The Sun. — 1847-09-18 (London, England)

BOIV-STREET.  Yesterday a middle-aged man, named John Robinson, who was tolerably well dressed, and had no occupation assigned to hi:n, was charged with having incited Charles Bennett and Thomas Whittaker to commit a robbery and murder at the house of an elderly lady named Parkeas, residing at Stepney. The prisoner and Bennett, according to the statement of the latter, met in a public-house on Friday evening, the 10th inst., when the plan detailed below was first proposed by the prisoner, with an intimation that he would have to get an accomplice to assist him in its execution. Thomas Whittaker, on being sworn, said—l ama porter. I was at the Upholder Arms public-house in Poland-street, Oxford-street, on Monday morning last, and saw Bennett there. Ho said, "Do you see anything in me that would lead you to suppose that I could commit a murder or a robbery ? because a man named Robinson has offered me 2001. or 3001. to do it, and I mean to knock the fellow down when I see h:m again." I told him to tell me all about it, and he then said that Robinson (the prisoner) said there was a rich old lady living alone at Stepney, who never suffered anybody to go near her, and kept all her money in hard cash tied up in rags, about the house, and that she had an annuity of 301. besides 401. from her son, a colonel in the army, who had not seen her for 20 years. Bennett was to get a rope and sack, and break into the house. He was then to tie the rope round her neck, and if she made any resistance to draw a knife across her throat. This conversation, he said, had taken place at a public-house on Friday night. The prisoner came in, and he appointed to meet us at the bottom of Ludgate-hill the next morning at ten o'clock. I said, it would be better to tell the police, and I sent for Sergeant Morris, of the E division, and told him what had passed, arranging to meet him on Ludgate-hill at the hour appointed to see the prisoner. On Tuesday morning we all met before 10 o'clock, and waited till after 11—Morris being in private clothes—but the prisoner did not come, so we went to Covent-garden and had some bread and cheese together. At two o'clock Bennett and I went to Mr. King's in Hart-street, and there we saw the prisoner again, Morris being outside. The prisoner then appointed to meet us at the same house, at 11 o'clock the next morning (Wednesday). We went there at 11, but found the prisoner had been and left a strip of paper, directing us " to go on down Holborn, where he would meet us." We went on, and the prisoner overtook us. He led us through Smithfield to Whitechapel and Mile End-road, and proceeded on to Stepney, on reaching which he said, " I will show Charles (Bennett) the house," and then gave Bennett a letter, which he was to take to the old lady's house, and say that it came from her son, who had not seen her for so long. The prisoner pointed out the house to us, and Bennett and I went in. We found everything just as the prisoner had described it to us, and we left the letter. We met again at King's on Thursday, and gave the prisoner into custody. By Mr. JARDINe-I do not wish to keep anything back as I am on my oath. We did receive some money from the old lady for our trouble, but not then. When we were at the old lady's house on Wednesday morning, she gave us six crown pieces, and a letter, saying that it was for her son. We told this to Morris, the constable, when we got back to Hart-street, and he said we had better mark the money before giving it to the prisoner. Bennett, Morris, and I, all agreed to go up to the old lady's house again in the evening, and we went together. We told her what the pri soner had been inciting us to do, and offered to return her the six crown pieces. She refused to have them back, and said she would give us more for our time and trouble. She then gave me a sovereign and four half-crowns, and we divided the money between us. Mr.