At Reigate, on Monday, James Hill was examined before a
full bench of Magistrates, on a charge of being one of a gang of burglars, who made a desperate attack on the night of Wednesday week, on the house of Mrs. Long and Mrs. Scofield, two widow ladies, residing at Chipstead, in Surry. The circumstances attending this affair, as given in the papers, are very extraordinary. The two ladies were alarmed in the night in question, by the barking of the yard-dog ; and Mrs. Long called up her nephew, Captain Rankin, who slept in the Louse. The Captain said, that probably poachers were about; and he prepared to get up. Mrs. Long,went to bed again, but was disturbed by a rap at the window ; and she saw a man with a large fold-stake strike at the window. She caught hold of the stake, and wrestled with him ; but be soon wrenched it from her, and struck a severe blow on her bead. Captain Rankin then came into the room, armed with his cutlass, and drove the robber down the ladder, which was planted against the house. Mrs. Long went down to the parlour, and brought up the Captain's fowling-piece, loaded with large shot ; while he defended the breach at the window, the glass of which was entirely smashed. The Captain fired at the robbers, several of whom were below. They then moved off; but returned in half an hour, broke open the hall-door, and carried off a large quantity of plate. Not content with this booty, they came up stairs, and demanded .50/. The ladies begged for merey,Lbtit the robbers broke through a pannel of the chamber-door, which was locked against them. Captain Rankin then put the muzzle of his fowling-- piece close to the robber's breast, and, firing, wounded him severely. The wounded man was carried off by two of his accomplices ; who all then decamped. Not a word is said all this time of the servants of the house, or why, when the robbers were driven off by the Captain's first fire, as it is said for half an hour, no alarm was given to the neighbour- hood. The house is said to be a lone one; but surely there must have been some servants, and they might have done something.
The prisoner examined at Reigate is the wounded robber. He was wounded in the breast, with shot the same as Captain Rankin fired with. He was also proved to have taken refuge, covered with blood, in a cottage, on the night of the burglary ; and was apprehended at a public-house. It is singular that he should have been taken up at the same house last spring, on suspicion of being the murderer of Mr. Richardson, itt Banstead. It is suspected that sonic of the gang with whom llill is connected were engaged in Richardson's murder. Another man has since been apprehended on suspicion of being an accomplice in the robbery. Hill was removed to Horsemonger Lane Gaol.
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