The Sun.
London, England, 1845-01-10 00:00:00

THAMES POLICE.

TUB ROBBERIES IN TILE DOCRS.—Matthew Clark,
James Hurley, Samuel Cantelo, William Johnson, and
Benjamin Aston, were brought before Mr. Ballantine,
charged with stealing 147 pounds of leaf tobacco, the
property of the London Dock Company, from their
premises, on Friday night last, and on suspicion of
being concerned in other robberies and attempts at
robbery in the London and St. Katherine Docks.
Clark and Hurley were before Mr. Ballantine on Sa-
turday, and were remanded. The other prisoners
were apprehended on Wednesday night, in Church-
street, near the Pavilion Theatre, by William Judge,
an inspector of Thames Police. With the exception
of Clark, who is about 35 years of age, the prisoners
are stout young fellows, who had been for sometime
known to the police.
Mr. Humphreys, solicitor, attended on the part of
the London Dock Company, to prosecute the five' men
at the bar.
Michael Riley, a watchman in the London Dock,
stated that he saw Clark and Hurley in conversation
on the swivel-bridge of the dock, between the two
tobacco warehouses, on Saturday last. On seeing
him approach they separated, and Hurley joined
another man. He had seen Cantelo, Aston, Hurley,
and Clark, repeatedly together during the last
eighteen months in Rosemary-lane, and also at the
Kettle and Drum public-house. lie was in the to-
bacco warehouse on Friday, and,saw the doors closed
and fastened at four o'clock, when all was safe.
Clark and Hurley, who were very boisterous and
impudent throughout the investigation, alternately
abused and cross-examined Riley, and said he was
swearing falsely, and did not know their names when
he came to the prison to identify them.
Mr. BALLANTINB said the witness knew their per-
sons, and had seen them often ; and although he would
allow the prisoners every latitude in putting ques-
tions, he would not tolerate any abuse or nonsense
from them.
James Tyler, gate-keeper at the Wapping-gate,
stated that he saw Clark and Hurley enter the dock
,together on Friday afternoon.
James Swinland, dock constable, whose evidence
has been already published, deposed to the apprehen-
sion of Clark in the eastern dock on Friday afternoon,
at five o'clock, and he delivered to him two candles,
some lucifers, and a key, which the prisoner said was
a rum 'un. The witness, in answer to questions by
Mr. Humphreys, said there were two persons walking
in advance of Clark, and that he knew Johnson, who
was formerly a labourer in the London Dock.
John William Judge, ironmonger, of No. 5, John-
son-street, said he was the nephew of Joshua Judge,
Thames police inspector, who lived in the same house.
On Friday night last he saw persons loitering about
the dock wall, and he saw theta go into the house in
Johnson-street, No. 3. He watched them for some
time, and saw them pass and repass, and carry bun-
dles or bags into the house. In consequence of what
he saw he gave information to his uncle, the in-
spector, and went to bed. About two or three o'clock
in the morning he heard something heavy fall from
the dock wall in Broad-street, at the end of Johnson-
street. _ _

Inspector Joshua Judge was in company with a
nephew, Henry Isaac Judge, on Saturday morning
early, and saw two persons with caps enter the house,
No. 3, Johnson-street. They came out again soon
afterwards, aad got away. At eight o'clock he en-
tered the house, and in an upper room found Hurley
stretched on the floor in front of the fire-place, with
his head resting on a basket. On searching the room
he discovered seven bags, containing about 1471b5. of
leaf tobacco.
Mr. John Clements, principal of the London Dock
police, repeated his evidence of Saturday, with some
additions. The tobacco warehouse had been entered
by one or more persons, who must Lave secreted
themselves within the dock on Friday night, and who
got upon the roof, lifted one of the lantern lights, and
descended into the warehouse. The robbers made
their exit through the same opening, and descended
into the street, by means of a rope ladder, which,
with the gear attached, he found at an an?le of the
dock wall, formed by Tench-street and-.ltird-street.
The wall generally was thirty feet high, bit at the
angle it was only sixteen feet, and the height was