- Transcript from The Old Bailey:
ROBERT ARCHER and FRANCIS DAVIS were indicted for a robbery with violence on Alfred Greenland; and stealing 1 bag, 1 50l. Bank-note note, 2 10l.-notes, 7 5l.-notes, and other moneys, of Charles James Saunders and another.
MR. PARRY conducted the Prosecution.
ALFRED GREENLAND . I am a clerk, in the employment of Charles James Saunders, and another, of Collingwood-street, Blackfriars. It was my duty to take money to the bank every morning—my time of doing so varied from half-past nine o'clock to between ten and eleven—I had been in the habit of taking money to the bank every morning prior to 15th Aug.—the bank was the Southwark Branch of the London and Westminster Bank, in Wellington-street, London-bridge—I am generally in the habit of going one way—I go through a passage near St. Saviour's Dock, by St. Saviour's Church, close by the Borough-market—on the morning of 15th Aug. I started from Collingwood-street, I think about half-past nine—I had with me 357l. 14s. 1d., consisting of Bank of England notes, gold, and silver—there was one 50l.-note I know, which I had taken myself the day before, seven "fives," I think, and 31l. in silver, in half-crowns, shillings, &c.—there was upwards of 100l. in sovereigns and half-sovereigns—I think I had the money in my hand—I sometimes carried it over my shoulder when I had a heavier amount—it was in a bag—I very often have a heavy weight, upwards of 100l. in silver—nothing happened to me on my way until I got to the passage near St. Saviour's-dock—I then saw a man standing against the door at the end of Church-passage—it is a very small passage, which goes under a house, with a door at one end, near the Church—that door is fastened back to the wall in the daytime, with a hook—I saw the man unhook the door, and fasten it to a staple, which would close the door—I could not swear to that man—it was neither of the prisoners—I put out my hand to try to pass when I had got quite close to him, and he gave me a blow, which was evidently intended to hit me on the head—it did not hit my head, but it struck my hat—immediately upon that my hat was knocked over my eyes, and they tripped me up from behind—I turned round, and saw two men standing—I was then on the ground—those two men used every effort to get the money—I clung to it as long as I could—they kicked me, and one fell upon my chest—I called, "Murder!" as loud as I could call—they got the money from me; and as soon as they got it, they ran—I could plainly see the bag in the prisoner Archer's possession—I swear positively that Archer is one of the men—I could not swear to the other—there were two men behind me, and Archer is the man who took the bag—I have a belief as to Davis being the other man—
I saw him among a number of prisoners at the Southwark police-court, and picked him out as the man who I believed, from his general appearance, was the man who was in company with Archer that morning—I will not undertake to swear positively to him—I got up, and followed Archer, crying, "Stop thief!"—I did not notice where the other men went; I kept my attention on the bag of money—Archer ran in a direction towards Bankside, and came to a flour-mill there, where a lot of men were stationed outside—I called, "Stop thief," and begged them to stop him—they put out their arms to stop him, and he ran in a direction as though he was coming to the passage again—I stood at the end of the passage—he appeared to be coming right at me, but he took a different direction, and ran down a street at the back of the passage—I still followed him into a court where there is no thoroughfare, and he then ran into a house—some gentleman, who is not here, ran in, and seized him—I saw him seize him—I got up before him—Archer was standing, looking round, as if he was about to make for the stairs; but there was some one I believe on the stairs, and he stood there—I ran up to him, and said, "Now, you wretch, give me that bag," and he handed it over to me—it contained the money—he was then given into custody—I think it was on the Thursday after, that I saw Davis—I had never seen either of the prisoners before.
Cross-examined by MR. M. PRENDERGAST. Q. You say you were knocked down, and your hat was over your eyes; how was it that you saw Archer with the bag? A. As soon as I was down I pushed my hat from my eyes, and then saw Archer with the bag—I do not know whether he lives in the house where he was taken—when I asked him for the bag, he gave it me—I should say five minutes elapsed between my being knocked down, and recovering possession of the bag—I ran some distance—the passage where this occurred is very narrow; two persons cannot walk through abreast comfortably, and it is not quite so long as this Counsel table—there is a door at one end, which is usually kept open in the day-time—there is no skylight, but plenty of light comes in at each end—I was a very short time on the ground—it was a very violent blow that I received—it was only one blow—that was given me by the man who was standing against the door.
Cross-examined by MR. ROBINSON. Q. Whoever it was you saw with Archer, it was somebody about Davis's age and size, I suppose? A. Yes; he was not in the dock at the police-court when I pointed him out—eight or nine of them were brought out of their cells—I had not seen the policeman before he told me to come and see them.
