Star.
London, England, 1816-07-02 00:00:00

POLICE.

BOW-STREET.DARING Area EXTENSIVI BURG-.
Lan?, Scc.--Yesterday George Thorpe, and Thomas li
horpe, his nephew, two well known characters, were
brought hither by the officers James, Smith, and
Lack, who had anreliended them in a house in
Swan-alley, St. John's street, Smithfield, to which
they had traced them from a description, on suspi-
don of having broke open a house in Ives., belonging
to Mr. W. Franklin, at a late hour last Tuesday
night, in conjunction with two other robbers. It ap-
peared that the entrance was effected by the back
part : the chamber door of Mr. Franklin was burst
open, and two men. disguised, entered armed with
pistols, to the great terror of Mr. Franklin and hib
wife. The robbers threatened, that if they made the
least noise or resistance they would shoot them, and
then proceeded to cover them over with the bed-
clothes : they then took from Mr. Franklin's pockets,
and from a canvass INT, bank notes and silver to the
amount of about eight pounds. Mr. Franklin told
them that was all the money lie had got ; one of the
1 robbers said he knew better, and must have some of
his rusty guineas, as he knew he had got plenty of
them, for a relation of Mr. Franklin's had told him
he had got eight hundred guineas in the house : he
then proceeded to search the pockets cf Mr. and Mrs.
Franklin for the keys, and having found them in Mrs.
Franklin's pocket,-he went to search for the rusty
guineas as he termed them, leaving his companion to
guard Mr. and Mrs. Franklin, that they might not
pursue him, or make an alarm : soon aner .Mr.
Franklin, hearing the robber who had got the keys
proceeding to a place where he had consijerable
treasure, suddenly jiimi:ed up out of bed to save his,
property, wrested a pistol and an iron crow from the
villain who was in his chamber ; gave him several
severe blows, escaped from him, and ran naked down
stairs after the robber who was about to get his
treasure. An alarm was then given by the rubbers,
and there being four in the house, a dreadful scene
ensued : one of them called out to the other to lire ;
a pistol was, in consequence, discharged, and in the
confission, providentially, instead of shooting Mr.
Franklin, shot one of the robbers, who called to his
companions, entreating them to be off, saying I
am properly done for ;" and they accordingly left
the house. The discharge of the pistol alarmed Mrs.
Franklin, who in her fright jumped out of the win-
dow, with only her night dress on ; two female ser-
vants in the same state of undress also jumped out of
a window, all of them expecting to be murdered.—
The servants escaped without any serious injury, but
we are concerned to say Mrs. Franklin broke one of ,
her legs.—Mr. rontifex, of Shoe-lane, the brother in-
law of Mr. Franklin, was there on a visit, and his
chamber door was broken open in a similar manner
to that of Mr. Franklin's, and two men armed and
disguised entered his chamber : they made use of
horrid threats of blowing his brains out, if he made ,
any noise or esistance. . They then covered him
over between the bed and the bed:clothes, till he was';
nearly suffocated, and then robbed his pockets of I
bank notes to the amount of nine pounds.—Mr.
' Franklin and Mr. Pontifex attended yesterday the
examination of the prisoners. Mr. Franklin pro.
duced a shirt covered with the blood of the robber,'
who was shot while engaged in a struggle with him.
He was asked as to his knowledge of the prisoners, to
which he replied, he had no hesitation in saying the
prisoner Thomas Thorpe was one of the robbers who
entered his Chamber : he knew his voice well, and
had known him for years, his father residing but a
short distance from his house, in the parish of Iver :
he had no recollection of the person of George Thorpe.
Mr. Pontifex stated, that George Thorpe resembled
one of the men who entered his chamber, who, just as
he was entering his room door, pulled a mask over
his face. One of the four robbers is supposed to be
a woman. It was ascertained that the robbers had
come to the spot in a one-horse
_cart, which had been
bused into a field of clover belonging to Mr. Frank.

4111"‘.7'.1

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ro.—Thomas Thorpe was fully committed for trial
to Newgate.—Mr. BIRNIE, the Magistrate, observed,
that although George Thorpe had not been identi-
fied, he could not' part with him till he gave a satis-
factory account of himself, and committed him for
further examination.
Qum-souane.—Yesterday the Marquis of Wor-
cester preferred a complaint against the driver of the
I a:kney.coach, No. 554. On Wednesday evening
his Lordship was returning from a ball at Willis's
Rooms, his carriage was in a direct line after that of
Lord Rancliffe, when the defendant endeavoured to
break the line. He first ran against the carriage
wheel, but not succeeding to get in, he made another
attempt, in which the near horse in the Marquis's
carriage was much hurt. On being remonstrated
with, he poured forth a torrent of abuse, but was at
last got away by the constables. He was fined lOs.