The Sun. — 1848-08-01 (London, England)

TIIAMES.  Three active stout young fellows, who gave the names of Thomas Robert?, alias Barnes, John. Willis, alias Mackenzie, and James Whittall, alias Walker, were brought before Mr. Ballantine, charged with stealing a silver watch from the sailing barge Beim, and attempting to commit other robberies on the river. On Sunday morning, shortly before five o'clock, Mr. John Knight, the master of a large Essex sailing barge, Called the Bettis, then lying off the West India Dock entrance at Limehouse, was awoke by the noise of footsteps in his sleeping cabin, and upon opening his eyes he saw Whittall in the act of taking his watch out of an old shoe which was hanging over his head. Mr. Knight seized the prisoner by the jacket, and raised himself from his bed, the prisoner at the same time dragged himself away, leaving part of his jacket in the hands of Mr. Knight, who tumbled out of his bed bead foremost. The prisoner immediately ran up the ladder, and Mr. Knight seized him by the foot when he reached the top of it, and held him fast until the fellow pulled out a knife and threatened to murder the prosecutor, who let him go, but rushed on deck after him, and saw him and Roberts in the act of desceding the ship's side into a boat containing Willis and another man. The whole four rowed away and were pursued by Mr. Knight and one of his apprentices, who sung out for the police. A Thames police galley, containing three constables, hearing the cry, joined in the chase, and the thieves, being bard pressed, landed at Fletcher's ship-building dock. The police. and others were soon upon them, and a fight took place. The robbers, who were armed with knives and iron bars, attacked the people who attempted to capture them, and Inspector Luton and his men were compelled to use their truncheons, and dealt some hard blows before they overpowered the fellows. One of them made his escape over the wall into the street. The prisoners were secured. They went on board the Arcadian, lying off Deptford, about an hour before they were captured, and were in the act of unscrewing the ship's bell, suspended to a beam forward, in front of the windlass, when Mr. Justice, a tide•waiter, who was in the cuddy, hearing footsteps, came upon deck. The prisoners made a precipitate retreat. Mr. Justice attempted to secure Willis and Whitten as they were getting over the ship's side, but they knocked him down and threatened to send a knife into his body if he attempted to follow them. They rowed away, and Mr. Justice called out "Police." Another boat, containing two men, no doubt confederates, immediately came alongside the ship, and said, " It's all right, master; this is a police boat, we'll row after them;" and they did so, but made no attempt to overtake them. The boat the prisoners were in had been stolen from George'sstairs, Deptford, where it was made fast alongside the City of Glasgow steamer, and the sculls used by the prisoners were the property of Mr. Mitcheson, shipowner, and had been stolen from another part of the river. Inspector Falconer, of the river police, said that three of the gang, who used to work with the prisoners on the Thames and Medway, were convicted at the Maidstone Assizes on Saturday, and sentenced to ten years' transportation. Other officers of the land and river police proved numerous convictions against the prisoners, who, they said, were the terror of everybody when at liberty. Mr. BA.