Spence Broughton
FURTHER PARTICULARS of the EXAMINATION of the MAIL ROBBERS.
Thomas Shaw's deposition was nearly as follows;
Image Reproduced courtesy of The Francis Frith Collection
About a fortnight previous to the robbery of the Cambridge Mail on the 9th of June last, he said Spence Broughton and John Oxon, or Oxley, came to his house in Prospect-row, St. George's Fields, where they acquainted him with their design of robbing the Cambridge Mail, near Bourne Bridge, and solicited his assistance. He declined, but as he was going to Cambridge on some business, he told them he would enquire about the Mail, and give them such information as would the more easily enable them to execute their purpose. He accordingly set off from the Queen's Head, in Gray's Inn-lane, in the Fly; and what is rather a remarkable circumstance, was accompanied thither by Mr. John Palmer, of Drury-lane Theatre, who was subpoenaed on a trial in that county. While at Cambridge, Shaw enquired at the post office, and made it his business for several nights, to learn how the Mail was taken. When he had made himself master of the whole he came to town, and disclosed his information to Oxley and Broughton, who again pressed him to accompany them, but he declined, and they departed on the 8th of June to execute their purpose. On the 10th they returned, and sent for Shaw to the Cannon Coffee-house, in Portland-road, where they told him they had completed the robbery, and Broughton gave him a handkerchief with all the notes in it, which he, the same evening, buried in the garden behind his house in Prospect-place, St. George's Fields.
Shaw deposed, that while they were in the Cannon Coffee-house they related to him the robbery. They both told that they placed themselves on the road where the mail cart must pass - Broughton tried to put on a smock frock, which being too small for him, Oxley put it on, and Broughton retired to the adjoining field. When the cart passed, Oxley stopped it, and led it and the boy across a field, where he tied the boy and brought the bag to Broughton, after which they jointly proceeded into a wood at some distance, where they opened every letter and took out every bill. They buried the letters, etc. underground in the wood, but the large bag they had previously hidden in a parcel of stones by the roadside. They then proceeded with their booty to London.
A few weeks after the robbery, Shaw took the notes out of his garden, and carried them to an empty house of his, No 9, Middle-row, Holborn. There, in the presence of Oxley and Broughton the bundle was opened and examined. A few bills were taken out by each person for the purpose of negotiating, and within 2 or 3 days they passed to the amount of £150.
Shaw said there were of the Bank of England notes about £400, in value, half of which were endorsed on the back, "P - Post, Wood and Dowling." - As it was not thought safe to negotiate those notes with that endorsement, Oxley extracted the writing with spirits of salt, and Shaw dried the notes at the fire. Shaw here observed, that having been concerned in Lottery Insurance Offices, he knew that it must be spirits of salt that extracted the writing, as numbers which he had insured had often been erased, and replaced in such a manner as led him to enquire how it could be done, and he had been informed it was by spirits of salt, but he positively denied having ever used them himself.
George Thomson the Master of a Coffee-house, said, that he some time ago cashed a £10. Stamford Bank-bill for Oxley, which he paid to his brewers, Messrs. Giffard and Co. but they returned it, saying that it had been stolen from the Cambridge Mail. Oxley was much surprised at hearing this, said he knew from whom he received it, and would return it.
During the whole of the examination, Oxley was not only ready, but extremely anxious to disclose everything he knew: he was told by Sir Sampson Wright, Sir Benjamin Hammet, and Mr. Parkins, Solicitor to the Post Office, that he might make known what he pleased, but they begged him to understand that they did not press him, nor would they hold out any hopes of forgiveness, whatever he might disclose.
Oxley, however, like one who sincerely repented of what he had done, declared he would tell everything he knew; and, for the sake of brevity, we will begin with that which properly should be first:
Five or six days previous to the robbery of the Rotherham Mail, he said Shaw came to him at his house, No. 1, Francis-street, Tottenham-court-road, and after asking if he was not well acquainted with the country between Sheffield and Rotherham, which was answered in the affirmative, he proposed that he and Broughton should go thither, and rob the mail. Oxley partly agreed, and it was resolved, that the next morning all the parties should meet at 10 o'clock, at Shaw's house in Prospect Place, St. George's fields, finally to settle the plan. Next morning Oxley went, and in the parlour he found Thomas Shaw, Spence Broughton, --- Close, Shaw's partner in the Lottery Insurance, Mrs. Shaw, and a woman who lives with Close in London, although he has a wife in Sheffield, which is his general place of residence.
