TALES & SKETCHES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 879, 4 January 1889, Page 7

TALES & SKETCHES.

DETECTIVE EXPERIENCES,

[ALL RIGHTS RESERVED].

MEIKLE JOHN’S

Related by Himself. DIAMOND ROBBERY IN BONDSTREET. APPREHENDING A MAN IN CHURCH. My last * experience ’ described how I obtained information from a man called Hamer of the parties implicated in a robbery at Lady Marsden’s mansion. One of the culprits was a noted burglar called Joe Masters, whom I followed into St. Margaret’s Church, Westminster, having at the time a warrant for his apprehension in my pocket. His attendance at church was part of a scheme he had in hand, which was to favourably impress an old lady upon whose property he had designs. Being unwilling to disturb the vongregation, I left my two companions outside, and, following him up, took a seat by his Bide. Daring the service no one could have behaved with more propriety or truer devotion than this living embodiment of the whited sepulchre. He knelt at the proper times, and, keeping his eyes fixed on his book, never missed the responses, sighing and groaning at intervals as if he were thoroughly oppressed with the load of bis sins j and truly contrite and broken-hearted. The service over, the old lady took her departure, followed at a decent interval by the hypocritical scoundrel who was dogging her footsteps. I now came out and walked alongside of him, and he gave a start as if he began to smell something, and not without cause, for before the congregation had left the church an inspector, who was there on duty in uniform, came along the aisle and nodded to me, and, in spite of his devotional spirit this mark of recognition had not escaped Joe’s notice. I now, therefore, took him by the arm and told him quietly that I wanted a word with him, as I held a warrant for hi a arrest. THE PRISONER AND THE INFORMER. Leading him round a corner at the Houses of Parliament, I took the document from my pocket and read it to him. He at once said, * I know who told you about this.’ ‘ Who ?’ I replied. * Why, Hamer, of course,’ he answered. I admitted that it was so, and that the same party told me that he was associated with the men who bi’oke into Lady Marsden’s house. To this accusation he refused to make any answer, either * Yes ’ or ‘ No,’ although, my two assistants having joined me, we tried him in every way for nearly an hour. He certainly was an adept in the art of silence, for not a word would he let drop about the ‘ General? or any of his clique, simply referring me to Hamer for anything I wanted to know. I therefore conveyed him to my own house, and left him there in charge of a policeman, while I went and found the latter worthy, and bringing him back with me, I confronted the pair of them. The fat was now in the fire; and, while keeping them from actually coming to blows, which, if not forcibly prevented, they would undoubtedly have done, I prolonged tne agony, and goaded them on to mutual recriminations by repeating what each had said about the other. OPENING LIKE AN OYSTER-SHELL. At any rate my tactics succeeded, for I eventually got Hamer to open out like an oyster-shell. The ice being now fairly broken, and a partial reconciliation between them effected, Hamer’s tongue was set wagging, and, by means of a little coaxing, and a few drinks, I led up to the most salient points bearing upon the General’s meditated campaigns, and elicited full particulars as to the housebreaking at Wimbledon. He told me that a man named Archer, who, some years previously, had been in Lady Marsden's employ, had been mainly instrumental in giving them information and putting them up to this attempted robbery, as he knew alt about the house and where the jewellery and valuables were kept. This same Archer, he said, had been in service with several aristocratic families, such as Lord Avonmore and Mr Antrobus, of Eaton-square, but his last; place was as coachman to the Bishop of Oxford, and that they were maturing a plan to break into his residence. I soon gathered enough from his converaation to convince me of the: necessity of adding this man’s testimony to that of the other two, and after, questioning them ; as to his probable whereabouts, and giving them something to eat—dhey had by- this time accepted jfche inevitable and become pretty friendly agajn—l had them conveyed to Wandsworth police Statiop ? snd placed in the library under charge of a policeman, while I returned to Westminster and instituted a search for Archor. After visiting several low lodging-houses we eventually found him in bed in Gieat Peter-street—a slum that has now been wiped out —and after telling him the charge upon which he was wanted, we succeeded after a great deal of trouble in getting him, screaming and howling like some wild animal, into a cab. He also was driven to Wandsworth Police Station, and placed, with the other two, in the library, and there detained during the night, • The next morning I had a long interview with the three of them, and each and all expressed a desire to give me every information in their power, and to assist in bringing the General and his company to book. I not only got exact particulars as to their hauuts and whereabouts, but also their names, and found that they were a gang of well-known and previously convicted cracksmen. C4PTUIIING THE GENERAL. The vital point of how they were to be reached and arrested now arose, and, as the result of our deliberations, it was decided that Masters should go to a low beerhouse lying off the Hackney-road, which in tho early part of the day was a likely ‘ draw ’ for the General, and, if he found him there, tell him that he had the Bishop of Oxford’s coachman, who was deiirous of making a communication to him, in waiting at tho Horns public-house at the corner of the Kingsland and Hackney-roads. Thither,

