THE BLUE COACH ROBBERY.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11580, 11 May 1903, Page 10

THE BLUE COACH ROBBERY.

AN INCIDENT OF THE BRIGHTON ROAD. By T. Bowick. On the sth of February, 1812, at Eeven in the morning tlie Blue Coach started from its usual hostelry, The Blossoms, LawTence Lane, City, for Brighton, then a rising watering-place of some eight thousand inhabitants, perhaps better known as Brighthelmstone, down to almost the date named. All the six inside places were booked— that is, ithe travellers were entered in the way-bill, and half the fare paid in advance, the remainder being handed over on taking possession of the seat; but only two passengers, Mr and Mrs Burley by name, turned up at the start. Spiller, the coachman, was noted for running on time, and after the guard had sounded a note or two on his "yard of tin" (it could only yield two notes, and the effort to produce a third gave a most discordant effect), off they started at a steady pace for the Elephant and Castle, which was the first place of call. Mrs Burley, though tall and well-built, was evidently an invalid, going to recruit on the coast; she had on a large cloak of dark poplin, or other fabric, and a coalscuttle bonnet of the .period; but, wearing a tliit-k gauze veil, her features were not recognisable. She leaned heavily on her husband's arm, and he carried both her reticule and a plaid shawl' of voluminous size. On entering the empty vehicle, she made for the further end, and sank down on the left corner seat; while Mr Burley explained that their baggage, being heavy, had gone on by the com—ton stage-waggon two nights since, so that they were now without encumbrance. I should have said that another person, or rather two persons—a clerk and a porter from Pinhorn's Bank in the Borough, had been inside the couch, half an hour earlier, and deposited a tin desputch-box, with patent lock, taking (as was their use and wont every Wednesday and Saturday) a package of securities, and of h-suable notes for the Union Bank at Brighton. The despatch-box was placed i n a stout iron chest, which was duly fastened, and which in it's turn was put in a locker under the furthermost left side corner seat; the sole keys of which arrangements were kept by the banks in London and Brighton respectively. Nearly thirty coaches ran to and from Brighton at this time (part of them taking Cckfield and Lewes on their way), and competition was keen, though the Blues held their own well, having been long on the road, and possessing on influential connection at either end. Blue they were in every respect, in the great swinging bod}-, in the wheels, in the front and rear "boot"' (geneiaily chokeful of packages), blue in the coat and waistcoat of the guard and coachman, and blue even in the small quarto posters that were circulated among the London Siouses (commercial and residential) twice a year, to remind their patrons that eveiy order would be gladly attended to, good time kept, and all engagements fulcrawled across the London Bridge, which Sir John Reunie was so soon to displace; and especially on the south side, where the flickering oil* lamps but made the darkness vl«.ible, and the not very well paved roadways passable. Some "travellers found rt more convenient to join at points _3cng th;

The Union Bank clerk and a porter were waiting, as they had waited on many a Wednesday and Saturday before, to carry off the despatch-box, with its securities and issuable notes, the hitter amounting, on this journey, to between £3000 and £4000. The lid of the outer locker was all right, but the lock of the heavy iron chest had been forced, the despatch-box lifted out, and no pains whatever taken with the patent lock, for the front of the box had been ripped by a cold chisel which waS left behind in the chest. The rascals had known their business well, for only the notes were removed, everything else remaining intact. All stood aghast at the "Ship,", and a crowd speedily gathered, but the clerk had his wits about him, and he requested the landlord to lock up the coach in the yard, while he sent the porter for the new constable tut lately arrived from Bow street, where -he had ma do a name that was held in respect by haters of the law, and he himself rushed off to acquaint Mr Lashar, sen., one of the partners, who was then taking charge at the bank, in the absence of his son, who was off on his wedding tour. Mr Lashar grasped the situation at once, from the information of tlhe clerk, from the interview with Spiller and the guard, and from the further facts that were elicited by Bryden, the guardian of the peace aforesaid, a douse Scotchman, who could sec as far through a millstone as most people. Further, Mr Lashar knew tlie ways of the Brighton road well, for he had been a coach proprietor (and made money at it, too) before selling out to the Croswellers, and joining his interests to the banking house that did financial business to no mean extent, for a provincial concern. Bryden and the guard of the coach at once drove off in a fast post-chaise, losing no time till they got to Reigpte, where it was their wish to find the passeugers that had dropjjed off there. But it was found that their business had been swiftly despatched, for immediately the Blue made for the South, they had hired a pair at another inn, and started off for London. Taking, therefore, the Croydon road, the officer was fortunate enough to intercept the returning chaise, and by aid of loud words and stiff brandy and water, to get out of the slumberous jxist-boy (a man over 60) what facts were relevant to the occasion. His travellers had called at the Elephant, to see someone ; after which four persons crowded into the chaise, and he ultimately dropped them near a landing on the Blackfriars side of the water.

