The Sun.
London, England, 1845-10-17 00:00:00

LAMBETH.

STEALING RAILWAY PARCELS. —John Wilkinson, alias IVil-
liain Chambers, a waggoner, in the service of Messrs. Pick-
ford and Co., the extensive carriers, who has been in custody
for some days past on two charges, the one for stealing a box
containing a quantity of plate and jewellery, and the other
for a parcel containing a dozen of shirts, wais_ placed at the
bar before Mr. Henry for final examination,
Mr. Swan, a solicitor, attended on the partruf Messrs. Pick-
ford and Company, to prosecute.
In addition to the evidence given upon the former exami-
nation, and which appeared in the Morning Chronicle, the
following was adduced
:
Mr, William Taylor, a professor of music, residing at No.
12, Arlington-street, Saller's Wells, deposed that in the
month of June last Mr. Arrowsmith, a friend of his,
residing at Belmont-row, St. Heliers, Jersey, on leaving
town, had placed in his care six silver handfed knives, six
silver forks, six silver teaspoons, and four silver salt
spoons. They were all of the King's pattern, and bore Mr.
Arrowsmiths's crest. Besides these articles there were two
gold chains, two gold rings, and a pair of gold ear-rings,
On Monday, the 6th instant, he packed all the property he
had mentioned in a wooden box, on the outside of which he
nailed the card now produced by the constable, and delivered
it at the office of Messrs. Pickford, in the City-road, to be
conveyed as directed, to Jersey, to Mr. Arrowsmith. The
whole of the articles which he had packed in the box were
now produced, with the exception of one ring.
Charles Franklin, shopman to Mr. Fletcher, a pawnbroker,
of York-road, Kennington, stated that on Monday evening,
the 6th instant, at about seven o'clock, the prisoner entered
his master's shop, and put down on the counter six silver-
handled knives, six dessert silver forks, six teaspoons, and
four salt. spoons, and asked him, witness, to lend him 25 shil-
lings on them. Witness asked him if they were his own,
and he replied no, but that he had been sent by a Mr. Hop-
kins, 16 or 17, Kent-road, to pledge them for money to pay
his rent. The witness suspecting all was not right, sent for
a constable and gave him intocustody.
Mr. HENRY, at the conclusion of the witness's evidence,
told him he had acted exceedingly well in the matter.
Police-constable James Bevan, said that on the evening
before mentioned the prisoner was given into his custody by
the last witness. He asked him where he got the property;
the prisoner said a man gave them to him in the Kent-road,
and asked him to pledge them for him. Witness asked him
if he knew the man, and he replied that he merely knew him
by sight but not by name, but that he lived at No. 16, Kent-
road. He then offered to go there to see the man, but the
prisoner said it was no use, as he was not to be found there.
When about to search the prisoner at the station-house, lie
said, " I have got some more here that the same man gave
me," and took from his trousers pocket the two gold chains,
gold ring, and a pair of gold ear-rings, lie then produced.
While conveying the prisoner to this Court on the
following morning, he said, "I shall tell the truth
about this when I get before the magistrate. I
stepped my foot upon the box and broke the lid in. I
did not know what to do with the property, so I
thought I would make away with it in the best manner
I could." On searching the prisoner he (witness)
found some letters which he did not particularly examine at
the time, but on looking them over subsequently he found
in one of them the card produced, which was addressed,
" John Arrowsmith, Esq., Belmont-row, St. Heliers, Jersey,"
and which the witness, Air. Taylor, identified as the card he
had placed on the box.
George Seymour, clerk to Messrs. Pickford and Co., said
he remembered receiving a box addressed to Mr. Arrow-
smith, at the City-road Basin, on the 6th of October instant,
from Mr. Taylor. He sent it immediately to the Castle in
'Wood-street, to be forwarded by the van to the Southampton
Railway. •

Mr. Bimmonds, clerk at the warehouse of Messrs. Pick-
ford, in Wood-street, Cheapside, said be remembered re-
ceiving the box in question and entering it in the way-bill
for the Southampton Railway. He alsO saw it put iuio the
van, of which the prisoner was the driver, and Trindall the
gnard.
Thomas Trindall deposed that he loliged in the same
house with the prisoner, in Bond-street, Vauxhall, and was
also guard to the van which the prisoner drove. On the
evening► of Monday, the Gth inst., he left the Catle in Wood
street, in the van, and accompanie 1 the prisoner to the
Southampton terminus, Nine Elms. Finding he could not
unload the waggon at once, he left it for a short time to get
a cup of tea, leaving the prisoner 2nd Mr. Atkins, the check-
ing clerk, with it. He returned in about ten minutes, when
he found the prisoner was gone, and on unloading the van he