The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-21 00:00:00

WORSHIP-STREET.

EXTRAORDINARY ROBBERIES.—Ortavius Clarhe, a
young man of liberal education and highly respectable
family, stated to be the son of a deceased clergyman, was
brought before Mr. Bingham, the sitting Magistrate, for
re-examination upon several charges of robbing different
clergymen whom he visited.
He already stood committed upon two charges. In one
of these cases it appeared that, on the 16th of July, he
visited a gentleman named Leese, at Hoxton, and passed
a good part of the day with him. The next day he
called while that gentleman was from home, and being
shown to his bedroom to shave and dress, he broke open
the drawers, from which he stole a gold watch, several
rings and other jewellery, some linen, &e., and drove off
in a cab, carrying with him a valise and velvet shooting
coat, telling the servant that he and Mr. Leese would
probably return together at ten that night. In the other
else he had, on the 23d of February, borrowed a pony
from Mr. Smoothy, a farmer at Bard Crook, in Essex,
promising to return it next morning ; but the prosecu-
tor never saw him again until last week, when he was
in custody at this Court, and he then acknowledged that
he had sold the pony near Smithfield for 31., because, be
said, it fell sick.

Sergeant Rogers, of the C division of police, who ap-
prehended :the prisoner on the sth instant in Queen-
street, May-fair, and obtained possession. of nine pawn-
brokers' duplicates, now brought forward several gentle-
men, owners of portions of the property found in pawn.
Mr. Richard King Pierce, a young surgeon, living in
chambers in Child's-place, in the Temple, stated that he
bcame acquainted with the prisoner about two years ago,
and on the 10th of last month received a note from him
expressing an intention to pay him a visit. He accord-
ingly came and passed the evening with complainant and
another gentleman named Dukes. The following morn-
ing he called again, and witness having to go to a lec-
ture, invited the prisoner to accompany him, but he
declined doing so, and asked permission to remain there
and smoke a pipe. Witness told him. to remain there as
long as lie pleased, and appointed to meet him there at
four in the afternoon, but he was never seen again until
the present time, and the witness missed his case of in-
struments, a silver lancet case, a number of coins pierced
and strung upon a string, arid other articles.
Mr. Thomas William Dukes, a solicitor, stated that
he occupied the same chambers as Mr. Pierce, and the
prisoner passed the evening of the 10th of July with
them. The next evening, when witness returned home,
and informed Mr. Pierce of what had occurred, he exa-
mined his bed-room, and missed three gold rings, a gold
pin, a razor case, pearl handled knife, and silver tobacco
stopper.

The three gold rings, two gold pin=, the case of in-
struments, lancet ease, and silver tobacco stopper were
now produced by two pawnbrokers, in Holborn, with
whom the prisoner had pledged them on the 11th of
July, and they were identified by the respective owners.
John Dennett, footman to Captain Chapvel, of 17,
Queen-street, May-fair, stated that on the sth instant,
the prisoner, who had formerly- been a visitor at his
master's, met him at a public-house, in Queen-street,
and put nine pawnbrokers' tickets into his hand to take
care of for him while he went to see his mother, in
Essex. Witness kept them for an hour or two, and then
gave them up to Sergeant Rogers, who took the pri-
soner into custody.
The depositions in these cases having been taken and
read over, the prisoner, who appeared much dejected,
and admitted his guilt, handed to the magistrate a well-
written letter, in which he professed to explain what he
termed his " extraordinary conduct" and his motives ;
and he was about to be fully committed, when another
charge was unexpectedly preferred against him by Mr.
Alexander Steward, a nurseryman and seedman at Salt-
hill, near Windsor.

Mr. Stewart stated that he had known the prisoner
for many years, and knew his connections to be highly
respectable, but had lost sight of him for a considerable
time, until about the 16th of last March, when the pri-
soner called upon him at Salt-hill, and having reminded
him that they had been schoolfellows, proceeded to state
that he had become captain and part owner of the Ruby
brig ; that he was bound for Constantinople, and had
been commissioned by the Sultan to select and take out
with him a large quantity of seeds. He remained at the
house of the complainant until the 31st of March, and in
the meantime the seeds were selected and packed in
wooden boxes, the prisoner stating that he was to get the
money for them, and for other purposes, from his mother's
lawyer, a gentleman named Sawyer, in Lincoln's Inn.
They then came to town together by the Great Western
Railway, and the boxes of seeds were taken in a cab to
a public-house called the Essex Serpent, in Charles-
street, Westminster. They were about together for two
or three days, and the prisoner several times borrowed
complainant's watch to enable him to be punctual to his
appointments. On the morning of the 3d of April he
borrowed it again, and they then walked about until
they came to Carey-street, Lincoln's Inn-fields, where
prisoner left him upon pretext of going to his mother's
solicitor's for the money, and promised to return to him
in an hour. He did not return,however, and complainant,
proceeding to the Essex Serpent, found that the boxes
of seeds had been taken away. His a atch he said was
worth 41. or 51, and the value of the seeds was 301 He
never saw the prisoner again until yesterday.
The depositions were taken for the prisoner's commit•
tal in this case also.'

Mr. BINGHAM handed to the prosecutors the letter
which the prisoner had addressed. to him before the last
charge was brought forward. The following is a copy of
the letter :

" Clerkenwell Prison, Aug. 20, 1844.
" Sir,—lloping your pardon for this intrusion, I take
the liberty of addressing these few lines to you, being
anxious to communicate with my friends, and feeling
convinced that I cannot do so through a better channel
than your Worship.
" I stand before you charged with three distinct
crimes, to two of which do I own myself guilty, namely,
the first and the last ; but with regard to the horse steal-
ing, most decidedly not guilty. The animal was lent to
me, while in my hands it fell sick, and I thought it hest
.
for all p.rties to sell it ; I did wrong, it was merely
an error in judgment. The gentleman of whom I bor-
rowed the horse.rs one of my aunt's tenants. I felt per-
fectly safe in doing so, feeling certain that my mother
would have no difficulty in arranging a trifling affair
with her own siqer.

i
'• Aiy ouject ii writing this letter to you is to explain
to my friends my
motives for such extraordinary con-
duct. I had not the slightest intention, that they should
WSW one Qingle 4rticle, lAA wad fool enough to imagine