Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1879-05-03 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

CAPTURE OF A GANG OF BURGLARS AT HALIFAX. Four notorious characters were on Tuesday brought before the borough magistrates at Halifax, charged with frequenting Southgate with intent to commit a felony, "they being suspected persons." From the evidence it appeared that on the 18th inst. Detective-sergeant Ramsden, Bradford West-Riding Constabulary, was at Wakefield, where he saw King, Smith, and Lowe, and knowing King to be a notorious thief,"and suspecting something was on foot, he telegraphed to Bradford for assistance, and Inspector Symonds was sent. They watched the men's movements all night and followed them to Halifax on the following morning, the prisoner Kelley joining them at North Dean Station. On arriving at Halifax the prisoners took up their stand in Southgate. Additional help was obtained from the Halifax police, and the men's movements were closely observed. For something like five hours they paraded, sometimes singly and at others in pairs, in front of the Shakespeare Hotel and down Shakespeare-street, as if bent upoa robbing either the hotel or the adjoining office of Mr. C. T. Rhodes, accountant. Smith generally acted as sentry and conveyed signals with his pockethandkerchief, which he flourished very frequently, the other three men retiring or collecting together as the signal was favourable or otherwise. At about four o'clock Smith and King left and went in the direction of the station, where they were apprehended. A number of skeleton keys and other burglarious instruments were found, but no other property. Kelly and Lowe were afterwards arrested in Southgate.—Lowe, who is a returned convict, was committed for six months with hard labour, and the others:for three months.  A CORRESPONDENT says—l shall be glad if you will kindly allow me to recommend the Excelsior Magazine to the readers of the Gazette. The leading article in the May number is a sketch of "The early days of 'The Learned Blacksmith,'" Elihu Burritt, with portrait. "The crown of Amaranth" is a very interesting and instructive article, in which appears the following :--" Highest of all is the motive which ruled the earthly life of our Blessed Redeemer, and which He embodied in those Divinely human words, 'I come down from heaven not to do Mine own will, but the will of Trim which sent Me.' This motive is repeated and reflected, however faintly and feebly, in the lives of all His faithful disciples. To subject our will to the will of our Father in heaven is the first practical lesson of Christian life, although a lesson in which, perhaps, we never become perfected on earth. 'Lord, what would'st Thou have me to do?' is its daily motto, and happy, peaceful, restful should we be if we could, in all simplicity and self-forgetfulness, make that motto truly and constantly our own.  I would not have the restless will That hurries to and fro, Still seeking some great thing to do. Or secret thing to know; I would be treated as a child, And guided where I go.'" "Hand over hand: a life story," is continued, and cannot fail to interest all Christian readers. To those who had the pleasure of hearing Mr. Thomas Cooper when he appeared in this neighbourhood not long ago, the following extract from an article on "Prison literature," contributed by Mr. William Finnemore, will doubtless be of some interest : "And coming down to stilt more modern times we find Thomas Cooper (now the veteran advocate of Christian truth) confined in Stafford Goal for Chartism, writing The purgatory of suicides,' a poem which won for its author the commendation and friendship of critics like Carlyle and Wordsworth, Forster, Dickens, and Jerrold. Such men have shown how the most disheartening circumstances may be made the means of great achievements and fresh glories. They are great exemplars, showing how independent of outward circumstances we are, so long as heart and mind are true. Their motto might have been 'Excelsior,' for the lesson of their lives is ever pointing upward and onward, from the mists and gloom of earth to the serene heights of heaven.  Stone walls do not a prison make, Nor iron bars a cage; Minds innocent and quiet take That for a hermitage. If I have freedom in my love, And in my soul am free, Angels alone, that soar above, Enjoy such liberty." "True girlhood : the early days of Ann and Jane Taylor," by the late Mrs. C. L. Balfour, is concluded in this number. "Counsels to the newly married" finishes with this quotation : Ohl the heart that has truly loved never forgets But as truly loves on to the close; As the sunflower tarns on her god when he sets The same look which she turned when he rose. Among other articles of interest are the following : "Round the world: No. 2, Lundy Isles"; "Plans and rules for Bible study"; "The Fete-Dieu, or Corpus-Christi Day in Cologne"; Wilarriage of the Duke of Connaught"; "The hussar and the schoolmaster"; "Leaves from a schoolgirl's diary in Corsica: introductory letter"; "Rainfall abroad and at home"; "Out-of-door papers: No. 3, Our naturalist's stock-in-trade." The poetical contributions comprise: —"The primrose," "A song of Britain," by A. 11. Miles; "The daily bread and daily cross," etc. J. W. C.