The Sun.
London, England, 1827-08-07 00:00:00

'WEBB'S GANG OF MARAUDERS.

The atrocities committed by this gang of mis-
creants are almost beyond parallel—short of
murder, they were stained with every species of
crime, and they were even prepared for that•last
'black accession of guilt, if they had been, inter-
rupted in their midnight plunderings. Indeed;
with such bold and unblushing recklassness,Wefe
their plans carried into execution: that it has
been ascertained they actually gave bonds to R.
'Webb, who then lived at Ipstom, in Oxford-
shire, where' he kept a cooks shop, for the re-
gular supply of two fat sheep, per week, at 155.-
each, throughout the year ! About the same
time, Thomas Webb kept a similar shop at Bat-
tersea; frequented by people of the very worst
character, where he, too, was supplied on the
same terms, the " obligation of the bond" only
not being exacted—and famous
dinners, princi-
pally of mutton and pork, were served up to cus-
tomers at about four-pence each, the honest pur-
veyor reaping no small profit from his visitors,
notwithstanding the. extreme moderation of his
terms ! But, perhaps, the reader may form the'
best judgment of, the extensive business carried
on by the gang from an analysis of the -confession
made by Thomas Webb, on the 6th of. March
last, and witnessid\ by Mr. Eastaff; keeper of the
county gaol ; we, therefore, annex it

He states,-that he, his brother Richard Webb;
of C?okham Done ; James Ayres, Of. Bandy
Cross, near Great Marlow, blacksmith; and
Xthvard Reeves, then living near the Bull, at
High Wycombe, were the party who committed
the burglary in the.preinises of Mrs. Wise, at
Cockpole, near Wargrave, in this county, on
Saturday night, the 23d of December last. On
the previous day, Ayres and Reeves called at
Richard Webb's house, where Thomas Webb
had been on a visit for a week, and brought with
them thirteen turkies, which they had stolen
from Wycombe Abbey, the seat of Lord Car..
rington. On the previous. night, Ayres and
Reeves had carried off no less than four fatgcese
and five domestic fowls, of which they had eased
M. 'Crook; of Clay-lane, Booker Common, all
Which were soon forwarded for sale to London.
It Was on this occasion, when the thieves were in

solemn divan, that the robbery of Mrs. Wise's
shop was decided upon, and the plan of opera-
tions finally arranged. Ayres produced apistol
to his hopeful comrades, and told them that with
it be should be able to frighten the old

woman out of her money, when 'Thomas Webb
dissuaded him from \such an outrage, as in all
probability he might, perhaps, frighten her out
of her life also. The coup de main being agreed
upon, the burglary was completed, and the plunder
safely deposited at R. 'Webb's house, at Cookham
Deane, where it was concealed under the floor of
the barn. But this was not the only exploit that
same night committed, for they eontrived.,to steal
a horse from the premises of 'Mr. Maynard, of
Cockpole, which Ayres wished Tho Mas Webb
to 'lead to Smithfield, where they might dispose
of it to their mutual advantage; but the horse
being a grey one, and rather remarkable in its
colour. Webb declined the overture, when
Ayres said he would undertake the sale. It
would seem, however, that his heait failed, and
soon after passing through Bickham .turripike;
fancying the animal had been noticed, he turned
it loose between Marlow and Hanby-crass. He
returned to his brothers in iniquity on the same
evening (Sunday,) but not empty-handed, for
be made' free with a donkey from the road-side,
on which he said he intended carrying his share
of plunder of Mrs. Wise from the barn. In the
meantime, about five o'clock in the morning,
Thomas Webb commenced his journey home-
wards in his cart, in which was deposited his
quota of pelf, 13 turkeys, four geese, and five
young fowls, and arrived safely with them at his
house at Battersea. On the preceding FrirLay,
Ayres and Reeves carried off a pig, and a spare-
rib of.pork; from Mr. Crook, of Booker Com-
mon, before noticed,. and upon the latter the
three worthies feasted at the house, of Ayres. It
would appear, however, that not, content with
carrying on that system of plundei which brought
one of them to the gallows, they were determined
that the junior branches of their family connex-
ions should be properly initiated and guide d
into the paths of idleness and villainy ; accord-
ingly, we find that W. Webb and" James Webb,
the former 14, the.latter 11 years of age, accom-
panied their uncle, T. Webb, on the night of
Mrs. 'Wise's robbery ! I'. Webb
.adds, that
when he first became acquainted with Ayres and
Reeves, was five, or six years ago, when he lived
at Spital-cross ; and he frequently went out at
night with them shooting pheasants and other
game, in the woods belonging to Sir W. Clay,.
ton, Lord Carrington, Sir J. D. King; and other
gentlemen in the vicinity. In 1823, he removed
from Spital-cross to the parish of Willsden,
near 'Edgware, Middlesex,. where he obtained a
parochial settlement, by renting a house above.
101. per annum, and keeping a cook's shop ;
subsequently he again removed to Sleaford-
place, Battersea, and resided there till he was ap-
prehended. One part of his confession is wor-
thy of being transcribed in detail, as it is indica-.
tive of the great loss which must have been sus-
tained by that excellent nobleman, Lord Car-
rington, from this horde of outlaws ;---" About
four years agO",— Ayres *and- Reeves. brOke--open
Lord Carrington's larder, or slaughter=houSe,
and stole therefrom the whole carcasses of two