It was now late, and Bryden pushed on to Bow street, where a full description, so far an known, of the persons who had committed the robbery, and of the notes secured, was quickly copied off and sent out, so as to be in the hands of the bankers and money-changers by the time they opened in the morning. But nothing was heard of the men nor of the plunder, and it was evident that they had changed the scene of operations. A waterman on the Surrey side remembered ferrying over four men, whom he closely described, and who twith the exception of Mrs Burley) tallied with the guard's passengers of the previous day. The waterman landed them at the warehouse of the Dutch hoy, then lying in the river, waiting the tide to sail for Amsterdam, which she did, under a good moon, a little before eight in the evening. Two men, who were not burdened with luggage, had gone on board, and a southwest wind favouring, the Dutch skipper was now well into the North Sea. On Saturday the Rotterdam trader sailed, and Bryden in her; but a stern chase is proverbially slow, and the first men were already at the wharves on the Zuyder Zee ere he left the Thames; head winds and fogs over the banks of Holland also delayed the officer, and he was more than a filled. It was a grimy morning as they week before getting fast alongside at Rotterdam.

Now that the Scheldt was closed by Napoleon, and Antwerp in decadence, Amsterdam had sprung by leaps and bounds to be the leading commercial emporium, into which, and through Avhich (spite ot the edict of Bonaparte, to simt out English goods), much of our productions found their way. The officer speedily got across Holland, and found. A3 expected, that a lot of tbe Brighton notes had b>*en

