Robert Bird

342

Maureen Withey on 23rd June 2024

On Thursday morning, John Pollet, Wm. Green, Joseph Simpson, Benjamin Little, Robert Bird, and John Beanson, confined in the second and third cells of the gaol in this City, endeavoured to make their escape by breaking the hinges of the small door of the third cell, and attempting to take out a large stone in the wall between the two cells. Morning arrived before they could accomplish their work, and of course, they were detected. Measures have since been taken which will entirely preclude even a similar attempt in future. Carlisle Patriot, 22 June 1816.

342

Maureen Withey on 23rd June 2024

HOUSE BREAKING. Robert Bird, aged 23, was arraigned, charged with having feloniously broken open the shop of John Brunskill, in Whitehaven, taking and carrying away therefrom Seventeen New Shoes, the property of the said John Brunskill. John Brunskillis a master shoemaker in Whitehaven. On the evening of the 14th of June last, about nine o'clock, he shut up his shop and locked the door.  Between twelve and one the following morning as he passed before the shop, he saw the door open. He pulled off his handkerchief (anticipating a struggle) entered the shop, and called out 'Who's there?' No one answered. He heard a noise in the back part of the shop and went towards it, when he seized a man; he fixed his knuckles in his throat as tight as he could, and knocked him on his back. He endeavoured to shut the door before he got assistance, but the lock was broken. They had a struggle, and he dashed the man's head two or three times against the door, and called out as loud as he could that 'he had catched a robber.' He fought with the man for the space of twenty minutes; at last Richard Hunt, an apprentice, came to his his assistance, followed by two others. They secured the man, and found on his person a small poker, a gimblet, and a cord; he proved to be the prisoner. They bound him hand and foot, put him into the shop, and up stairs, where three men watched over him. On examining the shop several pairs of shoes were missing, and many were scattered on the ground, both inside and outside the shop door. The shoes were not left in that condition when the shop was shut. Richard Hunt is an apprentice to the prosecutor, Mr. Brunskill. He heard his master's voice on the night in question, got up immediately, and found his master struggling with the prisoner in the street. Some shoes were missing; the prisoner said he could tell where they were; he accordingly pointed out a passage close by, where the witness went and found 17 shoes, which he knew to be his master's property. [The shoes were produced in court, and sworn to.] He did not know that the prisoner had been in the shop, before his master told him so. When the prisoner was before the Magistrate, he confessed having committed the robbery in company with Joseph Carr and William Tyson; neither threat nor promise having been made to induce him to do so. The confession was read in Court. The prisoner in his defence said, that he was out late on the night in question, and was drunk. Passing the shop door,  the shop door, he saw it open, and went in, where he was caught by Mr. Brunskill. When he went before the Justice the next day, there being gentlemen, constables, and others present, he was frightened and said any thing what, he does not know. The Jury, without hesitation, found the prisoner Guilty. Carlisle Patriot, 24 Aug 1816. HOUSE BREAKING. Robert Bird, aged 23, was arraigned, charged with having feloniously broken open the shop of John Brunskill, in Whitehaven, taking and carrying away therefrom Seventeen New Shoes, the property of the said John Brunskill. John Brunskillis a master shoemaker in Whitehaven. On the evening of the 14th of June last, about nine o'clock, he shut up his shop and locked the door.  Between twelve and one the following morning as he passed before the shop, he saw the door open. He pulled off his handkerchief (anticipating a struggle) entered the shop, and called out 'Who's there?' No one answered. He heard a noise in the back part of the shop and went towards it, when he seized a man; he fixed his knuckles in his throat as tight as he could, and knocked him on his back. He endeavoured to shut the door before he got assistance, but the lock was broken. They had a struggle, and he dashed the man's head two or three times against the door, and called out as loud as he could that 'he had catched a robber.' He fought with the man for the space of twenty minutes; at last Richard Hunt, an apprentice, came to his his assistance, followed by two others. They secured the man, and found on his person a small poker, a gimblet, and a cord; he proved to be the prisoner. They bound him hand and foot, put him into the shop, and up stairs, where three men watched over him. On examining the shop several pairs of shoes were missing, and many were scattered on the ground, both inside and outside the shop door. The shoes were not left in that condition when the shop was shut. Richard Hunt is an apprentice to the prosecutor, Mr. Brunskill. He heard his master's voice on the night in question, got up immediately, and found his master struggling with the prisoner in the street. Some shoes were missing; the prisoner said he could tell where they were; he accordingly pointed out a passage close by, where the witness went and found 17 shoes, which he knew to be his master's property. [The shoes were produced in court, and sworn to.] He did not know that the prisoner had been in the shop, before his master told him so. When the prisoner was before the Magistrate, he confessed having committed the robbery in company with Joseph Carr and William Tyson; neither threat nor promise having been made to induce him to do so. The confession was read in Court. The prisoner in his defence said, that he was out late on the night in question, and was drunk. Passing the shop door,  the shop door, he saw it open, and went in, where he was caught by Mr. Brunskill. When he went before the Justice the next day, there being gentlemen, constables, and others present, he was frightened and said any thing what, he does not know. The Jury, without hesitation, found the prisoner Guilty. Carlisle Patriot, 24 Aug 1816.