MR. PARRY. Q. from the time you saw Archer in the passage, did you follow him? A. Yes; and never lost sight of him.
EDWARD WOOD . I am a fruit-salesman, in the Borough-market. On the morning of 15th Aug., a little before ten o'clock, I was passing St. Mary Overy dock, in the direction from Southwark towards Blackfriars-bridge, and when I got about the middle of the passage, underneath the archway, I saw three men coming towards me, Archer, Davis, and another man—the passage is very narrow, and I stood on one side to allow them to pass, thinking they, were coming through, but they did not—they came up to the end of the passage—Archer stationed himself nearest to me on the footpath—Davis placed himself underneath the loophole of the warehouse, exactly facing Archer—the third person placed his back towards the river, but each with their faces directed towards Blackfriars-bridge, the way they came from—I looked very hard at them, and as I passed, Archer said to Davis, "Here he comes!" and looked up towards Bankside—I particularly noticed the faces of these two—
Davis had his eyes on the ground, and when Archer spoke to him he looked up and looked that way—this could not have occupied more than a minute—I passed them, and went on fifteen or twenty feet further—I then heard a cry of "Stop thief! murder!"—I had gone into a water-closet, which is there for the use of the clerks of the wharf—I kept on the alert more than I should have done, having noticed these three men there—when I heard the cry I came out, and the moment I came out Archer had got a blue bag in his hand, and was making away as fast as he could—the prosecutor was crying out "Murder! stop thief! he has got my money," or something of that sort—exactly facing me, and behind him, was Davis and the other man together—I said, "You scoundrels, you are both of you engaged in this robbery, as well as he"—they all three ran—I followed Archer, and never lost sight of him till he gave the bag into Mr. Greenland's hands—I saw Davis about a week after at the police-station—there was no other person there but the policemen—I have no hesitation in swearing, that Davis is the man I addressed, when I said, "You two scoundrels are connected in this robbery."
Cross-examined by MR. M. PRENDERGAST. Q. How long is this passage? A. About fourteen feet—it is very narrow—it will not admit two persons to pass abreast—the place before you come to the passage is very narrow for about twenty feet, it will not allow two persons to pass comfortably, on account of the dock—after you get through the passage the road is about fifteen feet wide, just room enough for a cart to back under the loophole—the water-closet is after you pass through the passage, not more than twenty feet through, to the left—Archer was standing close to me, Davis facing him, and the third with his back towards the river, but all their faces directed towards Bankside—I was coming from the Borough Market—from the time I first saw them, till I heard the scream of "Murder!" was not more than three or four minutes.
Cross-examined by MR. ROBINSON. Q. Is this water-closet one that you ordinarily use? A. It is sometimes; I did what I went there for—when I first saw the men, I was in the passage—it is a covered passage underneath a house—they were within ten feet of each other—their backs were not turned towards me—I was told that Davis was in custody before I went to the station to see him—one of the policemen told me: he did not take me there, he left word at my house—my reason for keeping on the alert was that I had it in my mind very strongly that they were about committing the robbery—I have been in Courts of Justice perhaps half-a-dozen times within twenty years.
MR. PARRY. Q. Did you give information to the police? A. I gave a description of the men to the police as near as I could—it was the policeman to whom I described them, that left word at my house.
JAMES BERRY (policeman, M 163). On 15th Aug., Archer was given into my custody by Mr. Greenland, who at the same time handed me this bag—it contained 357l. 14s. 1d.—Archer said that the case was clear enough against him, he had nothing to say.
Cross-examined by MR. M. PRENDERGAST. Q. Did he not say that the bag was thrown to him by somebody else? A. Yes, and that he ran away with it—he did not say he had picked it up—I mentioned before the Magistrate that he said the case was clear enough against him.
JOHN WRIGHT (policeman, M 3). I received a description from Mr. Wood, in consequence of which I tried to apprehend Davis, and did so on 20th Aug. with another prisoner who made his escape from me at the Holly Branch public-house, Waterloo-road—the other man gave the name of Bentley—he
has since been apprehended on another charge—Davis was taken to the station, and I there told him he was charged on suspicion of being concerned with Archer in a highway robbery on Alfred Greenland near Bankside on 15th Aug.—he said nothing then, but before the Magistrate he said he could prove he was not there, he could prove he was at 8, St. Andrew's-terrace, in bed with a female.
Cross-examined by MR. ROBINSON. Q. That was after he had heard the evidence against him and the time mentioned? A. Yes.
ARCHER— GUILTY . Aged 21.
DAVIS— GUILTY . Aged 20.
Transported for Fifteen Years.
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Australian Convict Ship Project
Abt 1829 - Yes, date unknown
