The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-01-12 00:00:00

THE LATE ROBBERY IN LEATHER LANE.

EXTRAORDINARY CHAIN OF EVIDENCE.
We recently gave a report of the robbery of a gentleman
named Clarke. a silk throwster at Macclesfield, of two £lOO.
notes, and a £6O. note, by a dissolute female at a house in Lea-
ther-lane. He had arrived in Liverpool on Friday, the first of
December, and put up at the Wellington Hotel, in Dale-street.
That night, as he was walking in Dale-street, he met the girl
Small Eecleston, who induced him to go home with her to a
notorious heuse in Leather-lane. Here she contrived to rob
him of two notes for £lOO. each, one note for £5O. and several
sovereigns. She was committed by Mr. Hall and tried at the
last intermediate sessions, when she was found guilty and sen-
tenced to fourteen years' transportation. It will also be re-
membered, that the woman who kept the house, and who was
missing, was supposed to have received the money from the pri-
soner Sarah Ecereston, as it was nut to be ftrund Since then
the officers of police have been actively engaged endeavouring
to trace the bills. A short time ago Messrs. Whitt y and Dow-
ling received information that a person, wfin was well known ter
the police, had purchased a horse in. Birmineham, for which
e he
purpos
• had changed a note fur £lOO. They immediately
despatched Bradshaw, a very active officer, to act upon any
further information which he might receive. The result of his
exertions was the apprehension of a man familiarly known by
the name of Bill Looney. Tne latter formerly kept a tap at the
coiner of Marble-street, and subsequently he has, in conjunc-
tion with another person. taken a tavern somewhere in Scot-
land-road, in the hope of having the licence transferred to hint.
Ile has long been known to the police as connected with
what is technically denominated "the ring," and has been con-
victedof felony. '
On Monday Looney was placed before Mr. Hall, charged
with having been concerned in the robbery alluded to. Mess's.
Crewe & Davenport both attended on his *behalf.
The gentleman who was robbed, stated the particulars of the
case as he had previously detailed them. He further stated,
that he had received five hundred pound notes, and one fifty,
from Messrs. Bindless and Preston, of Manchester. He ar-
rived in Liverpool at three o'clock. He had paid away £3OO.
in Liverpool, and the balance remained in his pocket.
Mr. Needham, a clerk and cashier in the service of Messrs.
Bindless and Preston, of Manchester, stated, that he paid the
last witness £550. in notes The numbers of,the notes were co-
pied by another clerk.
Mr. Murray read a memorandum whieh he had made, in
which it was set forth that the notes were. No. 1436, Bank of
England, for the sum of £100; dated '2Bth February, 1837. No.
8146, Bank of England, for the sum of £109; dated February,
1837. No. 15`2, Bank of Manchester, for the sum of £5O; dated
14th February, 183-1,• N 0.2256, Bank of Manchester, for£100;
dated 3d August, 1836. No. 2910, Bank of Manchester, for
£100; dated Ist August, 1836. The last-named bill, it was
stated, was that which had been traced to the prisoner. The
above bills were paid to the prosecutor by Mr. Needham, in the
presence of witness. He, witness, had put their own private
number on the notes, in blue ink. The note was produced and
handed to witness, who examined it, and said it was ono of the
notes which had been paid to the prosecutor, but the private
number had been cut off.
Mr. Harison, a clerk in the Bank of Manchester, after look-
ing at the note stated, that he recollected dating it on the Ist of
August. The date was in his handwriting. By Mr.
There was never more than one note of the same number issued

