
upon which they were apprehended, they stated that they
were at their lodgings at the hour the offence was com-
mitted, which was ascertained not to be the fact.
These accusations having been proved in evidence,
Mr. WiLictszs addressed the jury on behalf of the pri-
soners. This, he said, was a ease which would require
on their part a very great deal of care, watchfulness, and
jealousy over themselves. He knew of nothing more
easy than by an exercise of ingenuity to excite suspicion
against others ; and if they lent a ready car to the party
making an accusation, and allowed that party to make an
impression on their minds, there was afterwards a secret
satisfaction, of which, perhaps, they might be uncon-
scious at the time, in making every circumstance fit the
accusation and justify the impression on their minds. All
cases of circumstantial evidence were calculated to ex-
cite suspicion ; and the circumstances in this case, as
stated by the Learned Counsel for the prosecution, were
put together with great skill and ingenuity ; and it fre-
quently happened that a Learned Counsel so situated,
unless he was something more than human, allowed his
judgment to be warped. It would be their duty to find a
verdict in accordance with the evidence ; and he felt as-
sured they would take great care to ascertain whether
the evidence which had been adduced was sufficient to
justify them in pronouncing a verdict of guilty against
the prisoners, of one of the highest offences known to
the law of the land. fie contended that the case against
the prisoners, as stated by the prosecution, was not suffi-
cient to justify them in coming to a conclusion of guilty,
and that all the facts deposed to were perfectly compati-
ble with the innocence of the parties :accused ; in fact,
against the female prisoner there was no case whatever.
The Learned Counsel concluded an eloquent and inge-
nious defence by a passionate appeal as to the conse-
quences if a verdict of guilty was returned against the
prisoners.
The Learned JUDGE, with great perspicuity, summed
up the case to the Jury, who, after a deliberation of a few
minutes, returned a verdict of Guilty against the whole
of the prisoners.
A previous conviction was proved against Jennings.
Sentence deferred.