then, we forthwith proceeded, and, arranging that Masters should go on first and try and find the General, I put Hamer to follow about fifty yards behind him, and behind him again two policemen in plain clothes to give chase in the event of Masters boltmg, of to contie back and let me know whether the fox was found, or the covert drawn blank. The search party had not left me above a quarter of an hour, when back came one of the policemen followed 4>y Hamer, saying ‘They are coming along together on the opposite side of the way,’ and, sure enough, there they were, the other policeman following up behind them. They crossed over the road just as they arrived opposite the Horns, and, ensconcing myself behind the door at which they were about'to enter, I shot out before the General even saw me, and. taking hold of his arm, I walked him round to the Kingsland Police Station, not 200 yards distant, without his offering any resistance or attempting any violence. I had given my assistants instructions to keep guard and watch over Hamer and Masters whenever my back was turned, so, after having secured the General, in the station, I returned to the public-house, and found everything in Older, and master ‘Joe’ in high spirits at having so successfully landed his chief. Two other man were wanted, and the question rose as to where they were to be found, when after a few glasses Masters, who was now In prime working order, volunteered the information that he knew where to find one of them, known as Fred. Of course, it would not do for me to be seen, or even smelt in the matter, as the bird might be flown, for although, as it afterwards turned out, I was not personally known to him, I could not be sure that such was the case. I, therefore, instructed Masters to go and pitch him the same yarn as he had done to the General, whose capture had not been noticed, and to say that the Bishop of Oxford’s coachman was waiting to see him at the Horns. DRAWING FRED INTO THE TRAP. Off ho went, followed as before by my two assistants, and arriving at Fred’s lodgings, found him in bed." Waking him up and informing him of the desired interview, he was out of bed and had his clothes on in a ‘ jiffy-’ The rear guard now faced about and returned to me with the intelligence that they were on their way, and leaving the house by a side entrance, I this time came round the corner and met them face to face, whereupon Masters said to his companion, 4 This is the coachman.’ Upon this, before I know where I was, Fred took hold of my arm, and as we walked along the Kingslandroad began telling me what a nioe man * Tommy ‘ —meaning the General—was, and how he would treat me fairly and properly, all the while perfectly unconscious of my true personality until we arrived at the police station. " Interrupting him, I said, ‘ Let us step in here for a minute, ‘ and I almost think he was inside, so wrapped up was he in his communications and train of thonght, before he' thoroughly realised his position. The first exclamation that this rude awakening drew from his lips was, 4 A pretty sort of a coachman you are !’ but his look of horror and blank amazement was increased tenfold when he found his sworn ‘pal’and leader, the General, seated in another room. ARRAIGNING THE PALS. They were both now subjected to she ordeal of searching, and a large sum " of moqey, and sorpe yalqable jpwellery, was found upon the General. These preliminaries being completed, they were handcuffed together and conveyed to> Wandsworth Police Station, where they were charged with breaking and entering Lady Marsden’s residence with intent to steal, and locked up for tho night. The following morning they were taken before the magistrate, and, after some formal evidence had been given, remanded for a week, to enable me to try and find another man, equally daring in the profession, who for years had been constantly associated in crime with the General, two of them, as it waß afterwards ascertained, having been twice sentenced to penal servitude for the same offences. In this instance, however, I was unsuccessful, the capture of his leader having no doubt caused him to ‘ vamoose,’ or make himself soaroe. Meanwhile during the remand a solicitor was employed to prosecute, and all the facts bearing on the case elioited, as far as possible, from the witnesses, Archer and Masters, but without the slightest idea that either of them had ever been convicted. Neither, at that time, could any . precise information as to the antecedents of Fred and the General be obno one in the police appearing to know much about them. MASTERS IN THE WITNESS BOX. The day of remand came round, and the first witness called was Masters, who, with all the effrontery possible, went into tho witness box, andsgave a full and detailed account of his connection and dealing with the 'prisoners, from the day he first met them until the day of their arrest. £ Hi 4 eyidence ih chief 1 baying'ljeen given, and : a moat able barrister haying' been'retailed foy the defence, the cross-examination eom* menced. The eagerness displayed by their advocate in commencing the attack, and his manifest intention to tear the vile informants to pieces, Bhowed there was something in the wind. After a few preliminary questions had been put and answered, the counsel, adopting his most severe and searching look, in slow and measured tones said to the witness, tNow, sir, answer me this question. Have you yourself ever been convicted of any criminal offence ? ! To our surprise and dun may the witness hesitated, and then observed that that had nothing to do with the ease. The question was repeated in exactly the same terms, and the magistrate ruling that the witness was bound to answer it, ho coolly replied, ‘ Yes.’ ‘Of what?’ asked the counsel. ‘ They called it burglary,’was his unsophisticated answer. * To what term of Imprisonment,’ was the rejoinder. ‘I got off with three months,’ was the reply. * You were luoky,’ observed the barrister, and then down he sat, saying to the bench, ‘ I shall not ask this scoundrel another question.’ archer’s conduct. As may readily be imagined, I was on thorns while this interrogation, which so severely compromised the character and trustworthiness of my principal witness, was being conducted, and as Archer, whose evidence was to be taken next, stepped into

