GREAT GOES ROBBERY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 53, 2 March 1907, Page 13

GREAT GOES ROBBERY.

& ROMANCE OF CKIMB. It is just about fifty years ago, writes a correspondent of the "Globe," since the country was agog -with interest over the detection of a sensational robbery. The great bullion theft on the South-Eastern railway takes a high rani in the romance of crime. Barely has such skill, dexterity, patience, and perseverance been employed in the execntion of a criminal design. As an instance of both brain and financial capital deliberately invested in a criminal undertaking it has no parallel. The "Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" do not contain a plot so exciting or a crime so cleverly conceived and carried out. On the night of May 15, 1855, gold to the value of £12,000 was stolen from three strong boxes, hooped and sealed, while being conveyed in the van of a mail train between London and Folkestone. The boxes, which were weighed in London and again at Boulogne, bore no marks of violence. At the latter place, the weight, as it was subsequently discovered, differed slightly from the weight in London. When the boxes were opened, bags of shot were found in place of ingots. For a period of eighteen months pursuit was in vain. Many persons were apprehended on suspicion, but the police obtained no cine till November, 1856. The robbery was well-nigh forgotten when at that date an unexpected revelation threw light on the mystery. In October, 1855, a man named Agar, was convicted of cheque forgery, and sentenced to transportation for life. Thirteen months later this man offered to reveal the secret, and confessed himself one of the perpetrators. The crime would probably never have been detected but for the voluntary disclosures of one of the chief parties implicated. There were five male accomplices to the great bullion robbery, namely. Agar, Pierce, an ex-employee of the South-Eastern railway; Burgess, a guard; Tester, a clerk in the traffic department; and Saward. The latter, alias "Jim the Penman," played but a small role as "fence." After his arrest, however, the authorities discovered that they had scotched a veritable "Napoleon of crime." The ambitious idea was suggested by Pierce, who believed the scheme impracticable till he became acquainted with Agar, the skilled mechanical operator of the whole affair. The latter pointed out that if only impressions of the Chubb locks, by which the iron safes were secured, could be obtained the execution of the plan would be practicable. Time, skill and capital were all at the disposal of the conspirators. In May, 1854 —twelve months before the acactuai commiseion of the robbery—Pierce and Agar went down to Folkestone as casual visitors to enjoy sea-bathing. They took lodgings, and employed themselves in observing the arrival of the tidal boat trains and the transfer of luggage to the steamer. Their constant observation excited suspicion, and they made themselves scarce, but not before they had discovered what the oflicial who had the custody of the key of the bullion safes did when the train arrived. By these means It was ascertained where the key was kept, the impression of which it was desirable to obtain. It was now Agar's turn to be disheartened, but Pierce revived his hopes. The latter knew of a young man in the office of the Superintendent of the Line who might be sounded about entering into the plot. In August, 1854, Pierce lieard that the keys were about to be altered. By means of Tester, the clerk who corresponded with Mr Chubb on the subject, the impression of a key which opened one lock of each box was obtained. But as each box had two locks It was necessary to get the impression of another key, and this created a fresh dilemma, to solve which the following device was adopted. Agar was in possession of £3000. It was arranged that a box of bullion of the value of £200 should be conveyed in the safe, in the usual way, and consigned to him at Folkestone under a false name. Agar called for the box, and it was delivered to him by an oflicial, who opened the safe with a key which he took from a cupboard. Thus, the plotters learned where the second key was kept. To obtain an impression of the latter a bold coup was decided upon. In October, 1854, Pierce and Agar went down to Dover, and one day they walked over to Folkestone, timing their arrival just as the train was coming in. In the confusion of the arrival the attendants left the office for a few minutes. Pierce went boldly in, opened the cupboard which contained the key, and handed it to Agar, who took a wax impression and then replaced it. The next thing was to make keys from the impressions. This was a difficult task, as the men were inexpert, and the keys masterpieces. Two months were spent in filing keys. When the keys were completed, Agar travelled up and down the line as a first-class passenger, end at intermediate stations was admitted into the van by Burgess, the guard, in oraer to try the keys. For a long time the keys would not fit, necessitating alterations, but at last they fitted exactly. Of course, after all this labour and expenditure of money and time it was not worth while perpetrating a paltry robbery. The conspirators possessed their souls in patience till they received trustworthy information that a large sum—namely, £12,000, the maximum capacity of the chests, was to be sent. They then bought shot to replace the gold. On May 15, 1555, the great deed was at last brought off. Agar and Pierce travelled by the boat express to Folkestone, were admitted into the van by Burgess, and the boxes were securely rifled.?; The two men returned to London after the robbery, and the plunder was cut up or melted in crucibles, after which it was sold. Agar turned "King's evidence" upon his companions in consequence of Pierce neglecting to pay over to his (Agar's) mistress and her child a sum of money at stated intervals out of Agar's considerable estate. On his conviction for another crime Agar had appointed Pierce a trustee on honour. The latter was guilty of the black-hearted viilainy of leaving the woman and child to starve. The trial of the three remaining bullion thieves took place in Januajy, 1857. Agar's revelations had excited an enormous sensation, and the court was crowded. Burgess and Tester were foand guilty of stealing the property of their employers, and sentenced to fourteen years' transportation. Unfortunately, Pierce, whom Baron Martin described as "a greater villain did not exist in the world," got nothing like his deserts. Not being a servant of the railway company, and not being a receiver, he c-ouid only be tried for "simple larceny." The judge expressed deep regret that it was beyond his power to award him more than two years' imprisonment, "three of the months to be passed in solitary confinement." The first person to whom Agar and Pierce sold some of the gold was James Townseud Saward, barrister of the Inner Temple, man about town, and skilful and daring forger. Saware was, indeed, a prince of rogues, and Sir Conan Doyle must have had him in mind when he drew the character of the fictitious "Dr. Moriarty," Saward had so fax successfully evaded the attention c£ Scotland Tttua, but Agar's confession tires light Jα Many, dark place*. Iα

-.—-„ __mwi was .arrested, and December. 1856, Saward wa in the following *££*%£<,<___- of pis a more Uon m& dealtags £, viz., an elaborate sysw"- «» _jj ast act of the great gold robbery, which had printed a wonderful picture of lor. sustained criminal prosperity.