Star.
London, England, 1830-03-01 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

BOW-STREET.

SIXOULAa ROBBERY.— Thomas Dean late butler in the ser-
vice of T. Ayres, Esq., of Cavenham, in the pariah of %%ambito',
Norfolk, was brought before Sir Rieman Brame and T.
HALL., Esq. by Ellis, a principal officer, charged by J. Motteux,
Req. of Beachamwell-hall, Swaffiham, Norfolk, with stealing silver
phis, his property, of the value of 701. and upwards.
Mr. Motteux, who is a magistrate of the county of Norfolk, left
kis seat, Beachamwell.hall, on Friday, the 12th of February, to
tome to London, to his town residence, No. 92, Gloucester-place,
Portman square. He travelled in his private carriage, in the dickey
of which the footman had, by his directions, placed the chest of
plate. On his way to the metropolis he paid a visit to his friend
Mr. Ayres, and slept at that gentleman's house on the Friday night,
and the carriage was put into the coach-house. On the fol-
lowing morning it was discovered that the plate chest and its
oselets had been carried out: The prisoner, who was the
1 Ws: of Mr. Ayzes, expressed his surprise when he was in.
honed of the robbery, and it was observed that he betrayed
• deal of alarm and confusion. Shortly afterwards the
chest
was found empty at some distance from the house.
prisoner had received notice from Mr. Ayres to quit his
service for misconduct a short time prior to the robbery, and
no suspicion was excited against him till after he quitted the
service of that gentleman, last Friday week. He had taken a place
by the coach to come to London, and he was seen with a bundle
before he started, about a mile distant from the house, in the oppo-
site direction from that leading to town. Information was sent to
this office of the grounds of suspicion, with a description of the pri.
loner, and the name of the coach by which he travelled to London,
and Ellis, the officer, traced him to a lodging which he had taken
in St. James's, and apprehended him on Saturday morning, with
part of the stolen property in his possession.
Thomas Hopkins stated, that he was groom to Mr. Motteux ; on
the 11th of February last he packed up the plate in a chest, viz.—
two dozen silver forks, one dozen and eleven silver spoons, twelve
dessert-spoons, six salt-spoons, four gravy-spoons, four silver ladles,
&c. &c. and he placed the chest in the dickey of the carriage.
When his master arrived at the house of Mr. Ayres, the car-
riage was placed in the coach-house, and the door was
locked. The prisoner was in the yard when his muter arrived,
and slept in the same room as witness that night; before they went
to bed, the prisoner took Mr. Ayres's plate to his (prisoner's) bed-
room, and witness asked him why he did so, and if any robbery had
been committed in that neighbourhood, because it might be as well
to remove the plate from the coach-house; the prisoner replied, that
there had been no robbery, but it was his custom to take his master's
plate up stake every night, and that the prosecutor's plate would be
quite safe in the coach-house, as the groom slept there, and would
hear if any one abctuld attempt to break in ; the prisoner rose at
seven o'clock in the morning, and Ile (witness) got up about eight
o'clock ; he went to get the carriage out about ten o'clock, and then
found the apron of the dickey unbuttoned, and the chest ;of plate
gone; he went to the prisoner and informed him of the circum.
stance; he appeared alarmed and confused, and when he was asked
to go and infirm his master, he hesitated for some time ; the pri-
soner afterwards said that he thought the post-boy had stolen the
property. The spoon and part of a fork, proclaim! by Ellis, were
part of the stolen property. The prisoner bad several times beck
with his muter at the house of the prosecutor, and had seen the
plate and knew the chest.
Ellis said, that he traced the prisoner on the 23d instant to tit,
Union Hotel, corner of Bury-street, St. James's. He took him into
custody that morning, and in his box and on his person he found
the spoon, the skewer, and a part of a fork, which he produced.
Mr. Motteux identified the property as part of that stolen from
his carriage.
Ellis stated, that he found 115 sovereigns and a watch on the pri.
loner; and when he discovered the stolen property, the prisoner
asked him what would be the consequence ?
1 Mr. Morteux—That is a confession of the robbery.
Mr. Barnaby, the clerk, observed that it ought not to be taken
as an acknowledgment of guilt ; it might be Intended in an oppo-
site sense, as thus—suppose you have found it, what is the con-
sequence ?
Mr. HALLS observed, that it would be exceedingly improper to
strain a construction upon words used by a prisoner when in a state
of excitation.

Sir RICHARD Maxis asked the prisoner if he had anything to
say ?,
He replied : I did not commit the robbery myself, and that is all
I shall say at present.
The prisoner is a good-looking man, about thirty years of age,
of middle stature, and dark complexion. He was remanded till
other witnesses arrive from Norfolk.