the box, I could not help feeling qualms lest he also should be proved to have been * through the mill.’ In appearance he was the moat straightforward and innocent-look-ing of the lot, but he was miserably clad and emaciated, jhaving been out of employment for a long time, and occasionally an inmate of the workhouse. It appeared that it was in that last refuge of the destitute that he met Hamer, who introduced him to Masters, and that, knowing as he did, owing to his service as a coachman, thd' interior arrangements of many of the houses of the aristocracy. and able, through his acquaintance with the servants, to obtain admittance to them, he had been enlisted" as an advance agent in the service of the General. He claimed at one time to have been in the employ of Lady Marsden, but this was not m reality the case ; still, it was his pretended familiarity with the premises, and the treasures therein contained, that, in the brst instance, secured him a hearing with his new associates. . , . Before proceeding to give any details concerning Archer’s examination in the police oourt, I think! ought to sta'e explicitly that he was well known to both the prisoners, and that he was supposed, having been at one time in the employ of the Bishop of Oxford as coachman, to have converted his successor in that post of importance and responsibility to his predatory principles. Consequently, when 4 Fred ’ so obligingly took my arm, and walked with me into the police station, he was under the impression that it was the prelate’s present master of the horse and reins he was interviewing, and that his shanks were due to Aroher for the introduction, as no doubt in great measure they were, though our joint work did not proceed upon the lines he had anticipated. THE COACHMAN IN THE WITNESS-BOX. After a few minutes’ adjournment, then, at the termination of Masters’ 4 short, bu« by no means 4 sweet,’ cross-examination, the quondam coachman wont into the witnessbox and, as regarded his evidence, m chief, acquitted himself most satisfactorily, implicating both the prisoners in the attempted robbery in the most direct and unimpeachable manner. He said that he had originally been introduced to Jennings —the prisoner < Fred ’—by Hamer, at the Rose and Shamrock, in Westminster, and had told him that he had lived for eleven years with Lady Marsden —which was not true—and was well acquainted with the house and Its contents ; that he afterwards met the General and ‘ Fred ’ and another man, not in custody, at the Lord Hill public house in the Waterloo Road, when all the preliminary arrangements were made, a few days before the robbery was attempted ; that he offered to go down with them and reconnoitre the premises, but did not keep his appointment owing to the instructions of Hamer, who was afraid that the instinctive geniuß of the General might suggest questions which would prove a 4 poser ’to a personal conductor, unless he was in reality well acquainted with the place and servants, and not palming off secondhand information. 1 He further stated that his sole . object in meeting them, and in suggesting these robberies and offering mythical introdactions, such as that to the Bishop of Oxford s present coachman, was to get a few shillings out of them. He was then cross-examined, and a few questions were put as to his antecedents and career in life, which tended to show that he had been 4 everything by turns and nothing long coachman, clerk, debt collector, process server, patentee and inventor, poet, and last, though not least, in Her Majesty’s service, to wit, a militiaman in the 2nd Middlesex Regiment. He was next asked whether he had ever been convicted. ‘Yes,’ he replied, 4 and sentenced to eighteen months’ imprisonment for taking that which did not belong to me.’ In other words, for appropriating to his own use Borne money which Mr Antrobus had entrusted to him, when in his service' to pay bills. THE GENERAL’S STATEMENT. The servants in Lady Marsden’s employ, the Dolice and others, having given corroborative evidence, the magistrate intimated his intention of committing the prisoners for trial, and asked them in the ordinary form whether they had anything to say when the General replied that what Archer said about meeting them at the Lord Hill public-house was quite true ; that Meiklejohn was there at the time ; and that Aroher told them these lies, just as he did to Meiklejohn, to get money, but that they never had the slightest intention of doing anything. By some extraordinary coincidence, it appears I did happen to go into the Lord Hill while they were there, but I had no idea of their presence, and, In fact, at that time I should not have known them. The General, no doubt, saw me there, and, thinking I was going to confirm Archer s statement, judged it better to be beforehand with me, but, as the sequel will show, it was this very admission that sealed his fate, for, the magistrate asking me why .1 had not spoken of this meeting,! told him that, in reality, I knew nothing about it, and that at the dates mentioned the man themselves were unknown to me, and as this important pjece of evidence had been thus sprung upon me, I wished a remand for another week to inquire into the truth of the prisoner’s statement. THE DIAMOND BRACELET AGAIN. My request was granted, and from reference to my diaries and inquiries, I found that the fact was as the General had stated it; but worse luck for him, it was. during this remand that a voice whispered in my ear that he was the very identical man, who, the previous August, stole the diamond bracelet ffom Messrs Hunt and Roskell’s. I thereupon took three of their shop assistants down to Horsemongor-lane Gaol, where he was confined', and they one and off .picked ffitn out; ‘without the slightest hesitation, from amongst thirty or forty other prisoners, as being the man who on that memorable day accompanied the lady and walked off in the direction of Oxford-street while the latter diove away in the brougham, I also now got at the antecedents of the General and Fred, and found tbftfc though both of them were quits yotihg hienj anoui thirty years of age, they had each done two or three terms of penal servitude as well as ordinary • imprisonment. A most unusual occurrence in prison annals marked this fatal week of their detention in Horsemonger-lane Gaol, showing the importance and influence pf the (general, the desperation of his assso-

