Plated and silver articles were removed ready to be carried away, and the prisoner had taken a bank cheque book from a drawer of a table in the drawing-room, and a letter case from a davenport in the library, which had been forced open.
Mrs. Burness said the house was securely locked at half-past eleven o’clock the previous night, and that there were two fastenings to the dining-room window, which had been broken in forcing the window open.
At this time, it must be remembered, there was no suspicion that the man was anything but a burglar, and to prove his guilt as such was the effort of the officer.
To find out his name was very difficult, but after a fortnight’s search Bonney discovered that the prisoner was a “respectable gentleman,” who at Lambeth, Greenwich, and Peckham, had passed as “Mr. Thompson.”
The last residence of this Mr. Thompson, otherwise Peace, was at Evalina-road, Peckham, a most respectable neighbourhood, the house a really comfortable one, and a good garden in front.
The inspector prosecuted his inquiries, and found thirty pawn tickets in the dwelling. These tickets mostly related to property stolen from houses in Greenwich and Blackheath—namely, silver and gold plate, together with jewellery.
The goods had been pawned by one of Peace’s “lady assistants,” under the obliging name of “Thompson,” and were recognised by those who had lost them.
Robinson, although severely wounded, very shortly recovered sufficiently to give his evidence at the magisterial inquiry.
He was shot through the fleshy part of the left arm above the elbow, but fortunately no bone was touched.
The bullets, fired from a six-chambered revolver, were afterwards found, and were produced in court. The firing of five shots before one took effect was attributed to the constable dodging behind some shrubs while he was being fired at.