The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-05-26 00:00:00

EXTENSIVE ROBBERY IN SOUTHHILL-PLACE,

John Maclay, the servant man at Mr. Andrew Browne's,
of Southhill-place, Toxteth-park, whose house was mysteri-
ously robbed on Sunday morning week, was brought up for
re-examination. It will be recollected, that whilst Mr.
Browne and his family were at church, some individual suc-
ceeded in finding a canvass bag, which had been left in the
pocket of a shooting-jacket, and in which had been deposited
no less a sum than £1499 Os. Bd. This large sum had been
brought from the office on the preceding night. The shooting-
jacket was placed in a wardrobe. On the return of the fa-
mily from church, it was found that the bag was taken away.
The servant man was in the house at the time when the rob-
bery was committed. The circumstances, in their first as-
pect, were exceedingly mysterious, but the indefatigable
exertions of Mr. Dowling and the officers of police have been
particularly successful, and the intricate web is completely
disentangled. All the money, except £l5O, has been reco-
vered, and even that small sum the police do not despair in
finding.
Mr. Davenport appeared for the prisoner.
_

Isabella Bc;wes, a maid servant in the family, was the first
witness called. She stated that on Mouday morning, the
day after the robbery, the cook, herself, and John (the pri-
soner) went into the garden in order to search for the money,
After they had been engaged in this occupation for some time
without success, Miss Browne desired the prisoner to go into
the grove and search there. He put on his hat, and witness
saw him get over the wall into the garden belonging to the
next house. There was a garden on each side, and the pri-
soner went into that to the left of Mr. Browne's Louse, and
she believed he went afterwards into the grove, but did not
see him. The house next door was not tenanted.

Mr. Dowling.—Do you recollect any conversation taking
place with the prisoner that morning in the kitchen ?—Yes
answered the witness) we were talking with him many times.
hen I came down stairs he was very low, and I said to him
" John, what is the matter ?" He replied, "If I was like
either of you girls, I would give £30." I said to him,
" What need you care about it; we do not mind?" To this
he replied, " Oh, your temper is different to mine," and that
he was nervous.

Cross-examined by Mr. Davenport.—This conversation
was about eight in the morning. The prisoner had been in
Mr. Browne's service about six months. Some questions
were then put to the witness relative to the visits of two
young men to the kitchen, but it appeared neither of them
had been there for some weeks previous to the robbery.
Mr. Rushtoh said he felt bound to say that no young
woman could have given her evidence with more propriety
than this witness. She had given it in a manner that did her
credit.

- Judge, a shoemaker, and the keeper of a cellar in
which second-hand shoes are exposed for sale, was next cal-
led. He stated that the pisoner came to his wife and said to
her that if they would deny that he had ever been there,
should any body come to enquire after him, he would hand-
somely reward them. Witness's journeyman was present all
the time, and could relate what the prisoner said.
Patrick Barratt, a journeyman in the employment of the
last witness, was then called. He said that on the Friday
before the robbery about two o'clock, the prisoner came to
his master's cellar, and bought the pair of shoes now pro-
duced, with which he went away. He came again on the
Monday morning afterwards, between two and four o'clock,
and asked if that was the place where he had bought the
shoes on Friday. Witness said it was. The prisoner then
said " If any one comes here to enquire after me, deny me,
for Christ's sake, and I will handsomely reward you." He
said, at the same time, he had bought the shoes for a nephew
of his that lay in the same bed with himself. He did not try
the shoes when, he bought them.

By Mr. Rushton.—bid he say anything on Friday, when
he bought them, as to who they were for?—No, he did not.
When was the first time he mentioned his nephew ?—On
the Monday.

Was it after or before he had asked you to deny him ?
Before.

Did ha say anything more about his nephew ?—He said he
had bought them that his master might get his nephew into
service, . _

Did he speak of his nephew in any other way ?—No.
Did he say anything about his nephew besides ?—Not a
word. _ _ _

Did he say whether the nephew had been doing anything
or not ?—He did not.
lam speaking of the Monday beg your worship's par-
don : he said that his nephew had robbed his master of Xl9O.
and that he had a heavy impression upon his mind in conse-
quence.
Who had ?—This man—that the lad had robbed his master.
Whose master I—His own master, I dare say, but I did
not ask. _

And that he had a heavy impression upon his mind ?—Yes.
Can you recollect the exact words he used ?—Yes : those
were the exact words he used.

Did he say that the nephew had a heavy impression upon
his mind ?—No, that he himself had a very heavy impression
upon his mind, which he had not on Friday when he bought
the shoes.