on-the same date. The note 'was now cancelled- at one time Papa was going to be very. angry 'with him; and
. Mr. Whittenbury stated, that he was now a cashier at the some young gentlemen who sat behind us were laughing very
Imperial Bank of Manchester. The note produced bore his much about some story they were telling, but I could not ex-
signature. It was now cancelled, and consequently not in cir- actly make it out, and dare not repeat what I did hear—only it
culation. was about Mr. Barclay.
Thomas Fallows, a horse-dealer, of Skinner-street, Birming- When Mr. Walker had done, a little gentleman began to
barn, stated, that on Saturday, the 9th of December last, he lecture, I do not know exactly who he was, but his hair was
sold a horse to the prisoner Looney. On that day. Looney and beautifully curled, and I wonder, now that dear old Tetley has
a man named Thompson called at his place, and asked him if retired from business with a million of money, who he gets to
he had a horse suitable for general purposes, either for gig, sad- curl it so nicely for hint. He told us all about primitive rocks
die, or cart. He asked them to walk in, and look at what he and secondary, tertiary, and alluvial, and he said that granitic
bad in his stables. They went into the stables, and he showed rocks were in lumpy masses, liable to disintegration when long
them it borse.which he said they might have for EIS. Thump- exposed to the action of the atmosphere ; then he took up a
son said he wished to ride the horse to try it, but Looney pulled long stick, and 1 was afraid he was going to point out Alderman
out a one hundred pound
_note, and saying the horse Was for. Barclay with it, for a granitic work. and I fancy the Alderman
hint, tendered it in payment. (witness.) said be was a very was afraid ton, for he got up and walked out of the room, his
bad scholar; and did not under Stand. much about those matters; shoes creaking as he went, and we were very glad that he was
they had better send it up to the bank to be'changed. They gone, he stared so.
sent up iris young man to the bank. The latter returned, and • And then the lecturer drank a glass of water, or eau suctee, I
said the bank refused to cash it, unless some person went whom don't know which; he told us all about Mont Blanc. Vesuvius,
they knew. Ultimately they got the note cashed, and he was Etna, the Giant's Causeway, the Andes, and many othet things
paid for the horse by Looney about half-past five 'cloek. 1 can't remember, but Emily can, for she is a bit of a blue, and
Looney. paid him three £5. notes of the Walsall Bank, and Mr. does the scientific part Of this letter. He 'minded tne so touch
Birch remained accountable to him for £5. which he retained, of the
dhe (witness) returned Looney £2. 10s. On his cross-exa- cook at Madame Amidon's when she used to cut the
an
onions for the soup, the dry toast, and the cake with the same
ruination by Mr. Davenport, the witness said he knew- Thomp- knife and they all tasted alike: for he spoke French, German,
son by sight—he kept a Public-house.in Birmingham. He had and Italian, and you could not tell them at all, they all tasted
left Birmingham recently, and he (witness) did not know what ,so strong of Scotch. And when he had talked a great while,
had become of.him. he gave over, and we were very glad to go up stairs ; and then.
John Clarke stated, that he was in the service of Mr. Fallows• we had such a pleasant evening, there were Such nice beaux
Looney gave him the note which he had offered to Mr. Fallows , there, and Emily and 1 had a whole circleof them round us, and
for the horse, and told him to take it to the bank to be cashed, they talked; and we talked, and we kept theth all away from
He (witness-) said, "if they ask for any poundage, am Ito pay that odious Mary B.; and we had each a cup of tea upon a
it ?" Looney said, " No, of course not ; it is for £lOO, and I mummy case, with a real mummy in it—only fancy how horrible
must have £lOO for it." He went back to Mr. Birch's: where and romantic, Emily declares she shall never sleep for thinking
they were all to meet. He gave the note to Mr. Birch, and Mr. of it, and we were shocked with an electro magnetic machine,
.Birch gave it to Mr /totherain. 5o delightfully; a certain young gentleman and I looked over
Mr. Birch stated: that he kept the King's Arms at Birming- a book together, I don't know what it was about, and at last
ham. He recollected the parties comine to his house, and he Papa said it was time to go home; so tins young gentleman
was asked to cash the £lOO note which Clarke brought bark, shawled me and took Me to the carriage,•and asked me if he
but he was unable to do it. t. Rotheram at that moment thought 1 should—bet I won't tell you all. - •
came in, and asked him to lend him £5. Ile said he could not Dear flue; it is groWing very late, and Emily looks sleepy in
• do that, but if Mr. Rotheram would get change for a £10)) note spite of the mummy, and lam quite ashamed of myself that I
• whp h a friend of his r,quired to have c.isbed, he wopld let hint have sat on until this hOur of the morning writing to you, but,
have £5. and be answerab e For it. Ile thought Mr Rellierain dear Mr. Editor, be sure you do not print it. Yours, Sze.
• could get it cashed at hi. own hanker's. Mr. llotlielam went , • • CHAI LoTTE.
away, with the flute, and hteLl.lk4 had: £bs, chiefly in bills Of Abercroinby-cquare, Thurs. Morn' 2o'Clock. • •