The men went out, and walked backwards and forwards between Prospect Place and the Dog and Duck, where they arranged their plan, which was to be executed by Broughton and Oxley; but as these were poor, Shaw lent them 10 guineas, which Broughton, as purse-bearer, received. They set off in the Nottingham coach from the Swan and Two Necks in Lad-lane, and after sleeping all night at Nottingham, proceeded next day on foot towards Chesterfield, in hopes that the coach would overtake them, but as it was full, it would not take them up. After partly walking, and partly riding, they reached Sheffield, where they went to bed.
On the following night they walked out on the Rotherham road, and met the mail coming towards Sheffield, but as they designed to rob it as it was returning, they lay in wait until that time should arrive.
Broughton, whom Oxley said kept a number of frock smocks and other disguises at his lodgings, threw off his coat, and out of the pocket took a smock frock and an old little hat, both of which he put on: he lifted the gate which led into a field off the hinges with his shoulders, saying he would lead the boy and the cart into that field; he then gave his coat to Oxley, and told him to wait in the corner of the field, which he pointed out, until he came to him.
Oxley lay there some time, and he soon heard the cart coming, - he also heard a conversation which he supposed to be between Broughton and the boy, and presently the former came running to him, saying he had got it, and desired him to follow, adding, - he had secured the post boy.
Broughton and Oxley proceeded towards Mansfield, but before they had gone two miles on the road, the former opened the letters, and saying there was only one bill which would be safe to pass, he put it into his breeches pocket, and threw the whole of the other contents into a brook.
When they came to Mansfield, Broughton pretended to be lame or sick, and said he could not then proceed on his journey to London, but advised Oxley to go and pass the note which they had taken from the mail, and which was on a merchant in Austin Friars, for £123. Oxley came to town, and sent one Leask, a porter at the Temple, with the bill, who obtained the cash for it, and received 18 pence for his trouble.
Oxley further deposed, that about the 20th of May last, Shaw proposed that they should go on horseback, and plan the robbery of the Aylesbury Mail, which they accordingly did, and Broughton and Oxley executed it on the 28th, in precisely the same manner as they had robbed that of Rotherham, with this difference, that they found no bills except some bank notes, which were of no use. By this scheme, Shaw, who had provided the money, complained that he lost £14.
Image Reproduced courtesy of The Francis Frith Collection
Oxley added that to reimburse Mr. Shaw the robbery of the Cambridge mail was projected. It was entirely of Shaw's planning, who went down to Cambridge for the purpose of learning the best method of effecting it. Shaw provided the money, and they again executed. The particulars of the robbery of the Cambridge mail, Oxley related to be nearly the same as what had been told by Shaw, with this very material difference, that Broughton was the person who actually committed the fact. He put on a smock frock as usual, and after he had taken the bag, he joined Oxley, who was at a little distance. They concealed the large bag among some stones on the roadside, and carried the smaller ones with the letters into an adjoining wood, where they opened them, and after taking out all the bills, which they put into a handkerchief, they buried the letters underground, and proceeded on foot to Biggleswade, from whence they came up to London on the outside of the Rockingham, a Leeds coach.
Leask, the porter at the Temple, proved having received the bill stolen out of the Rotherham Mail, and getting it cashed for Oxley. A mail coachman proved having brought Oxley to town part of the way from Rotherham, and the Cambridge mail boy gave it as his opinion, that, although it was a very dark night when he was robbed, yet, from the size of the two men, he believed it was Broughton (and not Oxley) who stopped and robbed him.
Oxley, in his evidence, added, that - Shaw was anxious to exculpate Broughton, as they had some female he also gave many other circumstances, which led us to think that (of the three) Shaw was the most culpable, and Oxley the most innocent.
» Continued
