Anglonautes > English words - vocabulary - dictionary - encyclopedia > Prosecution, CPS, Charges

Novel thief catching. John Paul was charged at the Salford Town Hall yesterday with having stolen a bed tick [mattress case] from the shop door of Mr. Henry Boardman, draper, Chapel-street. The prosecutor displays some of his goods on strings, and fastens a bell to them to give an alarm in case they are disturbed. On the 18th, he heard the bell ring, and on going to the door he discovered the prisoner running away with a bed tick. He followed him, and took him into custody. It was stated that the bell had been the means of apprehending several other thieves. The prisoner was summarily committed for three months.

Theft of tea. Yesterday, at the City Police Court, Joseph Eastwood, and Sarah Ann Redfern were charged with attempting to steal a chest of tea worth £4.10s. from the shop of Mr. John Brady, Julia-street, Strangeways. Mrs. Brady said that on Monday evening Redfern came into the shop and asked for a halfpenny-worth of toffy [sic], and while attending to her she saw Eastwood removing a chest of tea from behind the door. Seeing he was observed, Eastwood ran away, leaving the chest in the shop. She then charged the girl with being an accomplice, and gave her into custody. At the station Redfern said that Eastwood and a man named Turner took the chest. A boy named Robert Baird, who informed Mrs. Brady of the attempted robbery, said he saw Eastwood and another standing at the door. The prisoners were remanded to Friday.

Five years for stealing cheese. A boy, 15-years-old, named Martin Judson, was charged at the City Police Court, yesterday, with stealing several pounds of cheese from the shop of Mr. John Markendale, Berkeley-street, Strangeways. The prosecutor's wife heard a noise in the shop on Monday night, and on going to see what was the cause, she saw the prisoner running from the house, and at the same time she missed the stolen cheese; which the prisoner threw at a girl who spoke to him as he was passing. He was shortly afterwards apprehended. The boy's father, who stated that he was a working optician, said his son had of late been led into bad company.

He begged the magistrates to dismiss the case, and promised he would answer for his good behaviour in future. Mr. Boss (the presiding magistrate) said the prisoner had already been convicted of attempting to pick pockets and the offence could not be overlooked. He ordered that he be sent to prison for a month and afterwards to a reformatory for five years.

Draper's bell tolls for a bed tick thief, G, January 25 1864,
Republished Wednesday January 25, 2006,
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2006/jan/25/
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July 13, 1850

A lad's life of prison and whippings

From the Guardian archive

Saturday July 13, 1850
Guardian

On Wednesday, a little lad named John Johnson, stated to be 13 years of age, though he did not appear to be more than ten, was brought before Mr. Hodgson, at the Borough Court, charged with stealing two pies from the window of a small pie shop in Jersey-street, Ancoats, kept by a man named Edward Hayes.

On the previous afternoon, he was seen by a neighbour looking in at the window, and immediately afterwards he passed her house door with two pies. It was subsequently ascertained that the window had been opened, and two pies stolen out.

The prisoner, in answer to the charge, protested several times that he found the pies on the ground, and did not take them out of the window.

Inspector Livingston, in reply to a question put by Mr. Hodgson, said the prisoner had been in prison several times. He then read the following list of his convictions: - One month, three months and whipped, one month and whipped, three months and whipped, two months and whipped, six months.

When asked how long he had been out of prison, the prisoner replied since last week but one. He again said he did not take the pies out of the window, and urged that no one saw him.

Mr. Hodgson said that if any one had seen him, he (Mr. Hodgson) would have committed him to the sessions, and the probability was that he would then have been got rid of [deported]; as it was, he should summarily commit him for three months.

Plucking Flowers: - On Saturday afternoon, a man named James McCorquodale was caught plucking flowers in Queen's Park. The park keeper asked him if he could read, as there are boards in the park, warning visitors not to touch flowers and shrubs, and he replied that he could.

On Monday the prisoner was brought up at the Borough Court, before Mr. John Sharp, the sitting magistrate. Councillor Ashmore, one of the members of the park committee, said that the committee were desirous that an example should be made of the prisoner.

Persons who had been found plucking flowers had been brought before the park committee and reprimanded, but that appeared to have no effect.

They had provided a board on which to publish the names of persons offending, and how they were delt [sic] with, a plan similar to that adopted in Kensington Gardens, London.

The prisoner admitted plucking the flowers, but expressed his sorrow. He was ordered to pay the value of the flowers, and 4s. 6d. costs, or be committed to hard labour for 14 days.

From the Guardian archive > July 13, 1850 >
A lad's life of prison and whippings, G,
Republished 13.7.2006,
https://www.theguardian.com/news/1850/jul/13/
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