dates, and their determination at all hazards to effect his release. * ttempts to break out of prison are not infrequent, but an attempt to break into one is almost unique. At any rate, two nights before the day fixed for the remand some of his companions, by means of a rope ladder, scaled the prison walls and mysteriously succeeded —I presume with the aid of a golden key—in effecting an entry, and getting within a short distance of the cell where the General was confined, when, bv some unknown circumstance, they were scared, and made off again over the wall leaving the rope ladder behind them. As may be supposed, in consequence of this daring attempt, full precautions were taken against his escape or rescue when he was again placed in the dock at Wandsworth. The strength and volume of the prosecution had now been materially increased, and the folds of the legal net encircled the unfortunate field officer on every side, for not only was I enabled to prove the truth of his statement to the magistrate at the previous hearing, but the charge of stealing the diamond bracelet was preferred against him, and his identification by the shopmen effected. ... „ ~ To pile up the agony still further, another charge—of breaking and entering a publichouse In the Kiugsland Road, and stealing a watch and jewellery and £SO in gold—was brought forward against him and hi 3 fellow prisoner, and eventually they were committed for trial at the Old Bailey—Fred on the two charges of housebreaking at Wimbledon and the robbery at the public-house, and the General on these, and also on that of stealing the diamond bracelet. AT THE JUNE SESSIONS, The Juno Sessions came round, and the first case taken was that of Lady Marsden. The evidence of the modern which the entry was effected and of the servant who saw tbs strange man beating his retreat ; of the butlor, and police, and others, was given, and my witnesses, Archer, Masters, and Hamer, were called, in the order named. The first of them, Aroher, gave his evidence in a straightforward manner, explaining fully his connection with Hanior and Masters, and the two prisoners, and his reasons for acting in tho manner he had done, and barring the discredit attaching to his character from the blot of the eighteen months’ imprisonment, his statements were not shaken in cross-examina-tion. He stood down, and Masters, my principal- witness, followed him, and was duly sworn, A decided contretemps now occurred, foie, at about the third question put to him, 4 Do you know Hamer f ’ his reply was, 4 1 do to my sorrow.’ Upon this the Court, remarking that he must answer the questions put to him, and not refer to the state of his feelings in respeot to Hamer or any other man, he turned restive, and said that if he was not allowed to speak his own mind he would not speak at all. The judge, threatening to commit him for contempt of court, he replied, ‘ Then I will forfeit my recognisances. I have got myself to look to, and will suffer the result of my silence, if I am not allowed to give my evidence in my own way. The injury I shall suffer through this case, if’you send me to prison, is nothing to what will ultimately follow me. The cunning and lying manner in which this Hamer lias incited me to tell things to these men, and urge them on to crime, is such that justice cannot be done unless I go fully into it. He ceased speaking, as old Homer has it, and was put back in custody while Hamer s evidence was being taken. BEING OBDURATE BRINGS ACQUITTAL, This done, Mr Griffiths, the counsel for the prosecution, stated that without the evidence of Masters, he could not prove the case. The recalcitrant witness was accordingly recalled, and again placed in the box, and duly coaxed, threatened, and remonstrated with, but all to no purpose. He remained obdurate, and refusing to answer, was committed for a month’s hard labour, and a verdict of 4 Not Guilty ’ returned against the prisoners. The charge of breaking and entering the premises of the publican in the Kingslandroad, iu which Fred was likewise implicated, but with which I had nothing to do, was now taken, and ended in an acquittal, and this latter prisoner was discharged. ESCAPE OF A PRISONER. The General was sent back to Newgate, to be brought up on the following day on the charge of stealing the diamond bracelet. I must state that 4 from information received ’ I had apprehended a female outside Horsemongei Lana Gaol, while tho General was confined there, who, on being taken to Vine Street Police Station, was picked out by the assistants at Hunt and Roskell’s from amongst five or six others, as being the fiancee of the pseudo-Australian on the occasion of his visit to their establishment, and I have very little doubt in my own mind that they were right. ■ The next morning, acoordingly, they were placed in the dockland the trial lasted the whole day, each witness describing at full length their appearance and characteristics, and the ingenious manner in which the robbery wss effected, tp which J need not again revert, Rebutting evidence vya ß called but all to no purpose, bo far as it related to the General, for, 'though his lady-love was acquitted, he was found guilty, and, after several previous conviotions had been proved against him, sentenced to twelve years’ penal servitude. 1 ' " . •' After, his conviction he was sent to Pentonville, where he remained some time, and from there he was transferred to Brixton Convict Prison, where he was employed in the carpenter’s shop. After be had been working there for some time, and so become pretty conversant with the topography and the ways and habits of the officials in charge, hp watched Iffs opportunity, and, ope .dark winter afternoon, wfien the warden happened to go into anqtheh department the prieofi ke fastened the door behind hiup Seizing Qfficeffg b|ouae apd pap, scaled thp waffs by tffe aid of some wood which was at. hand, and, followed by tbrep or four other prisoners made bis An alarm was given, and til® hue an'’ CTy cne exception of the General,' were quickly recaptured and secured, but the intrepid commander-in-chief got away, and, though information was instantly given to the police, add searoh made in every direction, he could nowhere be found. Eventually some boys in Clapham saw him, with his knee breeches all besmirched with mud and dirt, in order to deface and conceal, as far aa

