Children of Daniel and Elizabeth Binns

SUSPECTED ROBBERY OF CRAPE, SILK, &c.—On Tuesday the 23rd ult. two men named Frederick Sale and William Wilson, on company with a female named Mary Burns, who represented herself to be the wife of Wilson, went to the shop of Mr Binns, linen draper of the Glasgow House, Chapel-street, Salford, and offered for sale eight pieces of crape, each twelve yards long at 8d. per yard, the actual worth being about 1s. 7d. per yard; seven pieces of print, varying from nine to twelve yards in length each; twelve yards of black, and three yards of crimson silk; five bobbins of silk ribbon, and two boxes of black spun silk gloves. Mr. Binns informed the men that if they would leave them until the next day, and bring the invoice to show that the goods were theirs, he would purchase them; and this they agreed to do. They called again, however, on Wednesday night, and demanded either the money or the goods. Mr. Binns immediately went over the the police office, and gave information of the fact to inspector Taylor, who went over to the shop, but the parties had taken themselves off. On looking round he observed the woman standing not far from the shop, whom he took into custody, and succeeded afterwards in securing Sale. Wilson was not to be found.—The prisoners appeared before H.L. Trafford, Esq., at the Town Hall, on Friday week, and were remanded till last Monday to enable the officers of police, in the meantime, to find the owner of the property, when they were again brought up for further examination.—Inspector Taylor had ascertained that the prisoners had taken a house only a week before, in Dale-street, Salford, for the purpose, it was supposed, of taking in stolen property, as there was no furniture in any of the rooms, and only one bed, which was made upon the floor. As no owner was found, each of the prisoners was held to bail in two sureties of £10 each to appear, if called upon. Wilson has not since been heard of. The property is at present in the custody of the police, and is valued at about £15.

THE EFFECT OF MERCURY ON GOLD.—The effect of mercury on gold was exemplified in a strange manner on Thursday week, in Salford. A woman, named Ann Wilkinson, the wife of a mechanic at Patricroft, called at the shop of Mr. Binns, draper, Chapel-street, in order to make a purchase of some articles, and tendered in payment a half-sovereign, which she had carried in a box containing a small quantity of mercury. The coin appeared almost as white as silver, except in one small spot which was of the usual colour, and Mr. Binns declared it to be counterfeit. He had the woman apprehended, and in order to test what he supposed to be the baseness of the metal, he broke the coin into three pieces with his fingers, with the greatest ease. When the woman was taken before the magistrates on Friday morning, Mr. Ross pronounced the half-sovereign to be a good one, and was of opinion that the mercury had changed the colour of the coin, and rendered the metal brittle. The money was taken to a druggist's to be tested, and by the application of nitric acid the whole of the mercury was taken from the coin, which then assumed its original colour and hardness. The woman was, of course, immediately released. Five shillings which the woman carried in the same box were also made to appear, by the action of the mercury, like so many pieces of tin. [Mr. Binns should have indemnified the woman for her detention.] [NB The final sentence is in the text of the article, not a comment by me.]

BURGLARY BY SALFORD POLICEMAN.

This morning, at the Salford Police Court, before Sir J.I. Mantell and Alderman Leeming, a middle-aged man, named James Buckley, who has for 18 or 19 years past been a member of the Salford police force, was charged on remand with having broken and entered the shop of Mr. William Binns, Chapel-street, and stolen therefrom about fourteen pairs of stockings. It is supposed that the prisoner, who was generally on night duty, has been guilty of systematic robbery for a considerable time past. It is said that the police could, if necessary, prove no fewer than seven cases of housebreaking against him.

Thomas Roberts, assistant to Mr. William Binns, draper, 235, Chapel-street, said that on the 6th instant, when he opened the shop he missed ten pairs of stockings. Witness identified four other pairs of stockings, which had been stolen from the shop. They were placed in the doorway, but witness did not observe any marks on the shutters. They were not displaced at all. The stockings were worth about 20s. The shutters were fastened by an iron bar with bolt and screw in the usual way. The second lot of stockings were missed about a week after the first. Witness identified the goods by a private mark. The shutters were securely fastened on the night of the 5th and the 12th instant, and goods were missed from the doorway next morning.

Detective-sergeant Power said about 20 minutes past two o'clock on the morning of the 13th inst., he was on duty in Chapel-street, in company with Police-constable Wood, and saw Buckley go to the shop of Mr. Binns. He removed one of the shutters by straining the bar, put his arm through the aperture, take something out, and put it into his pocket. Prisoner then replaced the shutter and walked away. Witness crossed the street and took him into custody. Witness found four pairs of stockings in prisoner's coat pocket. On searching the prisoner's house, No. 7, Windsor-terrace, Windsor-bridge, witness found ten pairs of stockings in a box upstairs.

Police-constable Wood gave corroborative testimony, and said the he found upon the prisoner a long piece of wire, hooked at the end, which had evidently been used by the prisoner for a burglarious purpose.

Detective Superintendent Lawton said the police were prepared with two other cases of housebreaking against the prisoner, if the bench thought it necessary to hear them.

Sir J.I. Mantell: We think this will be sufficient.

Mr. Bennett, for the prisoner, said he could offer no defence to the charge, but he asked that the bench would deal with the case summarily. For two years the prisoner had been labouring under some "mental disease," and this might be an excuse for his conduct.

Sir J.I. Mantell said Mr. Bennett must know that this bench had no power to deal summarily with the prisoner. The charge was a very serious one, and the prisoner would be committed for trial at the assizes.

SALFORD BOROUGH POLICE-COURT.

ROBBERY BY A DOMESTIC SERVANT.

Ann Wallwork, an elderly woman, who for some years has been employed as domestic servant by Mr. William Binns, draper, 235, Chapel-street, Salford, was charged with stealing shawls and flannel of the value of £7 10s. from the shop of her employer. It appeared from the evidence that Mr. Binns occupies a private residence, and after business hours the prisoner was left in charge of the business premises and slept in the house. During the last six months she had systematically robbed the shop after Mr. Binns had left, and she pledged the goods with various pawnbrokers.—Mr. Binns said that the prisoner had a good home, and he had every confidence in her honesty.—The prisoner pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to three months' imprisonment with hard labour.

GOOD SHOP and DWELLING-HOUSE, 333, Chapel-street, Salford; very suitable for furniture broker. Apply to WILLIAM BINNS, 235, Chapel-street, Salford.