fat sheep ; and on another occasion they stole
from his Lordship's premises the greatest
part of a beef carcass ! That Avres and
Reeves were in the constant practice of steal-
ing Lord Carrington's hogs and roasting pigs ;
and that the way they, effected it; was by giving
them barley-meal or peas, mixed up with or
steeped in laudanum, so that in the course of ten
minutes they were fast asleep, and were carried
away like young children !" In 1821, Ayres
and Reeves broke into the mills at Wycombe,
and stole about W. from the counting-house.
But there are others of the gang to be named.
Mrs. Wise's premises were robbed on a former
occasion by J. Rockall, of Remenham, and R.
Briggs, then apprenticed to a Mr. Treacher,
chair-maker, of Wycombe ; they have since.been
transported. The robbery at Mr. Soundy's, of
Culham Farm, was accomplished by two others
of the gang, Dutchman Dean, and a man who
was dignified with the cognomen of Donkey, ;
and the robbery at Lord Boston's, and numerous
ether houses adjacent, was accomplished by
Wm. Clark and Thomas East ; all of whom,
like their compatriots, are destined, in all pro-
bability, to increase the population of Sydney
Cove, or Paramatta. We have already, we
think, given a" pretty lengthy catalogue of the
crimes committed by this desperate banditti,
armed, as they always were, with pistols, carry-
ing pick-lock keys, dark lanterns, and all the
usual attributes of house-breaking ; but we have
not yet done. It appears, from other deposi-
tions taken before Mr. Gardiner, that, on Christ-
mas Eve, 1623, J. Ryckall, and J. Dean, then

bah residing at Remenhain,' broke open the
house of a Mrs. Stubble, of Sonnipg, and stole a
quantity of wearing apparel; plate, &c. which were
purchased front them by Ayres; who contrived to
erase the private marks which were upon the spoons.
About three years and a half ago, the same parties,
Ayres, Rockall, and Dean, committed a bur-
glary in the shop and public-house of Mrs. Rus-
sell, near Lane-end, and stole therefrom various
articles of wearing apparel, &c. Previous to this
robbery, Ayres, Rockall, and Richard Biggs, of
High Wycombe, broke into the shop of Mr.
Croxford, a linen=:draperi- near to the Canal.
Here they had a narrow escape from detection,
for the shopman slept under the .counter, and
jumping. up, whilst Ayres was packing his plun-
der, gave the alarm ; owing to great -good
luck they got off, but not without bringing with
them a variety of goods..—Ayres, Rockall, and
Dean, were the parties who robbed the larder of
Mr. King, a respectable yeoman, residing at
Childsbridge, near Marlow;. and all the pro-.
ceeds of the offence were deposited at Webb's
house, at Battersea. About Christmas, 1822,
Ayres, Rockall, and Biggs, perpetrated the rob-
t)ery of Mrs. Skinner's premises at Wargrave,
and for this offence Ayres was at last convicted.
In short, he was one
_of the most accomplished
burglars ever let loose on his Majesty's subjects.
But we might extend this eventful list of crime
still further, only that we shall be considered as
trespassing too much on the time and patience
of readers ; we, therefore, content ourselves
with congratulating the public -on the complete
annihilation of one of the most numerous and
-daring gangs of miscreants that ever adorned the
criminal annals of the country.--Bucks Chron.

