The Sun.
London, England, 1817-10-04 00:00:00

l'_'T

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

EXTENSIVE ROBBERY c.:(temiTTED 1W SERVANTS
ON MEM EMPLOYERS.
HATTON-GARDEN.—Yesterday' iibrithain Hud-
son, storehoustclerk, Chfirles-Blake,-Saniuel Fabb,
'George Payne, and Luke Collins, drisymen,,all in
the employ of Messrs. Henry Wyatt, senior and
junior, father and son, amber and fine ale brewers,
Portpool-lane, were brought up for examination,
cliprged with 'stealing-several, barrels of ale, the
property Of their employers, and selling-the same
to different publicans at halt price on their own
account. Hudson, the storoouse clerk, deliver-
ed in a written confession, io,which be gave the
names of several publicans as the purchasers of
the ale so stolen from the prosecutors, and sold
to them by the other four prisoners.
The prisoner Hudson being ,called from the bar
and admitted as evidence, was sworn and examin-
ed. He lived six months in the service of the pro.
stcuturs as storehouse . clerk. It was his duty
to snperintend the delivery of ale front the stores
to the ptisouers, to be by them, delivered to the
publicans who had given' previous orders, and
which orders were kept in a book in the counting,
) house, and •it was witness's duty to see that the
draymen (prisoners) receives! no more ale than
was ordered. About two months,ago the pri
soiiers Blake 'and _Faith, the two head draywen,
proposed to wituess, to let them have a barrel or
two of ale to. sell on their own account, as they
knew of publicans who would buy it of them.
IVitness refused at the time to let. them have any-
they afterwards asked him several. times to let
them have a barrel-or two, and at leagth he con-
sented, and let them take a barrel more than was
ordered ; the tour prisoners were present. On
their tenon home at fright, they: yold witness they
sold it for 21. the regular price being 4/ arid
paid him eight shillings as his filth part- 01.. share.
Witness afterwariis let them have, trout tithe to
time, upwards of 20 barrel;, all of which were
sold ai halt price, and then divided as already
stated. There were two drays ; Fabb and Payne
drove one dray, and Blake and Collins droee the
other dray. -The store-cellar was in John's-rnews,
Theoliald's-row. About a mouth ago, witness'.
cihployers informed him that they had received
anonymous information that something wrong
was going on, and which wiiness told the pri-
soners in the store-cellar, and then he pia a stop
to giving theth any more. Some, time after, the
prisoner Blake called to witness to let hint have
a barrel or two to take .to Mr. Walkinghaes.,.
Surrey Arms. Witness refused ; but he took it.
out of the store;cellar unknown to witness, as:the
key always hung up in the court,ting-hoUse, and
the prisoners had access to it. In the evening
witness met the prisoners Blake, 1%04 am! Payne;
at the White Horse, in Portpool-lane, where
Blake, in the presence.of Fab!) and Payne, _Kahl
I him 225: without telling hint what for, and wit-
ness made no impary.
James Walkingham sworn.—He is a victualler,
and keeps the Surrey-Arnis,,Surrey-square, Kent,
road: He dealt with Mes'srs: Wyatt for ale about
four years, and always paid' 41. a-barrel tor it,
`About four months, ago, the,prisoner Blake came
to deliver ale at witness's house, aorl then asked
witness if lie wished .to get money a little faster.
Witikios.asked hinV What he meant by that ? the
prisoirer " We can put' 41. or N. a-week
nrore'in your pocket." Witness asked Blake how t
Blake said, " Your house is well situated on oitr
ro.ad to (3,reenwich, trod we.ean always,droP you a
few barrels ;• our charge is but halt pi ice, that is,
2/. a barrel. I said I would have nothing to do
with it at all, as Mr. lVyatt was a friend of mine.
He said, never mind that, you have a large family
to provide for. I said, that was another reason
that 1 would have notljing to do with it. The,
prisoner finding he did not succeed, he begged
witness would take no notice of it. Witness pro-
mised him lie would hot. About two months ago
the prisoner make delivered more ale at witness's
house, and put the same questions to him over
again. Witness said he would consider of it ; but
on the morning of the 4th of SepteMber last,
Blake and the drayman who always accompanied
him, came to witness's house, and said, we have
brought 'you here two barrels of Me on our own
account. Witness told them to lease the casks :
Blake said no, we never leave the -casks, we know
-our business better, that. is the way to get detecG.
ed. Witness paid Blake four 1/. notes,. and he
took away the empty casks, after racking off the
ale into two porter bints that had some. porter in
them. The following Wednesday Mr. Blew, pro-
secutor's collecting cietk, called, he being Collect-
ing, and Witness told all that occurred. Witness
wakted next day on the prosecutors, and concerted
a plait with them ; witness informed 'the pri-
soners that he would order two barrels of ale in
,the regular way, and it would afford them an op-
portunity to bring some' on their own account.
In the morning, according to appointment, Mr.
Blew called at -witness's lionst and after writing
his name on the back of six it. notes, he •gave
them to witness to pay for the ale when it came,
and then Mr. Blew concealed himself in the cel-
lar, and bad two constables above stair 4. About
nioe, Blake came with the dray,' and after deli-
vering the ale ordered front his master, delivered
three barrels more on his own account, for which
witness paid him'the six imarked notes. All this
was done in the cellar in the hearing of Mr. Blew.
Witness t hen went up stairs, brought down the
constables, and .they were -taken in custody. ,
Mr. Blew confirmed the above evidence on thii
charge, the prisoners were committed, and the
witnesses bound over to prosecute.