The Sun.
London, England, 1845-09-04 00:00:00

WORSHIP-STREET.

John Goodwin, a middle-aged man, of respectable appear-
ance, holding a confidential situation in the service of Messrs.
Pontifex and Co., the extensive colour manufacturers, at Mill-
wall, Poplar, was finally placed at the bar before Mr. Bing-
Lam, charged with having feloniously received a large quantity
of calomel and red precipitate, the property of Messrs.
Maunder, Weaver, and Co., wholesale operative chemists, at
Wolverhampton.
It appeared from the opening statement of Mr. Justin,
who attended on the part of the prosecution, that in conse-
quence of the prosecutors having discovered that a long-con-
tinued series of robberies had been practised upon them by
persona in their employment, the produce of which had been
transmitted to the metropolis, and sold for less than half
its prime cost, through the medium of a druggist named
Hopkins, in Union-street, Spitalfields, one of the partners was
dispatched to town to endeavour to trace out the matter, and
on calling at the premises of Hopkins, and mentioning his busi-
ness, the latter admitted, after some hesitation, that he had
been in the habit of purchasing drugs at a redaced price from
one of their workmen, named Mason, at different periods, ex-
tending over twelve months, and that he had afterwards sold
the property to different retail dealers in London. In conse-
quence of this admission he was conveyed to Wolverhampton,
where a searching investigation was entered upon ; and it hav-
ing been then clearly ascertained that the man Mason, in con-
junction with another of their workmen named Leach, had
been implicated in the robbery, they were both given into the
custody of the local police, and Hopkins was admitted as evi-
dence against them. It having also been ascertained that the
prisoner at the bar had been the principal medium through which
a large portion of the stolen property had been disposed of, a
communication to that effect was made to the London police,
which ultimately led to his apprehension.
Mr. John Weaver, a junior partner in the firm, and Ser-
geant Barker, of the H division, proved that on Saturday
lust they proceeded to the house of the prisoner, who in
answer to their questions, admitted having received up•
wards of 1601bs. of calomel and 9•2 lbs. of red precipitate
fro it the man Leach, about two months before Christmas
last, and that he afterwards sold the greater part of the
property to Hopkins, for less than half its real value, the latter
refusing to give him more for the articles. While they were
engaged in conversation with him a general post letter was de-
livered' at the door, and received by the sergeant, who found
it had been written by the wife of the man Leach, to the pri-
soner, apprising him of the fact that her husband and Mason
were in custody at Wolverhampton, and concluding with an in-
timation:that he would probably be called upon to prove on
their behalf that the property had been two years in his posses-
sion. The prisoner at the same time admitted having received
&anther letter from the same quarter on the preceding day,
which he immediately destroyed, as it was invariably his prac-
tice to do with all his correspondence.
Mr. BINGHAM said he considered the prisoner's admission
that he had been in the habit of destroying all letters relating
to these transactions, and the fact of his receiving such large
quantities of the particular articles, that he must have known
they were dealt in by the firm in whose employment the other
men were, formed circumstances of such strong suspicion
against him, that he felt it his duty to leave the ease for a jury
to determine whether or not he had received the property with
a guilty knowledge that it had been stoles.
The prisoner was then handed over to the care of the
officers, who were directed to convey him forthwith to Wolver-
hampton, where the other prisoners are under examination.
LAMBETH. _ _

