The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — 1825-04-06 (London, England)

CLARKSON. Two men, named Clarke and Butler, travelling tinkers, were indicted at the last Winter Amitea for the same robbery, and were, under circumstances of great suspicion, acquitted. It has since turned out that they were perfectly innocent of the offence. The principal witness to support the present indictment was an accomplice named Thomas Avis, a notorious and desperate burglar, who admitted, on his cross-examination, that he had been concerned in no leis than twenty-two capital felonies within the short space of eighteen months. From his evidence it appeared, that the prisoners Smith and Wickins and himself, had planned a robbery in the house of the Countess of Aboyne, on the night of the 12th of November, but finding some of the domestics up at the time they arrived at the premises, they changed their arrange. menu and proceeded to the house of Mr. Thompson,* gentleman of substance, residing at Fawke Common. They arrived there between 11 and 12 o'clock at night. 31r. Thompson and his wife were from home oil a visit, leaving a groom and two female servants to take care of the house. An entry was immediately effected through a wash-house window, by means of a centre-bit and other implements of burglary. Avis, the accomplice, remained outside, whilst his companions rifled the house of a considerable quantity of household liven, wearirg apparel, and a tray 1111 of silver plate, consisting of forks, spoons, ladles, &c. They were on the premises altogether for about two hours. IS-hat occurred inside the house was described by the man and the maid servants. From their evidence it appeared, that about three o'clock the females were aroused by two men entering their bed-room, with their faces blackened, each having a candle is his hand. One of them immediately withdrew, whilst the other went to the foot of their bed and demanded where the prosecutor's money and plate were. The girls, almost terrified to death, screamed for help. The ruffian held a bludgeon over them, and threatened murder if they made a noise. He then proceeded to search the drawers and cupboards in the room, and from one of the latter he took the platetray, and handed it to his companion. By this time the cries of the females aroused the grown, who slept on the name floor. lie came to the door, and the sound of his voice alarmed the thieves, who immediately fled, carrying off the property with them. A:cording to Avis's story the plunder was equally divided between him and his accomplices, and that next day he sew the latter go into the house of the prisoner Bloomfield, and leave there some pert of their *hare of the booty. Mr. Thompson advertised a reward of 1001. for the appreheasion and conviction of any of the persons concerned in the robbery. The two men named Clarke and Butler, above. mentioned, were taken up onauspicion, in consequence of their having been seen near the premises on the day before the robbery, and were then discovered to have in their tinkery-barrow a screw. driver and an old razor converted into a chisel, which exactly resembled two instruments of tile same d.eseription which the thieves bed left in the house upon their retreat. The tent in which Butler and Clarke lived was afterwards searched, and these implement, hay. Wg been found le theirbarrow, they were taken up. tried, and acquit. ted. On Ist and 2d Jan. last, in consequence of information given to Mr. Thompson by a brother-in-law of Avis, Smith and Wickins were apprehended, sold then Avis voluntarily surrendered, confessed his guilt, and implicated his accomplices. He admitted, on his cross-examination, that he knew Clarke and Butler to be innocent of the robbery, and yet allowed their lives to be placed in jeopardy without any attempt to come forward in their justification. The houses of the three prisoners were respectively searched. In the house of Blcomfield were found several paws of sheets and a shawl, which were identified by the erns: cutor and his wife. 'The initials I marked on the sheeting lied been ingettiously picked out, but the' traces were perfectly visil,".e. la the house of Smith were also' found some pieces of sheeting, one of which was also identified in the same manner to be the property of the prosecutor. The ac. complice was corroborated in several collateral particulars of his story. No witnesses were called in defence.  The Jury, after an elaborate summing up on the part of Mr. Baron Gwattax, found all th; prisoners Guilty. The Cot; RT sentenced Bloomfield to be transported for fourteen pears; and sentence of Dratla was pronounced on the other pri. soners; upon whom, the Learned Judge told them, the judgment of the law must be executed.