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.

FRENCH PAPERS.

(Fionl the Gazette de France, dated Sunday, Aug. 5..)
'AVG. 4.—Mr. Huskisson was at, Cads-
rube on the Ist of August.
The Minister of the Marine has addressed the fol-
lowing letter to the Commissary of the Marine at
Bordeaux, who has transmitted it to the Chamber of
Commerce of that City
Sir, I have received notice from M. Sil►•estre
de •Sacy, Consul of France at Gibraltar, that three
corsairs, under Algerine colours, are supposed to
have passed the Straits some (lays ago, steering to
the ocean.

" This news was given to M. Silvestre de Sacy,
by the Captain of a Sardinian schooner brig, which
arrived from Oram. According to the report of this
captain, six corsairs had sailed from Algiers, or from
Oran, on the Ist of this month, viz.—a velachero, a
falucho, and another. very small vessel, but a very
good sailer, all three bound to the Ocean, and three
others, likewise of small force, destined to the East.
Captain Collet, commanding the naval force
before Algiers, _ has himself informed me that four
armed feluccas had been able to escape from that
port, by eluding the vigilance of the cruisers during
the night, and by their small draught of water.
" It is therefore important that his Majesty's ships
should be informed, and receive orders to pursue
-these corsairs wherever they may fall in with them.
I, therefore, request you to give instructions
accordingly to the commanders of ships, which may
be xispotched for Bordeaux, or may put in there."
The Moniicur of Saturday has a very long article
on the subject of the simultaneous evacuation of
Spain and Portugal,- by the French and English
troops. The writer, favourable to this step, con-
,ceii,es that " in the present state of things, :Spain
ha 4 only one thing to fear, viz., the anarchy of Por-
tugal; the revolution is vanquished, and will not
rise from its ruins. But the anarchy of Portugal is
likely to continue a long time, without the only and
infallible resource, which we shall point out below;"
This resource is, that " Don Miguel shall enter on
the exercise of the Regency on the day fixed by the
Constitution of the country ; every thing would be
confirmed and consolidated by this one act ; it is a
homage to the new law, which 'he has sworn to
obs'erve ; it is the first step in a constitutional course,
because he would declare that he held his-title from
the. Constitution, 'and could not at the same time
derive his own right from it, and disregard the right
which it giVes to others. We suppose then, and
every' thing favours this idea, the frank and faithful
execution of the Charter would be the basis of the po-
licy of the Regent. Thus Don Pedro would be without
apprehension for the fate of the Charter which he has
given—nothing would oppose the voyage of the
young Queen—and the abdication, at first conditional,
would become irrevocable. On the other hand, there
wotild no longer be any ground or pretext for distrust of
Spain orPortugal. In the constitutional event which we
wish for, there is, therefore, a
..principle of general
amelioration—the ruin of the factious in Portugal—
guarantee of tranquillity for the Peninsula, and a
saving of men and money for France and England.
The 25th of October may' lead to all these, and
doubtless will do so, if, as we willingly believe,
and as his dearest interests make it his duty, Don
Miguel, instructed in the school of Kings, becomes
fully sensible of the advantages and exigencies of
his situation. At present nothing contradicts this
hope; the future Regent has taken the oath to the
Constitution, and that freely, for he was at a dis-
tance from the scene where 'the parties are engaged,
and not subject to their influence. By the act of
betrothing, he has led the way to the solemn act
which is to put an end to all uncertainty, and we
do aot see that he endeavours to anticipate the mo-
ment when his just claims may be brought forward.
Some capricious antipathies will not form an obsta-
cle :to the exercise of a constitutional right ; the
people will not be the dupes of those men who un-
derstand the laws of their country, as the Prwto-
rian did those of Rome."
These conditions being fulfilled, the writer thinks
a long occupation would be useless, the object of all
parties being the peace of the Peninsula, the peace
of Europe,swhieh would be secured by the removal
Of the only cause that can disturb or inspire a fear of
its being disturbed.
" What makes us desire the evacuation of the
Peninsula," concludes
.the writer, " if Portugal is
secured from anarchy, is, that we see no danger for
the ;Peninsula, except in the disorder and anarchy of
Portugal."
(From the Quoti4ieine.)
Pam, AuG. 3.—The, English journals announce,
as a fact almost certain, that the Pacha of Egypt has
proclaimed his independence, and that he is about
to break, by a formal separation recognised by the other
Powers, the last and very feeble tie which still unites
him with the Ottoman Porte. One of these journals
goes nearly the length of saying that communica-
tions on the subject have been made directly to Mr.
Canning.
It is possible that this event, the truth of which
cannot yet be vouched for, is connected with the
new arrangements of the Powers respecting Greece.
ThiS would tend, it is plain, to 'deprive the Porte,
all at once, of the territory of Greece, which stood
as an advanced post for her in Europe, and of Egypt,
which served her as a link of communication with
the Barbary States on the coast of Africa. These
arrangements of the , European Governments with
respect to the Porte, and so many other seeds of
decay, which appear to the eyes of all, presage the
moment of the entire disappearance of the Ottoman
Power from Europe. Such an event could not have
taken place at former periods, without agitating every
Government. Such a variety of interests are concerned
in the existence of the Ottoman Porte, that every
thing winch might, more or less, weaken it, or pre-
pare its destruction, would have awakened, in othet
times, every commercial and political rivalship. At
present, new opinions, which possess both nations
and Governments, appear to govern diplomatic de-
visions. Thus, on the part of France, there is, per-
harts, more of generosity than of policy in her acces-
l-siot to a treaty, and to luviistlits which tend to

