Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1832-09-14

Successful pursuit OF Robber.-in May last
Thomas Sperrv. confidential clerk in the bank
ing house of Martin Stone & Co, Of London, an-
seconded. being at the time defaulter to the house
for gI 500, & carving with him the additional sum
of gS0OO sterling. The robbery was not detected
until several DAYS after it was commitfed' wnen
enquiry was at once made for the defauiter: Az
though his movements had been conducted WIN
the greatest secrecy possible, it was soon founa
that he had embarked with his wife ana Two chii-
dren fur New York, under false name, IN !he
shin Marquis of Wellesley. The necessary 40 :
currents and description of his person were I'M
mediately forwarded through the Messrs' barring
& Brothers to Messrs. Goodhue 20. on TINS
CITY. and an active pursuit commenced. he Of
ficers of the ship cheerfuIy furnlshee all the IN
formation in their p0wer. Sperry arrived at
Staten IsIaad on the 18th July. by the name OF
John Davis He was accompanied by his pro.
ther.in. law Lancaster, also under an assumeu
name, and bv man named Charles Gull. Inc
latter he SAYS, was an accomplice with HIM IN the
robbery. whose agency was necessary To enable
him to change the Bank of England notes INTO
soyereipns in London. All three put up at the
hotel on Staten Island. and there Sperry made
division Of the plumber, retaining 1000 sove,
repns. and giving Lancaster and Gull each thou
sand They came to New York. and In wall 81.
converted the most of the suvereIgns into BANK
notes. and started to the western part ot Inc state
in the most perfect security without the least APP
prehenson that It was possible to trace them
across the Atlantic.
With much difficulty they were traced up the
North river to Albany, and thence to Utica-so
quietly did they move, that they eludrd the visl-
lance of young HAYS. who went as far as Uuca
4 hot, nnn
however. tracked bv the deputy Sheriff of Onei.
da county, from Utica to Syracuse, and Sperry
was first arrested on a civil process at Jorda N
h. was in company with a gentleman from whom
he had agreed to purchase farm, and they were
then on the road to complete the purchase. tie
offered DO resistance. but seemed paraized by u
sense Of guilt. and On beng told that he was ar
rested by the name of Thomas Sperrv, he con-
fessed the whole, at agreed to surrender his ILL.,
gotten GAIN His wife had the keeping Of it,
and not until he appeared before her with the
officer. had she any intimation OF suspicion that
her hu sbant was a roDber. He was permitted to
retain $500, on condition that he would assist in
the discovery @! his two accOmpi,ces-he did 50,
and thew were soon arrested on similar civil
process, and, after considerable hesitation. Weld
ed up their bank bills and sovereigns. Near H.
600 dollars we're recovered aud the prlts per
united 10 90.
Il is not perhaps generally known. though it is
known by very many, since the lannon's case OF
Rowland Stephenson, that no criminal process
can issue III such casps-there is no law and no
article in any subsisting treaty by which our
courts can recognize a crime committed IN Eng
Iand--it was not 50 under jays tfeaty-but with
that treaty expired the saiutary provlsion.-lhe
fact presents strong temptation tn those who
have it in their power to depredate on English
ba"kers-depredations are constantly occurring,
aud will continue to do so-and although we are
prond of our hospitahle shores, yet we do not viii
liuglv welcome or cherish those who come to US
polluted with crime " i. Mer.