The Proceedings of the Old Bailey

 

491.   HENRY WILLIAMS was indicted for a burglary in the dwelling house of   Joseph Bishop, and stealing 40 rolls of ribbon, 23 neck ties, and 17 pairs of gloves, his property.

  JOSEPH BISHOP . I am a draper, at No. 7, Market-street, Stepney. Oh Saturday night, 8th March, I shut up the shop and premises—I live on the premises—the shop was not'opened on the Sunday—I was in the shop between 10 and 11 o'clock in the morning—it was then perfectly safe—I went to bed about 10 o'clock on Sunday night—T had not seen the shop since the morning, it appeared all quite secure, the shutters were up—I was aroused, between 1 and 2 o'clock on the Monday morning, by a policeman—I then went down to the shop—I found an outside shutter had been moved on one side, and a square of glass broken—I missed three boxes of ribbon, neck ties, and gloves—a person could reach them by putting an arm through the broken pane, it was not more than twenty or thirty inches from the window—the shop communicates with the dwelling house—there are two houses, but I made a door communicating between the two—I kept that door looked, and kept the key.

  WILLIAM CHURCH . (policeman, K 304). On Monday morning, 10th March, I was on duty in High-street, Stepney, about half past 1 o'clock, and saw three men walking along, and the prisoner on the opposite side, with a bag on his right shoulder—I spoke to the sergeant, and went across for the purpose of stopping the prisoner—as soon as I got in front of him, he made a dart on one side to avoid me—I then made a grasp at him and the bag, and in so doing I was kicked between the feet, and fell on the ground on my knees—I instantly rose, and sprang my rattle for assistance, and called out "Stop thief!"—the prisoner ran away, I retained the bag—I did not see him stopped, I lost sight of him at the time I was getting up off my knees—he was taken by West, another constable, I should say a good 400 yards from the spot where he left me—he ran in the direction of Stepney-green; there is a bit of a bend in the road, and I just lost sight of him there—when I first got up on my feet I saw him, and I lost sight of him as he went round the bend towards Stepney-green—I followed him round

the corner, but did not see him till he was brought back to me by another constable—I should say that was nearly a quarter of an hour afterwards—I was looking after the prisoner during that time—I had been round Garnet-street, in some other direction—he must have taken one turning, and I another—I have no doubt whatever that he is the man—there was a gas lamp near the spot—I pointed out to West the place where I had seized the prisoner—I searched the prisoner at the station, and found on him a knife and a tobacco pouch—I went with the sergeant nexfc morning, and saw him compare this knife with the marks on the prosecutor's shutter and in the putty—I have the bag here—it contains gloves and other things.

Prisoner. Q. When the other policeman brought me back, did not you say, "We will make him answer our purpose, as we cannot find the other"? A. No, nor anything to that effect—I said, "That is the man"—that was all I said—I am sure the prisoner is the man—he had a grey rough coat on—it was the prisoner who kicked me between the feet, and tripped me up.

  JAMES WEST . (policeman, K 308). I was on duty, on the morning of 10th March, in Garnet-street, near Stepney-green, and about half past 1 o'clock I heard the springing of a rattle, and the cry of "Stop thief!"—I saw the prisoner and two more men running—I made a grasp at the prisoner, and laid hold of him by the left side, and I was tripped up by two men who were following him—I seized the prisoner by the left breast—as soon as I laid hold of him I was tripped up by two men who were following close behind—I let go of him directly I fell down—I got up and pursued him—I followed him about 500 or 600 yards, and never lost sight of him except momentarily, in turning round the corner from one street into another—I sprang my rattle, at the same time I saw the constable coming up—I sang out, "Stop thief!" and the prisoner immediately stopped, and placed himself against a wall, under a lamp—he was taken into custody—another constable came up to him rather before me, but I took charge of him—I told him he must go back with me to where the springing of the rattle was—he said, "What for?"—I took him back on to the Green, the place where the springing of the rattle was—it was in Fayer-terrace that I stopped him, opposite the station—I met Church on Stepney-green, about 500 or 600 yards from the spot where he was taken into custody—Church said, on seeing the prisoner, "That is the man"—the prisoner denied it, and said he had done nothing—Church afterwards pointed out to me the place where he had first seized him—that was about 150 yards from where I first saw the prisoner running—he appeared to be coming from that direction, and I saw the light turned on at the same time they were running—the prisoner is the man—he had on a rough coat and a black cap—when I took him he was very much out of breath—he could scarcely speak.

Prisoner. That was because they knocked me about so.

  ROBERT YOUNG . (police sergeant, K 9). I was present when the prisoner was searched—I saw this knife found upon him—I afterwards compared it I with five dents in the window putty at the prosecutor's premises—there was a pane of glass broken, but not taken out—they had apparently attempted to get it out whole—it was broken sufficient to admit of a man's hand, I could put mine in—there is a bend on the point of the knife which exactly corresponds with the marks in the window—the shutter had been prised by some instrument—on the pavement near the shutter I found some matches partly burnt—I received a jemmy and a chisel from the

witness Rawlinson—I compared this jemmy with some marks underneath the shutter, and also on the window sill, they appeared to correspond—the chisel corresponded with a dent in the window sill, and the jemmy was used to prise the shutter up—I was with Church at the time the prisoner passed—Rawlinson lives in Wellington-place—the prisoner would pass his house, it turns out of High-street, Stepney.

  JAMES WEST . re-examined. I saw the prisoner go through Wellington-place—I ran after him through there, and flaw him pass Mr. Rawlinson's premises—I did not see him drop anything—I was running and springing my rattle at the time.

  GEORGE RAWLINSON . I live at No. 4, Wellington-place, Stepney. I picked up these two instruments, at 8 o'clock in the morning, about twenty-one feet from my door, on the flag of a door step on the opposite side—I sent them over to the station—in order to go from High-street, Stepney, to Garnet-street, a person would pass through Wellington-place.

  JOSEPH BISHOP . re-examined. These are my goods—there are plain marks on the ribbons, in my own writing—the other things are not marked.

Prisoners Defence. I am innocent; I had been to a friend's house, and stopped rather late, and was returning, when the policeman came up, and Mid he wanted me; I asked what it was for; he took me back to the other policeman; they knocked me down and kicked me shamefully; I had only been in London three days; I come from Manchester.

GUILTY . Aged 19.— Confined Eighteen Months.