LONDON,

TUESDAY EVENING, AUGUST 7, 1827.

In another part of our paper we have stated.

Such particulars as can be collected, respecting
the progress . Of Mr. CAN N NG' S disorder.—
With trembling and anguished minds, we

have delayed our publication till the latest

possible moment, still fondly cherishing
the recollection of instances in which, even

from the- very precincts of the grave, life has
been restored in a manner almost miracu-

lons, and, clinging with desperate hope to the
idea that it might yet please Providence to
avert a blow which must fill with mourning, not

England alone, but the civilized world.
That blow has not indeed been actually

struck—but, alas, its certain and imminent ap-
proach cannot be doubted. The family and
domestics of Mr. CANNING, who have watched

round his bed with a tenderness and assiduity

scarcely paralleled, are now momentarily expect-

ing the sad termination of their pious offices.
At such a season, all power of reflection, ex-

cepting on the .scene immediately before us, is
absolutely suspended. Deep, deep, indeed is
the interest of the political world in the impend-
ing event ; and profoundly according to our place
and grade •do we participate in that interest ;
but all political considerations, for the time,

seem to vanish from view. One only thought

is predoniinant ;—opc only image presents
itself on every side ;—the idea of the most
gifted among living minds,—of grace, of genius,
Of. fascinating manners, of exquisite accomplish-

ments, of magical eloquence,—just touching the
gloomy confines ofmortality, and about to quit for
ever the world which they have adorned and capti-

vated. At such a crisis, awe, grief, wonder, humility,

—enchain the spirit, and absorb all other conscious-
ness.
The faculties are overpowered by a keen and

a thrilling sensation of the littleness of human gran-
deur ; and the impassioned fedingi can only vent

themselves in humbly commending the parting

soul to its Creator.