possible, tho damning evidenoe of the broad arrow, with which they were liberally embellished, and, struok with his strange and semi-comical appearance, followed him up. RECAPTURED by a greengrocer. At last, as he was passing a greengrocer s shop, ho picked up a basket of 4 sprouts and, putting them ou his head, walked off as if he was going to deliver them to some customer. The boys at once informed the greengrocer ol what they had seen, and he, calling a policeman, gave chase, and coming up with the General gave him in charge for stealing the basket of greens.. He was conveyed to Clapham Police Station, and there identified as the escaped convict, and detained during the night. The following morning he was taken before the magistrate at Wandsworth, from which court he had originally been committed for trial, and sentenced to three months’ hard labour for escaping from Her Majesty’s prison at Brixton. Having finished his three months at Wandsworth prison, he was removed to Milbank to finish his twelve years penal servitude, without any prospect of a ticket of leave or remission of time ; so that, in the long run, his daring and ingenuity instead of alleviating, tended to intensify his punishment. Such then was tbe termination of the career of the General—at least so far as lam concerned, for I believe he finished his sentence and is now, or lately was, at liberty—and of one of the moat complicated cases X ever had in hand. . .... There is an old and trite saying, that from little causes great things arise, and if ever there was an exemplification of its truth in criminal investigations, it is to be found here. The paltry half-crown which Joe Masters obtained by false pretences from Lady Marsden, was the first piece of tangible evidence which enabled me, step by step, to trace, and come up with, the perpetrators of tbe burglary; and the proceedings in this case before the magistrate, protracted solely by the General’s injudicious remark about having seen me afc the Lord Hill publichouse, enabled me to get wind of his identity with the diamond theft at Hunt and Ros« kell s. The operations of a desperate gang of thieves and burglars were thus seriously curtailed and impeded by their trusted leader and chief, and his prolonged imprisonment has in all probability proved the salvation of much property, and very possibly of the lives of its possessors, for a moie dangerous and reckless desperado never handled a ‘jemmy.’ . , (To be continued.)