On Monday evening Frederich Drury and Michael Benson
were brought before Alr. Henry, the former on a charge of
robbing his employer, and the latter, who is a constable of
police, with not only waiting the commission of the act, but
partaking of the plunder.
After stating the outline of the ease, which he described to
be one of considerable public importance, Mr. Games celled
Mr. Noble, proprietor of the Dover Castle, Marsh-gate, who
deposed that the prisoner Drury had beer, in his service, as
barman, for six weeks, and upon entering it he had received a
good character with him from Mr. Silcox. On Friday last,
between the hours of one and two o'clock, Mrs. No', le gave
him ( witness) the package of silver then produced, and before
he had time to get to the counter, the prisoner Benson, who
was standing before it, left the house. Soon after, Benson sent
in a man to request he would send the package of silver he had
placed on the counter to him, but which he refused to do ; and
soon after the same man came in with the note produced, and
while reading that note, the messenger, who had gone away on
the delivery of the first, returned with a second note. He (wit-
ness) desired him to send in the man that claimed it, and the
prisoner Benson was pointed out to him as the person who
had sent it. He was then walking up and down in front of
the house, and in a few moments after he ( Benson) came in
and claimed the money. He (Mr. Noble) asked him why he
had not claimed it directly it had been found on the counter,
and he replied he did not like to do so. He then asked lion
where he had got the money, and he replied, he had received it
in change from one of his young men; bet upon being asked
to point out the particular person he had got it from, he could
not do so. He again requested the money, but Mr. Noble
refused to give it up without making some inquiry into the
matter, and desired him to call on Monday (that day). Ile
did call, and in reply to a question from the inspector, who had
been awaiting his arrival, and who took him into custody,
witness distinctly heard him say he had received the silver he
had left in the house of Mr. Watchorn, opposite, on the
Friday, though he distinctly told him (Mr. Noble) on the
former occasion, that he had received the change from one of
his young men.
Nathaniel Laremercroft, a butcher, of No. 2, Lower Marsh,
Lambeth, deposed that on Friday last, between the hours of
one and two o'clock he went through the private entrance to the
house of Mr. Noble, and saw a small package of silver placed
at the back of the engine. He took it up and handed it to
the prisoner Drury, who gave it to his mistress, and witness at
the time addressing Mrs. Noble, said " f suppose this belongs
to you?" Upon which the prisoner Benson said, " 1 have seen
that parcel lying there all the time I have been here." Wit-
ness had been to the house of the prosecutor about three-
quarters of an hour before, when he observed to the prisoner
Benson that he was perfectly satisfied the package was not
where he had found it.
In reply to a question from Mr. Games, the witness said he
was perfectly convinced the prisoner Benson used the expres-
sion 3 he had mentioned.
Thomas Howard Roger;, an inspector of the L division
of police, said he was at the house of Mr. Noble that (lay, when
the prisoner Benson came there, and after taking him into
custody, brought him into the bar-parloer, where Drury was.
He produced two letters, and asked him if he was the writer
of them. He ( Benson) replied he was. He then asked him
if he lived at 127, Oxford-street, to which he replied no. lie
titer; asked him if he was a policeman, and he said his number
was 142, 5 d;vision, and that he resided at the Pli(enlx-street
station-hou C. He also said that he asked him where he had
received the money he claimed from Noble as his, and be
r_e_plied he had got the silver in change over the way at Mr.
watchorri's. Before the arrival of Benson the prisoner Drury
said he wished to make a confession, and said, " I wish to tell
the truth." He also said, I acknewledge to have told lies,"
but
that
thehe toed tellhad
been
the truth, He $441 he had
placed
taken
k e
to
n
found by tits butcher,
to give to Benson, who is at present !n the Police, ar.d
t o me further
tbwelono,ghiitit ogathe S division.
out o
fth tillHakuer tthear
silvers id
ul ipe
a ugun
• lend to Benson,

John Stockman deposed that he bad been sent to the house
of Mr. Noble on Friday last with two letters 7,e7
the
same produced, and said it was with great difficulty
prevail upon the prisoner to go into the house of Mr. Npobcleoucind
the Friday.
The prisoner Drury, after being duly cautioned, stated that
he had last lived at Mr. Silroz's, Kentish-town, where he had
been for two years, and before that with Mr. Bennett, Gros-
venor-square, about the same period. lip did not, he
said, wish to say more than he had already stated. Me.
Benson asked him to lend him a sovereign, and he told him
that if he came on Friday he would if he could. He wrote to
say he wished to have it, and came on Friday, when he
(Drury) put the money down. He did not think Benson saw