New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-02-19

England has long been in the habit, as every body
knows, of supplying America with accomplished
thieves and burglars. America has begun, it would
SEEM to reciprocate this left-handed favor, or at
least, to send back some Of these English rogues
greatly perfected BY their American experience.
Such an one was Edward Agar, the chief actor in
the famous robbery TO some Of the legal principles
involved in trying whose perpetrators we yesterday
had occasion to refer perpetrated in May, 1855, of
some sixty thousand dollars in gold bars and coin,
en- route from London to Paris by the South-East-
ern Railway, three of the parties to which robbery
have lately been tried and convicted in the London
| Central Criminal Court The idea of this robbery
seems frat TO have struck one Peirce, formerly
ticket printer in the employ of the railroad company,
and as such acquainted with the course and nature
of its business, and many of its officers. Aware
that to carry it out successfully would require first
rate professional abilities, be applied to Agar as
was remarked by Judge Martin in his charge to the
Jury, just as one would spply to a great
lawyer or physician Of high professional
reputation in difficult and important case.
This Agar, who appeared on the stand
as the principal witne" for the Government, de-
cribed himself as forty-one years Of age aud as
having had for the last twenty years no regular
business, getting his living BY specializing and
various things" During this interval he had sew
era times visited the United States, where he had
"ipeculatsd great deal" As 10 the nature of
these speculatons, beyond general confession Of
having lived by crime, be declined to be specific.
| They had not, however been unattended with sue
cess, as, at the time of his engaging in the robbery
he was possessed of f3, 900 in the funds and f7OO
in spanih bonds, if not of other property.
PIERCE would seem to have secured the co.
| operation Of one Burgess, who acted as guard to
| the car in which the treasure was conveyed but
as that treasure was carried in safe fastened by
two of Chubb's patent locks, Agar did not think
the enterprise feasible unless wax impressions Of
the keys of the safe could be obtained from which
be might make false keys. Another confederate in
this robbery was one Tester, clerk in the freight
Office of the Company 1t happened that one of the
keys was lost, in consequence Of which the safes
were sent to the manufacturers to have new keys
fitted, and the lock itself altered as to render
the lost key useless. Tester conducted this bust
ness, and the new keys passing through his hands,
he met Agar by On appointment arranged BY Peirce,
and allowed him to take an impression from them.
To obtain an impression of the key to the other
lock- Agar caused box Of bullion to be sent TO hun,
under the name Of Archer, at FokestOne not far
from Dover, where the treasure was transhipped
for France, and upon occasion of ito being delivered
to him, he observed that the key taken for the
purpose of opening the safe from cupboard in the
Office. Some time after be and Peirce went together
~ FokestOne, and, watching their opportunity at
q moment when, owing TO the hurry and confusion
incident to the transfer of the baggage from the
cars TO the boats, the clerks were al mOmentarily
absent from the office, PIERCE walked H. found the
key of the cupboard in the lock, took out the safe
key and brought it to Agar who took an impress
sion, when PIERCE Immediately replaced it, without
discovery. From these Impressions keys were
manufactured by Agar, who, for the purpose Of
fitting them to the locks made repeated trips in
the baegsge-car with Burgess, who, by the man
ssement Of Tester, was, contrary to usage, con-
tnued for more than month as guard Of the train
in which the treasure was conveyed At length
the keys having been made to fit, PIERCE and Agar
provided themselves with shot to the extent of
about two hundred pounds weight tina. being about
the weight Of gold they thought they coud manage.
TIE shot put into small bags and these bags Of
shot in number Of carpet bags with which they
provided then selves, As also with courier bags
made Of leather, and fitting with strap to the per-
high up, SO as to be easily concealed by cloak
OF cape.
Resolved to wait for good haul, they deferred
operations till notice was given by Tester that q
large quantity Of god was going in the train. That
notice received, on the 18th of May, 1855, Peirce
and Agar, with their courier bags on, drove up TO
the station in season for the train which lief: at 8
p. N. They handed their carpet bags to porter
who handed them to Burgess, the guard, who put
The IN into bis car. Agar watched his opportunity,
and WHEN the station. masters head was turned,
Jumped into the same car, where Burgess concealed
him. PIERCE took passage in first class ear.
While the train was in motion Agar opened the
safe, and berg pIvided with the necessary tools,
removed the fastebiDgs Of three boxes, transferred
the contents to the bags, filed up the boxes with
shot, and restored them externally to their original
condition. One Of the bags containing large bar Of
geld, handed BY Burgess to Tester at one Of the
stoppiDg.paces on the way. The contents of the
safe were transferred to the steamer at FokestOne,
but Agar and Peirce kept on to the terminus at
Dover, q few miles further, whence, by a return
train, they came back ~ London, bringing the gold
with them.
The detection Of the parties concerned CON-
pletely bsffied the London police, when 1t length
agar afterwards Agar voluntarily furnished the