The Sun.
London, England, 1829-01-14 00:00:00

BOW-STREET.

Yesterday George Wood and Thoinar Varney
were placed at the bar, before Mr. HALLE, charged
with horse stealing.
The prisoner Wood had undergone several exami-
nations, he having been separately charged with hav-
ing stolen a black gelding, the property of a Mr.
Coleman, who resides at Mitcham. It appeared
that the robbery had been effected so tar back as
January, 1826 ; and that in the following May,
the animal was sold by the prisoner fur MI. to a
Mr. Satchell, in whose possession it remained a
short time, when it was claimed oy Mr. Coleman,
from whom it had been stolen. The prisoner Wood
having heard of this circumstance, returned the 151.
to Mr. Satchell. He absconded soon after, and had
not been heard of since, until he was taken into
custody about a fortnight ago, by a Surrey constable
named Gough.
It having been ascertained that a man named
Robert Finch was confined in the House of Correc-
tion, Clerkenwell, and that he having been tried a
short time ago at the Old Bailey, with a man named
Roe, for stealing a horse from a butcher named
Turtle, residing in Tottenham-court-road, was likely
to afford some information with respect to the pri-
soner Wood, Finch was accordingly examined upon
the subject, and the result was that he made a
voluntary confession, in which he stated that the
prisoner Varney, in conjunction with himself, Roe,
and the prisoner Wood, planned and executed the
robbery of Mr. Turtle's horse. In consequence of
this information, Varney was taken into custody, and
the r.pprover Finch was brought forward from the
House of Correction to give evidence against his
associates.

Thomas Turtle stated, that on the night of Sa-
turday, the 10th of May last, at eleven o'clock, the
horse which had been stolen from his father v,as
safe in the stable. At four o'clock the following
morning witness discovered that the stable had been
broken open, and that the horse was gone.
William Turtle deposed to his being brother to
the last witness. On the night of the 10th of May,
between 11 and 12 o'clock, be went to the New
Inn publie-houro, where he saw the prisoner Varney
in the parlour, who asked him to take share of a
glass of brandy and water, saying, " Come, Kill
Bull, you shall drink along with me." The prisoner
made him drink several times; and after leaving the
New Inn they went to another public-house, and
had more to drink.

Robert Finch, the approver, having been sworn,
stated, that he was a hackney-coachman out of em-
ployment. The prisoners Varney, Wood, George Roe,
and himself, were in the habit of meeting each other at
Smithfield-market. It was there planned by Var-
ney to steal Mr. Turtle's horse, which he said was
a very valuable one. On the night of the 10th of
May it Was agreed to do the job. Wood, Roe, and
the witness went to a public-house in Tottenham-
court-road, and Varney went to the New Inn public-
house, for the purpose, as he said, of detaining young
Turtle there, and keep him from going to the :table.

Roe and the witness broke open the stable-floor
and took the horse out. They brought it to the
corner of Beaumont-place, New road, where Wood
was waiting; to receive it. Wood mounted the
horse, and rode away, saying, he would send up the
saddle, which belonged to Varney, by the
Leicester coach, and that the money which he re•
ceived
.for the horse should he sewed• up in the lining
of the saddle.

Witness and Roe were taken into custody next
morning. They stood their trial for the robbery at
the Old Bailey, when Roe was convicted, and the
witness acquitted.
Mr. HALLS observed, that the acquittal of the wit-
ness afforded an additional proof of the uncertainty
of a trial at the Old Bailey. He then asked ii any
other evidence was intended to be produced, ob-
serving, that the confession of Finch formed no
ground whatever for detaining Varney.
Fagan, the officer, replied, that he was not pre-
pared with any other proof at present.
The prisoner Wood was then fully committed to
take his trial for stealing Mr. Coleman's horse, and
Varney was ordered to be discharged.