The Sun.
London, England, 1842-10-22 00:00:00

- -
ROBBERY OF PLATE, &c., AT
HAMPTON COURT PALACE.
Thursday Colonel T. Wood, M.P. (for Middlesex)
and Mr. Pattison, of Poyle, County Magistrates, were
occupied for several hours, at the office of Mr. Home
(clerk to the Magistrates of the Staines Division) in
the town of Staines, Middlesex, in investigating the
circumstances connected with a most daring burglary,
and extensive robbery of valuable plate and other ar-
ticles, which was committed on the night of Friday
last, at Hampton Court Palace.
The portion of the Palace which was entered were
the apartments of Mrs. Sheridan and Lady Dufferin,
and the persons in custody are Henry Grover, aged
30 years, a jobbing gardener of dissolute habits, liv-
ing at Hampton Wick, Martha Grover, his wife, aged
31 years, and Mary Anne Goatley, aged 19 years,
formerly cook in the service of Mrs. Sheridan, which
three are charged with the burglary and robbery, and
Susan Foster, 60 years of age, living in Deptford-
lane, Peckham, who is mother of Martha Grover, who;
is charged with having received part of the property,
knowing it to have been stolen.
The character of the case will he understood from
the evidence of Mrs. Caroline Henrietta Sheridan,
who deposed that she was in the occupation of apart-
ments in Hampton Court Palace. The prisoner,
Mary Ann Goatley, had been her cook, and had the
care of the apartments during witness's absence from
home. Some short time since witness missed several
articles of value, and told her she suspected her of
taking them, when she said her friends were poor but
honest; yet witness discharged her about the 4th of
the present month. Before she left witness's house
the plate was placed in a cupboard in the dining-
room, and Mary Ann Goatley assisted witness's other
servants in carrying the cupboard in. The cupboard
was left in the dining-room, and the cupboard as well
as the parlour was locked, witness taking the keys
with her into the country. Witness left her apart-
ments with all the doors secure on the sth inst., and
was accompanied by all her family, no person remain-
ing in the apartments. The outer key was left, as
usual, with Mrs. Gundry, the housekeeper of the Pa-
lace. Witness returned to her apartments on 'Lilo
17th inst., in consequence of having received a letter
from Mrs. Gundry, informing her that her apart-
ments had been broken open, and the plate, &c.,
stolen. On witness's return she examined the cup-
board, and found by her list of plate, which was lying
on the floor, that the following articles of plate
were missing, viz. :—One silver teapot, ten dessert-
spoons, twelve table-spoons, four salt-spoons, mustard
and pepper-spoons, two gravy spoons, one soup ladle,
two sauce ladles, seventeen large forks, nine small
forks, a fish-slice, a butter-knife, nine teaspoons, all
of silver. Also the following plated articles, viz.
A toast-rack, a snuffer-dish, and a marrow spoon.
These were all the articles witness then missed. Some
of them had a crest, and some had not. The crest
generally was a ducal coronet, with a stag's head
issuing from it. Some had a cap of maintenance and
a stag s head on it. Witness also found missing seve-
ral pairs of stockings and a tablecloth, with two part-
ridges wove in the pattern. Two pairs of the stock-
ings were black silk, and had never been worn. There
are two windows to the kitchen of' witness's apart-
ments, both constructed very high in the wall, and not
within the reach of a person of ordinary stature.
Witness had imagined that the fastening to that win-
dow were not sufficiently strong, nod had repeatedly,
requested Mary Ann Qeatley to have the
more secure, which she had shown a retetance made
to do,
and they were not, in fact,
kitchen is on the ground-a
oor and the window before
mentioned looke', l'4:Ler secured. The
..
rri- into what ,is called Tennis Ceurt-
lane,.Le plate produced by James Grinbut, A 64,
71.'as her property, as also the plated articles. The
dessert-spoons produced by Sergeant Churchill, V 29,
were also her property.
After a good deal of evidence,
Mr. Grey then proposed to call further witnesses to
prove the identity of the prisoners, but
Colonel Wood said the case had already been suf-
ficiently gone into to warrant the Magistrate in com-
mitting the whole of the prisoners for trial for
burglary.
The prisoner Goatley and Martha Grover (who ap-
peared near her confinement), with tears, appealed to
Mrs. Sheridan for mercy, and the other two prisoners
made no defence.
Colonel Wood said they stood committed to Newgate
for trial.
The prisoners were next charged with having stolen
various articles of wearing apparel, the property of
Lady Dufferir.
Lady Helen Selina Dufferin deposed that she re-
sided at Hampton Court Palace. On her return to
her apartments on Monday last she found a press in
the upstairs sleeping-room had been broken open, and
various articles stolen. The two shawls, one of silk,
called a Moorish scarf, and the other a China crape,
and a shawl Cashmere dress, produced by James
Grinbut, were her property, as were also a silk shawl
a satin handkerchief; a shawl scarf, three pairs of white
thread stockings, some ribbon, a pair of white kid
gloves, a plated stand in pieces, produced by Sergeant
Churchill, and likewise an Indian gold brooch, pro-
duced by policeman Kerrison.
The prisoners were fully committed for trial upon
that charge also, and were, in about an hour after-
wards, conveyed to Newgate.

