Mexico weekly ledger., 1877-01-04

fitting reward for their toll and trouble,
the confederates determined to wait
until at least $4,000 pounds went down
the line. The final arrangements were
made. Pierce and Agar went to a shot
tower beyond Hungerford suspension
bridge and purchased 200 pounds of
shot, which they carried to Cambridge
Villas ia eight-pound and four-pound
check bags. The smaller packets were
put in four courier-bags made of drab
leather, which buckled high up around
the body and were concealed by short
capes. A small black leather bag, large
enough to admit a bar of bullion of the
standard size, was also provided for
Tester, who was to go on to Redhill,
there receive part of the gold, and CON
vey it to London. Every thing being
in readiness for the robbery, Agar and
Pierce met nightly at London bridge to
watch for their opportunity. For d
week there was no chance, but on the
eighth day they heard from Tester that
there was a large consignment soon to
be sent down the line, though he could
not ascertain the precise day.
The friends buckled on their courier
bags, took two large bags-"dum-
mics I'm each of which was a smaller
one, with a quantity of hay, and, hiring
a cab, drove in the evening to St.
Thomas Street. Agar got out and
walked toward the station; Burgess
came to the door and wiped his face.
1t was a preconcerted signal, and he
and Pierce purchased their tickets and
hurried to the train. The latter put his
luggage in charge of Burgess, and got
into a tirst-class carriage, while Agar
walked up and down the platform until
the train started, then jumped unob-
served into the van, where he crouched
down into a corner, and Burgess threw
his apron over him.
No sooner was the train fairly under
way than the energetic Agar com
menced operations. He opened one
safe and took out Il wooden box fastened
with nails and iron bands and sealed.
He had provided himself with pincers,
lockwood wedges, sealing-wax, and a
taper. He quickly pried open the box,
took out four gold bars, put one in
Testers bag and three in the carpet
bags. He then filled it up with shot,
fastened and sealed it. BY this time
the train had reached Redhill. Tester
made his appearance. Burgess
handed him his bag, and he started
back for London. Agar then
opened ONE large safes, and several
small ones, known as Californians.
Having secured all he thought he and
Pierce could carry, he filled the boxes
with shot, closed and sealed them, and
returned them to the safes. The debris
was swept up, and when the train reach
ed Folkestone, Pierce and Agar buckled
on their courier-bags and took the va
Use out of Burgess van. The safes
were taken from the train at FolkesIone,
but the confederates remained on board
till they reached Dover, where they put
up at the Dover Castle Hotel. The
waiter asked them if they wanted beds.
"No," said Agar, "we go back to Lon
don by the 2 u. m. train He then
walked to the pier and threw all his
tools into the sea.
After supper they'walked to the rail-
way, and on the porter asking to see
their tickets they presented the Ostend
ones, which they had procured. In this
they were somewhat overshrewd, and
nearly brought about their own detec-
ton, for the porter, surprised at the
sight of the tickets and bags, said that
no luggage had passed through the
custom house that day, and he sup
posed that he ought to call
the Inspector. "N0," answer
ed Agar, we came yesterday" and
he closed the porter's eyes by slipping
a sovereign into his hand, and they
passed on to the cars.
On their way back they opened the
large bags, took out the hay, and hid
the bags behind the door of the wait
ing-room at one end of the station at
which they stopped. The gold was
then in the small carpet and courier.
bags. On reaching London they took a
cab and ordered the driver t take them
to the Great Western Station, but be-
fore reaching that place explained that
they had made a mistake and directed
him 20 drive to Euston Square. They
got out at a public house and dismissed
the cab, but Pierce a few moments later
engaged another, in which they were
conveyed to the neighborhood of Crown
Terrace. They here dismissed the
second cab, and took their bags into
Pierce's house.
The American gold coin was sold
next day, but the rest of the plumber
was in an announcement shape, and these
interchangeable ~rascals resolved to recast
it. 1t was removed to Agar's house,
and they set about building a furnace
in the first floor, back. They took up
some of the stones on the floor for that
purpose, and replaced them with fire.
bricks. Fanny Kay was kept out of the
room, but she testified that for days
Agar and Pierce remained there at
work that she constantly heard a noise
like the roaring of a furnace, and when
they appeared at meals they were hot
and dirty. In removing one of the
icrucibles it broke, and the gold ran over
the floor. Small particles of it adhered
to the bricks, four of which were pro-
duced in Court.
When they had melted the gold and
run it into ingots, they commenced to
sell it little by little, and this operation
was going'on when Agar was arrested