The Sun.
London, England, 1810-07-24 00:00:00

OLD BAILEY.

Yesterday George Towers was capitally indiaed
for a burglary and robbery in the dwelling house of
Pierce Bryant, Esq. No. 25, Manchester-street,
Manchester-square, on the Bth of May last.
Mr. AboLPaus opened the pleadings by stating
the nature of the offence; and that the indkiment
contained three counts, charging the crime in dif-
ferent ways. The first, for breaking and entering
the dwelling house in the night time, on the Bth of
May, and stealing thereM the articles charged; the
second, for assaulting and putting in tear the prose-
cutor, and taking him hiin, against 1115 will, the
articles charged; and the thud, charging the pri-
soner with being clandestinely na the dwelling
stealing the articles, and burgLiriously breaking out
of the house therewith.

Mr. KNAPP stated the case for the prosecution.

The first witness examined was Pierte Br) ant,
Esq. a venerable Irish Gentleman, upwards of
seventy, and so infirm in his limbs, that he was
carried into Court, and accommodated with a seat
during the trial. lie stated in evidence that he is
the proprietor of, and resident in, the house, 25,
Manchester-streel, .Manchester-square, parish of
Mary-le-bonne; that on the evening of the sth of
May last, his nieize went out in his carriage, taking
i with her his two male servants, a coachman. and
footman. His female servants also went out. At a
quarter before twelve that ntht, as he sat reading
in his front parlour, he heard fine parlour door gently
opened, he turned round, and saw a man approach,
Mini. He looked .steadily at t ire man, who had a
• black crape over his lace. The man approached
him nearer, but without uttering a word, took up
the candle, pointed towards th,e back parlour door,
and with a sort of grunt, seertied to imply a man-
dare for the prosecutor to go in there. He was sit-
6:rig 'fear the parlour dour; the man repeated his
sigoal, but the prosecutor not ch using to obey, the
man sized him by both hands ard drew him to-
wards hie back parlour. Re mode ,sume resistance;
and in oro!er to counieraa the force with whico he
~
was pulled, not being well able to stand, he laid
11,;mselt across card-table in the root upon which
be taa been
writ.ing, But the wan potted him wit h
stillg:reater force Dyer the card tattle. He fell cin
toll upon him, at id severely
wthoeutfildoel'ihitmheoatat
s,hn... t
minuer 'e was .
ici-enddelajo-
kept dow), the man staodog Over him. There as
I;iarltiorira,,,tan,dxptilce.stiir
a large iron chest in the back
was covered with boxes. Mr.
wish to be al:owed :o iake a scat. He relei.e.
answer, but a repo non of the gran:
voured to crawl towards tiie dour on his ;bands and
knees to get to a seal, upon wOich the roan got
upon hint, sun k lure with his fist a violent blot on
the head, ‘altich knocked him a m his back. The nth'n

then thrust his ban !s into both his breeches pockets.
in one of which he had 1001. in small Hank notes ;
in the other pocket was his pocket-book, coin, icing
other Bank notes. The man took both, and then
putting his hand into his side pocket, took out the
key of his iron chest, unlocked it and began to rifle
the drawers with one hand, while the other held the
hand of the prosecutor fast to pre►ent his sti►ricg or
giving any alarm. 'the man took every thing of
value froso the iron chest, consisting of diamond
rings, several gold watches, gold chains, coins,
seals, gold sou& boxes, and other valuable articles.
The man having rifled the chest and put all the
things into his pockets, took up the candle, went
• into the front parlour, the door of which he locked,
leaving the prosecutor in the dark, where he remain-
. ed about three quarters of an hour lying son the floor
before any one came to his assistance. The prose-
cutor said he knew the prisoner ; that he was about
six months in his service. He could not swear po-
sitively to the prisoner's person, as he was now dif-
ferently dressed, and did not look so bulky as the
person who robbed him.
Humphries, the Bow-street Officer, stated, that
on the 2.5,th of June, in consequence of some infor-
, 'ination he had received, he went to No. 15, Little
Barlow-street, Mary-le-bonne, where he was toad
• t e prisoner lodged, to inquire for him. He was
answered that the prisoner was then out of town,
and requested to hove his commands : but nut
chusing to take this answer, he went up stairs, and
entering a room on the first floor, occupied by a
Mrs. Temple, he there found the prisoner at tea, in
company with the, lady, and a soldier of the 2d Life
Guards. He accosted the prisoner familiarly, who
greeted biro kindly iu return, but said he had not
the pleasure of knowing him. Humphries answer-
ed that he knew the prisoner well; and asked, him if
lie had not an intention of going to India ? The
prisoner answered he had some such intention, upon
which Humphries expressed a wish to converse
with him in private, to this he readily agreed ; and
they adjourned to another room. Alter some con-
versation (or gammon, as it is technically called) on
inditierent matters, Humphries disclosed to him his
business, took possession of a gold iv.atch and seals
(one of which. had Mr. Bryant's crest) which the
prisoner wore, and proposed to him to accompany
him to Mr. Bryant's. This the prisoner refused, but
Humphries producing his staff, said he must come
by force if he would not come quietly. Humphries
taking him by the arm, led him to Mr. Bryant's;
but just as they had reached the door the prisoner
run off, and was pursued by Humphries, who re-
took him after a chase of nearly a mile. He then
got a coach, and before he put the prisoner in, tied
his hands, and was proceeding to search him ; at
this he appeared " rather ticklish," and made some
resistance. Humphries, however, searched and
found in one of his pockets, a gold snug-box, con- ,
taining a number of Bank notes, upon which the
prisoner said, " you are right, it is of no use for me
to deity it' any longer ; take care of that box, for it
contains Bank' twits amounting to 371.; keep all
you find about nie, and I won't split, (meaning he
would never discover.) Humphries answered,
" he would keep all he found about him for a short
time, but that he should split." He then asked the
prisoner what he had done with the remai•tder of
the property he had taken from the old Gentle-
man answered he had made away with it;

he had sold it to a Jew, whom he should not
know again, and 'hat what was then found about
him, was all that remained. _ _

William Holt, Clerk to Mr. Antrobuq, in the
'Strand, proved that he had given to Mr. Bryant
sma.a notes, -in change for a tool. note, on the 3d of
May. Some of these notes were produced, and
proved by Humphries to have been contained in the
gold snutl-box taken from the prisoner's person.
Philip Paul, a pawn-broker, produced a gold
watch he received trom the prisoner in pledge, and
which Bryant proved to have been one of those
taken from him at the robbery.
The Prisoner, in his defence said the whole of
the property was given to him'at a public-house in
Mary-lc-bonne, by another servant, who had former.
ly lived with Mr. Bra am.
S,-vetat witnesses appeared to the prisoner's chi.
rafter.

Toe Recorder summed up the evidence fur tl
Jury, who found him Guilty—Death,

The, prisoner is only 20 years of age.
Yesterday 15 prisoners were tried, five of whom
were capitally convicted, viz :

if ziliant Harrison, for stealing in the dwelling.
house of Richard Bagster, a qu.totity of stair carpet-
ing, above the value of Ws. his property.
liichord Evans, ior being at large belore the expi-
ration of the term of seven years, for which he had
been ordered to be transported.
Bridget Kelly, for stealing two pies of printed
cotton, ab.)ve the value of 40s. the property of Jon
seph Popjoy, in his dwelling-hottse.
Geqrge Towers, as above detailed.
Anthony Hi.nion, for stealing a shirt and two 11.
Bank Notes, the property of Peter 'Egin in his dwel-
ling-house.