The Sun. — 1846-05-18 (London, England)

CAPTURE OF A SELF-ACCUSED PUBLIC AND PRIVA'iL ROBBER, MURDERER, &c.  In The Sun some time since appeared al; account of a young man, named Henry Norman, aged 27 years, clerk to Mr. W. Hoof; the extensive builder and railway' contractor at Kensington, having absconded, stealing aid taking with him the sum of 571. in gold and silver, the money of his employer. Also of his having sentsa letter to Mr. Hoof, to Dr. Fallen, of Barnes, Surrey, at whose school he was educated, and also to another gentleman to whom he was known, accusing himself of having, " while in the Customs at Jamaica, before he was 21 years of age, robbed the revenue of thousands of pounds, and afterwards, -while in the United States, having at New York robbed a pawnbroking and silversmith's store of money and property to the value of 1,0001., and committed numerous other crimes, not even hesitating at murder." In another part of his letter he distinctly stated that " he had committed more than 1,800 distinct robberies, and had been concerned in five murders, besides many other atrocities."' At first, the confession was considered by many persons as the emanation of a fevered and excited brain; but from the inquiries which have since beek instituted into the truth of the statements contained in the letters, it has been found that Norman did at the time stated fill an important situation in the Customs at Kingston, Jamaica, which he eventually resigned, being at the time a defaulter to a large amount. On his return to England, he offered as a reparation to lay open the villainous proceedings of others connected with the same department, and was for several days under examination by the Custom House authorities, but on his statements being submitted to the Attorney and Solicitor-General and other law officers of the Crown, it was found that they were so loose that no reliance could be placed on them, and he was suffered to go at large, his defalcations being paid by those whose duty it was to have more sti ictly overlooked him, and prevented his dishonest career. It has also been discovered that his statement respecting the robbery of a jeweller's store at New York is corm ct, such a robbery having taken place at the time stated by him, and a true bill has been returned against him at the New York Sessions. Suspicions Lave also within the last two or three days since arisen that he was concerned in the murder and robbery committed about eight years since, at the premiss of Mr. Richard Westwood, the watchmaker, in Princes-street, Soho, which has ever since been enveloped in great mystery. It is known that he was in England at that time, and tt is believed that he was staying at the house of his father, who was at that time a respeactsibelwe d, ors ombrofrkeand silversmith in Princes-street, Westwood's house. Ever since his absconding, the tracepolice his sa vree thr pe ae tn. bi attt‘wfaittihgaoubtl e e ffiencttheir iel nFd erai dv ,aiyu rlsa st to, when information was received by letter from Liverpool, that a young. man answering, in every part cular, the description of Henry. Norman, was in custody in that city. An officer was immediately dispatched to Liver pool, and the prisoner will be brought_ up to Loudon forth with.