Star.
London, England, 1810-07-24 00:00:00

OLD BALLET.

Yesterday C..9rge Towers was capitally indicted for
a burglary and robbery in the dwelling house of
Pierce Bryant, Esq. No. 25, Manchester-street, Man-
chester-square, on the Bth of May last.
Mr. Aronultus opened the pleadings by stating the
nature of the offence ; and that the indictment con-
tained three counts, charging the clime in different
ways. The first for breaking and entering the dwel-
ling house in the night time, on the Bth of May, and
stealing therein the articles charged ; the second, for
assaulting and putting in fear the prosecutor, and
taking from him, against his will, the articles char-
ged ; and the third, charging the prisoner with being
clandestinely in the dwelling house, stealing the ar-
ticles, and burglariously breaking out of the house
therewith.

Mr. KNAPP stated the case for the prosecution.
The first witness examined was Pierce Bryant,
Esq. a venerable Irish Gentleman, upwards of 70,
and so infirm in his limbs, that he was carried into
Court, and accommodated with a seat during the
trial. He stated in evidence that he is the proprietor
of, and resident in, the house, 25, Manchester-street,
Manchester-square, parish of Mary-la-bonne ;—that
cn the evening of the Bth of May last, his niece went
out in his carriage, taking with her his two male ser-
vants, a coachman and footman. His female ser- ,
Tants also went out. At a quarter before twelve that
night, as he sat reading in his front parlour, he heard
the parlour door gently opened, he turned round, and
saw a man approach him. He looked steadily at the
man, who had a black crape over his face. The man
approached him nearer, but without uttering a word,
took up the candle, pointed towards the back parlour
door, and with a sort of grunt, seemed to imply a man-
date for the prosecutor to go in there. lie was sit-
ting near the parlour door ; the man repeated his sig-
nal, but the prosecutor not chusing to obey, the man
seized him by both hands and drew him towards the
bask parlour. He made some resistance, and in or
der to counteract the force with which he was pulled,
not being well able to stand, he laid himself across a
card-table in the room, upon which he had-been writ-
ing. But the man pulled him with still greater force
over the card-table. He fell on the floor, the, table
fell upon him, and severely wounded him on'the shin.
In this manner he was kept down, the man standintr
over him. There was a large iron chest in the back
parlour, and the floor was covered with boxes. Mr.
Bryant expressed a wish to be allowed to take a seat.
He received no answer, but a repetition of the grunt;
he endeavoured to crawl towards the door on his
hands and knees to get to a seat, upon which the man
got upon him, struck him with his fist a violent blow
on the head, which knocked him on his back. The
man then thrust his hands into both his breeches
pockets, in one of which he had £lOO in small bank-
notes, in the other pocket was his pocket book, con-
taining other bank notes. The man took both, and
then putting his hand into his side pocket, took out
the key of his iron chest, unlocked it and began tai
rifle the drawers with one hand, while the other held
the hand of the prosecutor fast to prevent his stirriny
or giving any alarm. The man took every thing of
value from the iron chest, consisting of diamond-rings,
several gold watches, gold chains, coins, seals, gold
null boxes, and other valuable articles. 'The man

having rifled the chest and put fill the things into his
pockets, took up the candle, went into the front pat--
Lair, the door cf which he locked, leaving the prose-
cutor in the.dark, where he remained about three
quarters of an hour lying on the floor before any one
came to his assistance. The prosecutor said he knew
the prisoner ; that lie was about six months in his ser-
vice. He could not swear positively to the risoner's
person, as he was now differently dressed, and did
not look so bulky as the person who robbed him.
Humphries, the Bow-street officer, stated, that on
the `sth of June, in consequence olsome information
he had received, he went to No. 15, Little Bailow-
street, Mary-la-bonne, where he was told the prisoner
lodged, to inquire for him. He was answered that
theprisoner wasthenoutoftown,andrequestedto leave
his commands : but not choosing to take this answer,
he went up stairs, and on entering a room on the
first floor, occupied by a Mrs. Temple, he there
found the pri .over at tea in company with a lady and
a soldier of the 2d Life Guards. He accosted the
prisoner familiarly, who greeted him kindly in return,
but said he had not the pleasure of knowing him.—
Humphries answered that he knew the prisoner well:
and asked him if he had not an intention of going to
India? The prisoner answered he had some such in-
tention, upon which Humphries expressed a wish to
converse with him in private, to this he readily agreed :
and they adjourned to another room. After some
conversation (or " gammon". as it is technically call-
ed) on different matters, Humphries disclosed to him
his business, OA possession of a gold watch and
seals (one of which had Mr. Bryant's crest) which
the prisoner wore, and proposed to him to accompany
him to Mr. Bryant's. This the prisoner refused, but
Humphries producing his staff, said he must come
by force if lie would not come quietly. Humphries
taking him by the arm, led him to Mr. Bryant's; but
just as they had reached the door, the prisoner ran off,
and WAS pursued by Humphries, who retook him af-
ter a chace of nearly a mile. He then got a coach,
and before he put the prisoner in, tied his hands,
and was proceeding to search him ; at this he appear- ,
ed "rather ticklish" and made some resistance.—
Hnmphries, however, searched, and found in one of
his pockets, a gold snuff box, containing a number
of bank notes, upon which the prisoner said " you
are right, it is of no use for me to deny it any longer;
take care of that box, for it contains bank notes
amounting to t'37, keep all you find about me, and
I won't " split", (meaning he would never discover).
Humphries answered, " he would keep all he found
abour him for a short time, but that he should split."
He then asked the prisoner what he had done with
the remainder of the property he had taken from the
old gentleman ?—He answered that be had made
away with it ; that he had sold it to a Jew whom he
should not know; again, and that what was then found
about him, was all that remained.
William Hall, clerk to Mr. Antrobus, in the
that he had given to Mr. Bryant
change for a £lOO note, on the Al of
these notes were produced, and proved
to have been sontained in the gold
from the prisoner's person.
a pawn-broker, produced a gold watch

11

• Strand,
notes,atind,pr in proved
May. Some of t
. by Humphries
snuff box taken
Philip Paul, a