In another column will be found extracts from
the Paris Papers of Saturday, and the Gazette de
France, dated Sunday morning. The only
article, however, of interest amongst the extracts
is one from the Malheur, recommending the
simultaneous evacuation of Spain and Portugal,
by British and French troops, on condition that
Don MIGUEL should at the same time be'ac-
knlwledgcd as Regent of Portugal. With that

condition annexed, it will be some time before
Great Britain will consent to withdraw her troops
from the territory of her faithful ally.

FRENCH FUNDS, Auc. 4.—Five per Cents. I 03f. 80c.;
Three per Cent,. 731. 50c. ; Bank Stock, 2,010 E Nea-
politan, lentes, 79f. 55c. ; Spanish Loan, (1823), 64f.
Exchanges on London—One Month (Paper and Money),
251. 30c. ; Three Months, (ditto) 251. 15c.

Dutch and Hamburgh Papers to the sth inst.
were received last night. A letter from Elsinore
states that the Russian fleet, which sailed from
Copenhagen on the 25th July, was met on the
27th, at seven in the evening, off Skagen, by the
Moyne, of Cromarty, HIGH, Master, bound to
the Baltic. It then blew a hurricane from the
N.W. by W., and the Master was of opinion
that the fleet would be obliged to put back to
Wingo or to Elsinore Roads. This fleet con-
sists of thirteen sail, and is said, in the letters
from Copenhagen, to have on board about
10,000 men. We subjoin a few extracts :—.

RorrEsnam, Ave. I.—According to accounts from
Padang, on the west coast of Sumatra, of the end Of Fe-
bruary last, the colony enjoyed perfect tranquillity. At
that time the American ships Acusta and Hopps were
taking in cargoes of coffee for the Netherlands ; and at the
end of February the American ship Osprey had sailed from
Paa6g to Gibraltar, with pepper from the northern ports,
and coffee from Padaug.

The ninth anniversary of the birth-day of his Royal-
Highness, the second son of the Prince of Orange, was
celebrated to-day with the usual ceremony. In the parade
which took place in the front of the palace on this occa-
sion, the garrison had the honour of being inspected by his
Majesty in person. His Majesty, who was received with
the most unequivocal demonstrations of attachment, was
pleased to express his satisfaction in the most gracious man-
ner: We had flattered ourselves that his M.ijesty would
remain here till to-morrow, but he set out this afternoon
for the Hague, Whence he would proceed with all speed to
Brussels; a disappointment which is the more felt, as it
arose from an accident which has befallen our beloved
Queen.

Bit.tissEt.s, Auc. I.—M. Germane, who set out yester-
day morning for Rome, accompanied by a Cabinet Mes 7
senger, will probably reach Rome about the 10th inst. and
it is supposed that the contents of the Convention con-
cluded with the'Pope will be after its ratification.
A Committee, consisting of Mesirs. Raoul, de Reiffen,
burg, Wiliiams, and Bernardt, in which the' Minister of
the Interior presided, lately met at Brussels, commissioned
by his Majesty to publish, at the expense of the State,
some ancient manuscripts, relating to the language and the
history of the Netherlands.

Hamaur,.GH, JULY 31.—The Russian fleet sailed from
Copenhagen on the 25th July. It. has been reported that
some Swedish ships of war were also to be sent to the
Mediterranean, but this is positively contradicted in a letter
from Sweden.

AMSTERDAM, Auc., 3,—Exchange on London—f. 11
971; two months, 11 92k. _

The Diario di Ronza, of the .21st ult., and
the Frankfort Journal, of the 31st, have come
to hand this morning. The following are ex-