The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-06-02 00:00:00

ROBBING AN EMPLOYER.

James Burns and Mary Burns, mother and son, were
charged with having been concerned in a serious robbery on
the property of Mr. Bell, lithographic printer, in Lord-
street, in whose service the male prisoner had been for some
time.

Thomas Ainsworth, an officer, stated that on Saturday
night Mr. Bell sent for him, and stated that his cash-box,
which contained nearly £4O, had been stolen. Witness made
enquiries among the workmen, about ten in number. They
were all willing to be searched, as well as to have their houses
examined, for the purpose of discovering the property, ex-
cept the prisoner, who declared he would see Mr. Bell d-d
before he would submit to such a degradation, or give ally
information. Witness made further enquiries, and found
that a cousin of the prisoner was employed by Mr. Bell as a
porter, and this:man, it was ascertained, had absconded in the
course of Saturday. The cash-box was safe at twelve o'clock,
and at half-past one the porter was seen in the lobby by one
of the servants, but no clue to his detection had since been
obtained. Witness conveyed the prisoner to Bridewell, but
with considerable difficulty, and then proceeded to his house,
where he found that the man who had absconded and the two

prisoners all lived together. On searching the house he
found a great quantity of lithographic prints, which Mr. Bell
had identified as his property. This morning (Monday) a
police officer found the cash-box in Brunswick Dock, broken
open, and a large stone in the inside of it. He applied for
the prisoners to be remanded.

Mr. Rushton asked the prisoners what they had to say.
The prisoner James said he knew nothing about the rob-
bery, and that, when he was asked by Mr. Bell concerning
it, he gave all the information he was possessed of. As to

the prints found in his mother's house he could account for
them. Every printer was allowed one copy out of every hun-
dred impressions which he " pulled" as a perquisite : it wa6
the custom of the trade, and therefore he had not stolen
them. He knew nothing about the cash-box.
Mr. Rushton asked Mr. Bell whether there was any such
negociation as that which the prisoner had described?
Mr. Bell replied that there was no such rule in the trade.
Mr. Rushton enquired if Mr. Bell had seen the plates
found in the house? •

Mr. Bell said he had, and they were all his property ; and,
so far from there being only one impression of each plate,
there were fifty of some and hundreds of others. These im-
pressions were, no doubt, intended to be introduce) into the
market at a cheap price, thus materially reducing the value
of his property.
Prisoner.—l bought paper for them myself, and pulled the
impressions in my own time.

Mr. Bell said lie had certainly no authority to do that. In
the morning, the cash-box contained £l9O, and if it had been
taken then his loss would have been much more serious than
it was.

Mr. Rushton asked the female prisoner whether she ad
anything to say. and she replied in the negative.
Both the prisoners were then remanded.
_ CAUTION TO FAMILIES-EXTENSIVE ROBBERY.

James Burns and Joshua Young, two characters well
known to the police, were placed at the bar on suspicion of
having robbed the house of Mr. Bell, in Prospect-street,
Low-hill. It appeared that whilst the family were attending
divine worship in the forenoon of Sunday last, au entrance
was effected through the front door, by means of a picklock,
and a lrrge quantity of plate and jewellery, together with a
gold watch, taken away, amounting in value to upwards o
£lOO, stolen.
Mr. Bell, being sworn, stated that himself and family went
to church about a quarter-past ten in the forenoon, and re-
turned at half-past twelve. On their return they found the
front door locked, as usual, but all the cupboards and
drawers in the house had been broken open, and ransacked
of the property mentioned above. He immediately gave in-
formation of the robbery to the policeman on duty.
Police-officer Thomas Ainsworth stated, that in conse-
quence of information he received from another officer, he
apprehended the two prisoners, and they ackowledged hav-
ing been in Low-hill that morning.
Mrs. Warburton, a Mrs. Gibson, and another female, all
of whom live in Prospect-street, swore privately to having
seen the prisoner Burns in the street several times previous
to twelve o'clock, in evident communication with some other
men.

Police-officer 195 said, he had met the prisoners and
searched them early in the forenoon, and that he followed
them into Islington, because he saw them in earnest conver-
sation with another had character who had escaped, and who
appeared to have something bulky upon him.
The prisoners protested their innocence. They were both
remanded till Wednesday.