GARROTTING AND ATTEMPTED ROBBERY.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 34, 25 January 1864, Page 2

GARROTTING AND ATTEMPTED ROBBERY.

"Wo have been here so long free from the flj presence of any criminals of a desperateH character, and have been hitherto in a state of H such perfect security, that the relation of theH particulars, co.i nected with a determined H attempt at garrotting and robbery, which oc- j| curred in the midst of our 'streets at an early ■ hour on Saturday night, will necessarily H I cause considerable alarm. The circumstance connected with the .occurrence we have be^informed of by Mr L. Berricke, Jeweller and, watchmaker, of Tay-street, who was" the,per- ; son on whom the attempt was made: It appears tliat Mr Berricke, whose shop is situated in Tay-street, near Kelvin-street, has been in the habit of carrying home every night to his private residence, nearly at the other end of Tay-street, the' most valuable portion of his stock, as he had no one sleeping in the premises y-jhere he carried on business. On Saturday night, *aboufc 'a quarter to 10 o'clock, he closed his. ;S*op as usual, and carrying a box cohtainin^M^chW andj jewellery to the amount of beJjf3^3ff*4Vvb 'and" .£SOO, he proceeded tohis7priyate residence;! which is in a right-of-way, or lane nearly opposite the Union Hotel, communicating with Esk-street, and known as Clarke's Lane. He had turned into the lane, had gone about twenty yards, and was within eight or ten yards of his o*vn door, when he was suddenly met by two men, who appeared to come out of a doorway nearly opposite his own house. The two men, as' they passed him, separated, and allowed Mr Berricke to pass between them. Hardly had he done so, when he felt the arms of one of the men around his throat on one side,- while the other came up' on the opposite side, seized him by the throat, and inserted his knuckles between his neckerchief and his throat. While thus rendered powerless, he wa* thrown down on the ground on his back. He endeavoured to call for help;' but found he could scarcely breathe. Mr Berricke believes" that he was held in this position for four or five minutes, until he had nearly lost consciousness. When the ruffians . thought he was insensible, one of them must have let go his hold of Mr Berricke's throat, as he states that he was sufficiently consciods of. less power being used to hold him down. Making a last desperate effort, lie T managed to turn himself on his side, when the other ruffian also let loose his grip and released him. He at last managed to stagger to his feet, and hearing the sound of sonae one running in the direction of Tay street, lie ran down the lane shouting ** Murder " and "Police.'' Very fortunately for the safety of his property, Sergeant -Shurey, of 'the police was on ;duty not many yards from the spot. His attention being, directed "by 7 the cries, be saw one of the men,with Mr. I3erricke's box in his hand, running across Tay. street, almost, opposite Clarke's Lane. He immediately gave chase, and the man finding the Sergeant so close at his heels, threw the box into the road and- tried to escape. Sergeant Shurey, however; was too, quick for him, and arrested liim before he had run many yards. The man made no attempt to escape ; indeed it would have been useless, as Mr Berricke's cries had brought a large crowd to the spot; the street — as i it may. be posed— being thronged with people ut that hour on Saturday night. Having recovered the property, which was safe and uninjured, the Sergeant conveyed the prisoner to the lock-up, tvjiere he gave the name of John Miirphy. From his appearance, and the knowledge of his residence and habits for the last week or two, "there was no doubt of him being connected with a gang of desperate ruffians, who, with his more, "immediate accomplice, my Saturday night's work, it is tq be, hoped will soon be arrested.. We are sorry to state thafc, Mr Berricke is still suffering from the ruffianly attack made on him J It is pretty evident' that the robbery was a systematically planned affair, arid that the raen were aware of the fact of Mr Berricke taking home such valuable propei ty eyery night, as for three or four nights previous to Saturday night he had been accompanied by some one, either a member of his family, or a friend. Yesterday morning a person picked up, in , the lane close to the spot where the occurrence took place, a silk handkerchief, which had been ingeniously convertedinto a ""life preserver,"* or rather a " life destroyer,'' by the "process of tying up two or three large stones in .one of T the corners/ the ruffians having dropped it in the scuffle with Mr Berricke. We.may mention the fact, that .Detective Thomson (who is at present off duty, from a W 'l accident)gave Mr Berricke /a.', caution . i^-^e few weeks ago, and also spoke to another watchmaker and jeweller, who wac* in the habit of earring homeTa quantity of valuables from his shop to his private house,' as tp the impropriety and danger of doing so, knowing that some of the fraternity to which 1 the prisoner belonged v. ere in town. The prisoner Murphy y* ill jbe brought up before the Resident Magistrate to-day.