• ... .. * uercainry not- to ra™, 101- urutjarc; — m At the Plough, Clapham, Spiller wauea :N -, ipolt><m _ ere at it hamuwr and tongs in impatiently for ten minutes to pick up two p (?n j 1 , sa i af and the very day before who booked and prom_ed to join there* h? - a :j e j .bot>_. Houses had given a vote of Foolishly enough, or shall I say purposely! to \Vellesley and his army, for they had gone on, without leaving any mes- g . )? __ a> *_nd gallant capture of sage, and were overtaken further on the c - ud . ld R o( j r ig o . So he would try Geneva, road, near Streatham. The coachman was i ft conj j Wl . at j ve iy f ree al) d cosmopolitan in no good humour, though they proved j cit Tl^,,v -i,_hs-t au ding the French Protccrather civil outsiders, one taking the reserv- io '. xte t } Klt . g a lh. d the Swiss, light as the cd bos seat, and the other sitting innnedi- _ okc _.._, intended to be. He travelled ately behind; they had tobacco, too, of ex- j v^a jj a g} e% Berne, and Lausanne, taking ceptional flavour, and a flask of Hollands, Doat _ at Ouchy for his destination; but neither of which bad paid the proper dues w j lMl ne _ ofc * to Q. e - e - a _ not , the slightest to the Exchequer—for the contraband trade traco cou ]d be gained—he was on the wrong was then a thing winked at m .j-.x_.j_-. Thinking Milan might prove a every quarter. Nay, by the time they letter planting .ground, he attached hinireached The Cock at Sutton (kept by Jack- se j| as a seryant to a Genevese merchant e-on, the noted pugilist, beloved of the aDO m. to crocs by the newly-opened SimpRegent), where twenty-five minutes were lon rout<? to "italy. Rut at Donio allowed for breakfast, things began to as- (POsjs.iia- the gravest suspicions were awaksume a rather comfortable aspect, and peo- t . ned at t ,jj e French posts, and when they pie were thawing down all round, under jeaehed Arona, foot of Lake Maggiore, he these seductive influences. Unfortunately cam( _, t 0 a dea d halt, and only got away the rolling of the coach had increased Mis i JV subterfuge, after three weeks delay". Burley's malady, and she was unable to Again he was on the wrong scent. Milan join the party inside, but her husband took was worthless, and he dared not make for out sonie> tit"-bits which she just managed Genoa, as some of the French fleet had to struggle through. He was rather par- £SCa p od f rom Toulon, and were so hara*sticular to do all tho waiting himself, for „,g om . merchant shipping that he might his wife was nervous with st rangers— run JV g ood c hance of capture at that though he feed the waiting-maid liberahy p i ace _ all the same. Nay. the fair traveller was Meantime, our heroes of the Brighton wilful alto, for at the las* blast of the road ] m i , made _..,_ to Baden, vtML Q horn she suddenly declared she could go Mevers's bank helped to lighten their load, no further, got, out with her large (and and thence on v , Vienna, where Gewerlia apparently heavy) reticule and plaid shawl, _- M sjj-ilarlv accommodating with approve* and they took places in the morning up Knclwh paper, and whew, in fact, the fag coach from Guildford, then at the moment end of tho •• , vas -.alised. It is doubtduo. That coaoh also had, singularly fu i whether, at this time, what with exenough, only one inside, though all the pense . s an< i cost , 0 | exchange, there remainplace- had been booked, and they rapidly td anv tliing over £2500, or its equivalent, .sped their way back to town. At the m English value; although, as there is Elephant Mr ar.d Mrs Burley aliguted, and, honour anions thieves, no gambling or unby request, the lady was shown to a pn- necessary expenses could be charged to vate room, where several houns of the short t ]. e j r aceounfc . All was done quietly, quickwinter day were spent, and rather substan- j v . and j lenco .suspicion was disarmed the tial refreshments consumed by the travel- mor<; . But afc tne Austrian capital a lens; while, later on, two gentlemen drop- cur j oU3 thing happened. Young Mr ped m, and then all departed together. __,har, who had come across Central "I'm blest if I ever seed a woman wan Europe with his bride, to gratify her musi* such big feet before," was the irreverent M \ Ustca here, was obtaining 'specie from exclamation of Tommy, the guard of the G-ewerbe f or his letters of credit when up coach, after he had dropped them at tJld banker remarked, "We cashed a lot of the famed old south side inn, which then, your 110Ws yesterday." The Englishman as now, was the converging po.nt for waa prolld \ 0 find thw Brighton house so comers and goers in many different direc- %ye n known, asked to see the notes, taking tions. I may as well say that while om the Viennese bank's face stamp on several had seen Mrs Burley enter the Ek- it, as a souvenir of his visit. He had phant, no one had seen her come out; i e f fc before the robbery was committed, and and when the maid was doing up the fire- „.,-£ to t j, e conclusion that a leading merplace on tlie morrow, she had remarked chant, or some member of the embassy, on the large quantity of ashes and half- had been the medium of presentation, charred woollen stuff that was left be- Roth he and his spoilers made for Venice, "•nd- as things were getting hotter in Western Meantime, the other coach sped across Europe, and who could tell how many the remaining miles of .Surrey, till Rei- years of languishing in a French gate was made, where luncheon was al- prison might be the lot of any lowed at the White Hart, It was a noisy who were captured en route. We did our party, for it was the weekly market day, share in keeping the ball rolling, and numand some farmers were grumbling at a berless French subjects, captured at sea, slight drop in corn, the trices of the were detained by us, though not in the week (according to the "Times" of that mos t severe forms of imprisonment. At date) being nothing more than 120s per Venice Mr Lashar met Bryden, and heard quarter for best wheat, 55s for prime malt- the news, giving him, in turn, information ing barley, and oats running anything from ihat s howec! the disposition of the notes. 30s to 425, the latter being choicest lots The o]d Suotsrnan cou]d oJlly „ rind hifl for early spring sowing The Clapham and confess himself beaten this time* passengers did not join however, as t.iey Crossing the Piazza in front of St. Mark's, suddenly discovered that they had to see one d he wa _ f h aggrava t e d by someone, in he town, who was expecting see i ng two men whom he could not help as'tl.em to call, and they would only com- BOcia f in g with those he was in wantof ;but pie c the journey on the following day. bi _ dM } d , ' But one inside now reniaired-Mr Cole hel J e £ f v £_ e „ to wit-a su ky fellow, who dozed most of on / of th , d M a d^tl he way but who tipped pretty handsome- fc bis hdo_ hj b J? 7 y, ere he get out accoiding to custom, {_ say .. w . * „ J to climb the ascent- of the South Downs. „_.i;. ~ £ . ~ , , -^ ivl ° As he apparently intended to forge ahead *^ n S c « u !f d f*> , th s f h «f briskly, he could pick him up ™* it ~ M found that they had at Patcham, if they did not overtake him ma f ß ' OT the U '^ S galle ° D ' earlier. But at Patcham he was not ""« < _* noe » J?, 0 doubt > 1 « ) me b 7 ""»! of visible, though his small handbag remain- Gibraltar. The money was never got, nor ed inside, and they had to descend the *«" «**»' °£ til » ™ a captured—at least road to Preston without him, and so on no * f ?f .' tlxis offence described, to the "Ship," where they arrived "light," Nothing satisfied the Annandale man now but well up to time. at Brighton; it was cruel to be defeated

—— — C C%t3l.y U—A!lg MXWVU BU U—'l,——, 41— U. in the early part of his career, too, at the rising watering-place. So he asked to get back to his old quarters in the Metropolis, where the stir and the life and the conflicts speedily drove the escapade from his mind. On a dismal, sleety Monday morning in the following winter it fell to him to provide constables to form a cordon in front of Newgate, where eight or nine felons, some of them for offences that would be purged with six months' imprisonment and hard labour now, were about to be turned off. They were being marched to the scaffold, and duly arranged while the bell tolled its hastening strokes; one of the criminals, however, craned forward, and under ihe glimmering lamps met the eye of the officer in charge. The recognition was instantaneous and mutual. "We had you, old bloke, over the Blue Coach," said he who had leered across the Piazza of St. Mark's. "Yes! But it's our turn now," grimly muttered the Scotchman. And an hour after, when he had dismissed his squad, and gone to take a look at the bodies, he breathed more freely than he had done for many a month past.