Robbery Of Earl Cowper's ...
The Times, 1824-08-14T00:00:00

The following crcumstances nected with the case or Harris, .o're of the party, found guilty of being implicated in the burglary 2t Barl Cowper's steward, will be read with interest :_ hMr. Malsey. the individual wvho has been mentioned aS having been at Astley'q Theatre with Harris en the night of the robbery, was found out by the exertions of a young man named Simmons, wito speat four or five days in the search, accompanied by a son of the prtsoner, of aboutt nine years of age. His zenl wat not abated by repeated disappointments, and on Thursday last he determined on affixing, notices, requestlng the party to come forward, at the corners of the difrerenit streets in Paddinrion. lVhile tihus em. ployed, the prisoner's son exclaimeed to hint, pointing to a person who w.as in the act of coming out of a house in Circus-street, " That is the man that can save my faither's life," and running to himn. besougist hir. assistance. This person was Maisey, who for nany vears has resided at No. fi, in that street, and wvho immediately reeognizetl theboy: and, on an exoulanation being made to him, he arreed to accomnpany the party to the Secre:arv of State's office. On their arrival there they made known theirbasiness to Mr. Capper, w-ho told them their interferncne w;as useless, as the fate of the man was determined on. The party, however, were niot so to be repulsed, hut still persisted in demanding an interview witth the Secretarv of State, and were at last told( to write down the information thev had to communicate, and it aheild be taken to Mr. llobliAusc. They accordingly wrote the following words:-" Some persons are waiting who cam give importint evidence on behalf of Janics Harris." This was taken-i to r Hobhnuse, ivio sent out ihord for them to wai: a shr,it time, and he would grant theni an interview. About hIalf an hour afterwards thev were'sheredl into the presence of Messrs. Hob. house and Capper, 8ir Richard Bimie, htr. Nicholson, thie Under. Vhpriff for fertfordshire, and Air. Wilson, the gaoler. M r. Misey then stated.thatonn the WVetl;estay in Whitsun-week, he wrent, accompanied by hif wife and daughter-in-law. to Astley's Theatre; on leaving which they wentsto a public-louseat the fent of Westminster-bridge, to procure some refreshment, ani that while there, a mnan, accompanied by a female and two children, a girl and a boy, camne and sat down in the sam box as they occupied. A conversation ensuted, in the courseof wh;ch it cantc out that bnth parties had been to lthe theatre, andl the topic of discourse, in con- sequence, became the merits of the piece tihtv had mutually writnessed, and which, it appears, was thc specterle cillecd " Tihr RattWc of lVaterl,oo;" that in the course of the tilk, witnehs was informed that the man's name was Hlarris, that the womnan was his wife, and the boy and girl their childiren. About a quarter to one o'clock they left the house in company, lut almost immiedi- ately aftcr separated, in cnnsequence of a shower of rain coming dowvn, each endeavouring tso make their way home as fast as pos. sible. Witness thought little of the circumstance afterwards, till the whole was relleled to his mind by the unexpected sigilt of the bov that morning, whose person he declared he immediately recognized. In answer to the inqtiirieg of lfr. Capper, witness gave a de. scription of the person of the man, atnd wlhicli was admitted by Mr. Nicholson and Mfr. Wilson to correspond with that of the prisoner. On the close of the examination, Fir R. IRirixE observed, that it was scarcely possible that the prisoner, bv trmvelling past, could have reached Ilertford in time to be present atthe burqlarv-a, opinion in which Mir. Hotahouse and Mr. (Capper expressed theit concurrence. A private conversati in ensued among these gentlemen, anid in the result the party vrere dismissed, with thie assurance that, under the circumstances, a respite of the sentence would be granted. k6BVAT OF BR, UOOPR'S STBWARD.