The Sun. — 1844-03-04 (London, England)

CLERKENWELL.'  Alfred Beevis and James Beevis (brothers), and John Murray,; were finally examined on a charge, of attempting to murder Mr. Neville, a boot and shoemaker of St. John-street, while they were endeavouring to steal the goods in his warehouse. The prosecutor, an elderly man, who appeared very ill, and had his head bound up, stated that between six and seven o'clock on the morning of the 7th of last month, he was awoke by his wife, who said that she fancied that there was a movement of chairs in his shop. He 'immediately left his bed and encountered in his warehouse three men, two of whom he could positively identify—they were Alfred Beevis and John Murray. He had a doubt about James Beevis. On seeing Alfred Beevis, whom he knew well, he said "For God's sake what do you do here?" Murray immediately struck him on his head with an instrument loaded with lead, until he fell from the loss of blood from the severe . wounds inflicted, after which the prisoners escaped. The prisoners were seen by a policeman running away from the complainant's house. 'An application was made that James Beevis might be admitted to bail, which Mr. Greenwood allowed, and two sureties in 100/. each were accepted. Alfred Beevis, in his defence, said as I was a party concerned, I must tell you that my brother had nothing to do with it. The prisoner Murray reserved his defence. They were committed for trial. On Saturday Edward Thompson and William Green were finally examined on various charges of burglary and robbery in dwelling-houses. Mr. Wolff appeared for the prisoner Green. On Saturday, the 3d ult., police-constable Williams, 31 E, being on duty at King's-cross, between six and seven in the evening, saw the prisoner Thompson running out of the house, No. 2, Chesterfield-street, Gray's Inn-road, with a quantity of wearing apparel on his shoulders. The officer arrested him, and the property was found • to belong to the Rev. Mr. Barton, who resided there. At the prisoner's residence, No. 3, Sea Lion-place, Lambeth, were found fifty-seven duplicates relating to various descriptions of valuable property, which had been pawned by both the prisoners. tinder a floor board in Thompson's sleeping apartment were found a crowbar, twenty .seven skeleton-keys, and thirteen picklocks. On the Friday night immediately preceding Thompson's arrest the house of Mr. Shirwall, a professor of music, residing in Stamfo-id-street;-Blackfriars, was entered in the night time, and a considerable amount of property abstracted, and amongst other things found in Sea Lion- place the writing-desk, dressing-case, and chimney ornaments were identified by Mr. Shirwall as his, property. The prisoner Green was in the employment of Mr. Evans, a boot and shoemaker, residing in Paddington-street, Marylebone, but was discharged about a fortnight ago. On the night after his departure, the house of Mr. Evans was burglariously entered, and a very large quantity, of shoes and boots stolen. In a day or two after the burglary Green was arrested in endeavouring to dispose of a portion of the plunder. In Green's residence at Drummond-crescent, numerous duplicates were found, and most of them related to property which had been stolen from the house of Mrs. Rathbone, a lady residing in Swan-street, Stoke Newington, where a most daring robbery had been committed. In the middle of the open day two well-dressed men drove up in a. cab to the house, which was furnished but uninhabited, and stripped it of every valuable article it contained, beds and bedding, chimney and toilet glasses, carpets, rugs, fenders, &c., to the value of 3201. They forced open the streetdoor by a crow-bar, and the bar found in Thompson's house exactly corresponds with the marks in Mrs. Rathbone's door ; they were seen going into the house by several, but as no one could imagine that at such a time and place they could be engaged in such a purpose, they were suffered to carry off their booty unmolested. Forty yards of the carpeting had been sold to a tradesman by the prisoner Green, which Mrs. Rathbone identified. The looking-glasses and the other things were feusd in the shops of various pawnbrokers, who produced them in Court, and were likewise identified. Thompson, it was proved, had been convicted at the Surrey Sessions, under the name of Peter Munro, and sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment, which he underwent. The prisoners, who reserved their, defence, were fully committed for trial.