Cross-examined by Mr. Davenport.---Did he name
Friday, and say, I have a heavy impression upon my tnind
now, or I had on Friday last?—No; he said he had had it
since he was there before. _ _ _

Did he make use of these words ?—Yes ; I am sure.
Where was it you had this conversation with him ?
Sitting in the cellar.

You are a shoemaker ?—Yes.
Did he not say he had bought these shoes for a poor
friend ?—No, he said he had bought them for a nephew of
his, his sister's son.
When was it did he say that the boy had robbed his mas-
ter ?—Since he had been there on Friday.
What time was this ?—We were at dinner : I dare say it
was between two and four.
Had he the shoes with him on the Monday when you had
this conversation ?—No.
What brought him there ?—He came to ask if he had
bought the shoes there on Friday, and my master and I said
he had. He then said to my master, " If anybody comes
after me, for they will come, in the name of Christ deny it,
and I will handsomely reward you."
Are you in the habit of seeing him ?—I never saw him be-
fore that day.
Then he was a perfect stranger?—He was nothing else,
sir.
Do you mean to say he said this to you who never saw him
before ?—He said it to the whole three of us, my master, his
wife, and myself.
You were all equally strange, then ?—I dare say we were.
John Jerrison was next called and he said—l was working
on Monday last in Southhill-place, at Mr. Rigby's house, at
which Mr. Willock formerly lived. It is next door to Mr.
Browne's. I was working upon the house painting the block-
ing, and an apprentice was painting the cornice under me on
a ladder. Two of our men, who were working at another
place, came for some tools which they had left in the house.
I shouted to them ; one of them told me what they wanted,
' and they said, " now we will take the throstles' nest."
Mr. Rushton.—Was there a throstle's nest in the garden?
—There was.
Had it eggs or young ones in P—lt had young ones. We
then went and got the tools.
Did you go into the garden afterwards ?—We did.
What took place there ?—We went to the nest, and the
birds were out of it. One flew awa
a y, I got one, my two
and the said one had
shopmates got one each,
flown across the garden. We all fourppren we ticent to look for this
bird, and in looking under some mint-bushes I found a purse.
I jumped up and said " I have found the money." I had
heard of the robbery before, and had raad the bills. One of
the men said, " There is nothing in it." " Isn't there ?"
§aid I. With that we shouted—and they might have heard
us in Mr. Browne's garden—that we had found the money.
We went out of the garden into the house : I sat down upon
the floor and opened the purse. [The purse was here pro-
duced, and the witness identified it] I opened it, and found
a draft for £1226 145., a check for £8 odd, a £lOO note, and
others. I put them all in the bag again, and we took it to
Mr. Browne's. I rung the bell, and asked the servant whe-
ther Mr. Browne was in. She said " No, but that Miss
Browne was. I then said, " I have found the money lying
upon the ground." The servant shouted, Miss Browne,

the money is found." I gave Miss Browne the bag with
the money in it, and she said it was a good day's work for
her.