MURDEROUS ASSAULT AT
DUNDEE.
We glean the fallowing particulars of the horrid
affair from the Dundee papers of Tuesday, and other
sources:—

James Duff, the unfortunate sufferer in the melan-
choly affair, rents the farm of Whitefield, in the parish
of Kirkmiciutel ; and Alexander M'Kenzie, the sup-
posed perpetrator of the horrid deed, rents the farm
of Drumhead, in the parish of Glenisla, both in For-
farshire. Both appear to be extensive cattle-dealers,
and in that capacity M'Kenzie purchased lately from
Duff cattle and sheep to the value of 1,1801., which
were to have been paid for on delivery. This, how-
ever, M'Kenzie did not do, but set off to the late Fal-
kirk Tryst for the purpose of selling them. Duff
having some suspicion that the money would not be
forthcoming, proceeded after M'Kenzie to Falkirk,
where he learned that some of the stock had been sold
by M'Kenzie at a less price than he promised
to pay for them. The parties met, and Duff de•
manded his money; M'Kenzie, however, on ivarious
pretexts, evaded payment, and promised to pay Duff on
reaching Edinburgh. The parties left Edinburgh
on Thursday morning, and arrived at Dundee at four
o'clock p.m., when they went to the house of Mrs.
Wallace, corner of Barrack-street, where tea was or-
dered. Before tea M'Kenzie went out, leaving Duff
alone. On getting to the foot of the stair in Barrack-
street, M'Kenzie desired Duff to wait till he
(I%l'Kenzie) went back for something; and Duff,
seeing a man smoking, went forward to get a light of
his pipe. On being rejoined by M'Kenzie, they pro-
ceeded up Barrack-street, up the Constitution-road,
thence by the side of the Newtyle Railway, and
crossed the hill by the east side of the Law. They
then proceeded through several parks, till M'Kenzie
entered the stripe of wood, and requested Duff to
follow him. It was nearly half-past six o'clock in the
evening. Duff was extremely anxious to keep out of
the wood, but at last consented to follow M'Kenzie
and enter it. They walked along through the wood
on a green ride lately formed to the westward.
AVlCenzie then asked Duff to step before him, and he
had
no sooner done so than he heard the report of a
pistol, and felt the contents lodged within him.
On receiving the murderous shot, which entered
the back between the left shoulder and spine,
.Duff
stfiggered forward a few paces, and then looked over
his shoulder, when he saw `lienzie standing still.
Apprehensive that M'Kenzie would fire a second time,
or come up and despatch him, Duff exerted every
energy to push his way, till by the most extraordinary
exertions, he reached the house of James White,
farm servant to Mr. Patullo, at Baldragon. On ar-
riving at the cottage he was unable to speak for some
time, but on recovering explained to the inmates of
the cottage, as correctly as he could, what had hap-
pened. Mr. Patullo immediately dispatched a mes-
senger on horseback into Dundee, for Dr. Cocks. The
medical gentleman found a small wound betwixt the
left shoulder and spine, which exhibited the appear-
ance of one caused by a shot from a gun or a smaller
weapon. During the night a deposition from Duffof
the facts of the case was taken down by James Thorns,
Esq., J.P., and information was conveyed to Dundee,
by Dr. Davidson. As to M'Kenzie, it appears that,
supposing Duff to be dead, he ran off towards Dundee.
He returned to Mrs. Wallace's Nitthina
stood
wminutes
of eight o'clock, to sleep all nighv •He at the
adtoohromaned. of
Having rectehievedserfvlaanatnif answer that
'Wallace
tillatahwas
ee
was
expected to be in shortly, he
pprenticed with an ironmon-
‘ia-e3n,otaanwg-ayin-,aann,d
anephew, returned
ironmon-
ger lessnleorn g
witht n
nn owuhro,
ibringingis
a
in town. The youlig man slept with M'Kenzie
all night.
Information regarding the horrid event wa3 also
sent to the police between elevenand twelve that night;
and Captain Mackison, with his usual viilance,lostno
time in endeavouring to find out the murderer.
Guards were placed at the railway stations, and at the
steam-boats. Among others, an officer was sent to
the railway a few minutes before the starting of the
train, and, communicating to the guard tiro descrip-
tion of the person he wanted, the guard immediately
pointed to M'Kenzie, who was seated-
on the carriage,
and said, " There's your man." The officer told him
that he must come out and goal along with him. He
made no resistance, but instantly Caine out and walked
inquiringovei
to the police-office,
office, he was informed byr Caupofftial then officeronMackisona
rr i by the way
if anything had come.
indifference then left •
crime he had been taken up.
and cried severely. and
cen up His former firmness
vingfoia.twhthaet
him; he got much agitated,
him, and deposit receiptso for 7.21.
notes to the amount 2 searching
were got on
571/ 12s. ad.
On his person, bank
riemuir.in a bank at Kir' -