Mr. Rushton told the witness he had behaved very well,
and inquired where Miss l3rowne was?
Mr. Dowling said he understood she was unwilling to ap-
pear before the court.
Mr. Rushton.—But she must. The case is of too great
importance to dispense with her.
Mr. Browne.—She only handed the money to me, sir.
Mr. Rushton.—That may be, but we must have the money
traced, and the whole thing explained. You must take a
coach for her, or else I must issue a summons to compel her
attendance.
A messenger was then sent for Miss Browne, and in the
mean time the case proceeded.
Mr. Browne stated that the money and the bag had been
left in the pocket of a shooting jacket.
Jerrison was then recalled, and further examined by Mr.
Rushton. What state, inquired the magistrate, was the bag
in ? It was damp.
Where was it ? It was in the centre of the mint-leaves,
and it had rather bent the sprigs.
Do you think, from what you saw, that the purse could
have been accidentally thrown there ? 'No.
Was the top of the plant closed? There was a small
opening; but after I had taken the bag out, I did not make
it much larger than it was before.
Are you of opinion that it could have been thrown there ?
It could not.
Cross-examined by Mr. Davenport.—How far was the
throstle's nest from the bag ?—About 15 yards.
Might it have been thrown from the window ?—Not from
the position in which I found it.
Was anybody with you when you found the purse ?—Yes ;
three more individuals, the two painters and the apprentice
boy.
Before you opened the purse you said, " I have found the
money."—Yes.
Before you had put your hand upon it ?—lt was in my
hand.
Mr. Rushton reminded Mr. Davenport, that the witness
had previously read the bills containing a description of the
purse.
William Mercer, one of the painters alluded to, confirmed
in every particular the testimony of the last witness.
Isabella Bowes was -then recalled, and in answer to ques-
tions she stated that on Sunday she was in the drawing-
room, and took up the shoes produced. She said to the pri-
soner, " John, whose shoes are these ?" but he- did not
answer her. He had one in his hand at that time, and wit-
ness had the other.
Ainsworth, the police-officer, was next examined. He
said he received information of the robbery on Sunday after-
noon, and immediately went with Mr. Dowling to inspect
the premises. The first place they were shewn was the
breakfast-room on the first floor, in which there was one
window looking into the garden. There had been a bit cut
out of the bottom sash with a knife, but no person could have
done it from the outside. There was also a mark at the bot-
tom of the sash just in the centre of the window, as if some-
thing had been shoved in to make a prize: in the top part of
the sash there was a piece out, but no corresponding im- '
pression upon the window. After Mr. Browne had shewn
them the five bed-rooms, in all of which the drawers were
open, they were shewn the top room of all, in which the
coat had been hung from which the money was taken. Mr.
Dowling then called in the servant maid, and she made state-
ments just the same as that to-day. The prisoner was next
called in; Mr. Dowling asked him what he knew about the
robbery. He said he knew nothing, but he would tell all
that he did know. Mr. Dowling then cautioned him ; and
he began to say that when all the family were gone to church,
he got his coat and hat on, and was also going to church,
when lie saw two pairs of boots lying in the passage, one of
which was his master's, and the other belonged to another
gentleman ; he took them up stairs, but was not two mi-
nutes ; that when he was just at the top he thought he heard
some one in the rooms, that he listened for a minute or so ;
that whilst he was there 'Bella called out to him and he
went down immediately ; that he and her went into the
garden to pick some gooseberries, when the bell began to ring,
and he went to church. When he returned from church
there was some conversation between 'Bella and him, and
the other servants, as to the disorder in which the rooms
were, and he said he heard a door up stairs clap ; 'Bella said
she thought she heard it too, and they went up stairs, when
they found the shoes produced, and the drawing-room win-
dow open. The prisoner showed witness were the shoes
were found. The window was open and the blind down. The
stool that was in the window recess was removed. Mr.
Dowling asked the prisoner how high the window was open,
and he pointed out the height of one pane or about 18 inches.
Witness received the shoes from police-officer 124.
Cross-examined.--I found nothing in the prisoner's room.
By Mr. Dowling.—Did you remark any thing peculiar in
the shoes when you removed them ? The upper parts were
wet, and the remainder daubed with sand.
Did they appear to you to have been worn;—No.
By Mr. Davenport.—Did you try them upon the prisoner ?
—No.

Have you any doubt that they are too small ?—I am sure
they are too small.
By Mr. Dowling.—Did you examine the wall under the
balcony at the back of the house ?—No.
Is it possible for any man to get over there ?—Not without
making an impression or mark ; but there was neither a mark
nor a scratch.
Mr. Davenport.—lf a man had been without shoes there
would have been no mark ?
Mr. Rushton.—The shoes were found in the room.
The Witness.—l should say that a man in his stocking
feet would leave a mark, for it is cemented.
By Mr. Dowling.—Are there not shrubs growing on each
side of the wall ?—There are.
Are there any marks of any one having trodden upon those
shrubs ?—Not a bit.
B ; Mr. Davenport.—Could any one, with the assistance
of another person, get through the balcony ?—No person
could be lifted up without leaving an impression upon the
wall.

Is it half a yard higher than the height of a man ?—lt is
higher.
Have you measured it ?—No.
Police-officer 124 said he was on duty there on Sunday
afternoon, and that he brought the shoes produced from Mr.
Browne's house to Mr. Dowling's office. The servant maid
gave them to him.
Isabella Bowes said they were the same shoes she found in
the drawing-room.
Mr. Browne stated that the house had not been painted
for two years, and that he had received the bag with its con-
tents, from Miss Browne, his sister. He described and
identified the money.
Mr. Rushton then addressed the prisoner, and after giving
him the usual caution, asked him what he had to say ?
The Prisoner.—Nothing.
Mr. Rushton.—lt will be necessary to have the exami-
nation of one more witness, and then I shall commit you for
trial.

A short time afterwards Miss Browne appeared, and her
evidence having been taken, the prisoner was committed.

LADIES ON HORSEBACK.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD,

SIR,—I was so much pleased with a letter which appeared
on this subject in the Morning Chronicle one day last week,
that I now beg your insertion. of it in the columns of your
valuable paper. Of course, the localities and so forth named
in it, are not applicable to this neighbourhood, but the gene-
ral tenor of it will equally suit all places.—Your's, Z.Z.Z.