William Davies

341

Maureen Withey on 16th September 2024

Shrewsbury.—DARING BURGLARY. —On Monday William Davies, William Mumford, alias Sias, J Evans, and John Lloyd, were indicted for burglary, in the house of Rebecca Beddoes, at Minton, in the parish of Church Stretton, in this county, on the night of the 25th of November last, and stealing therefrom five guineas, ninety sovereigns, two silver watches and other articles. Davies pleaded guilty. It appeared from the evidence, that the prosecutrix is an old widow lady upwards of eighty years of age, residing with her two sons, James and George, upon their farm at Minton. The prisoners are all of them colliers in the neighbourhood of Bilston, which is thirty-five miles from Minton; but about a year ago Mumford had worked for some time in the neighbourhood of the house of the prosecutrix, and his person was known to her sons. On the night mentioned in the indictment, the inmates of Mrs. Beddoes' house retired about half past nine, the doors at that time being fast. About an hour afterwards the sons were alarmed by the barking of their dog and upon rising, they heard the noise of various persons attempting to force the doors of the house below. They proceeded down stairs, and just as they entered the kitchen, they heard a tremendous rush from the outside, the door was violently burst open, and several persons entered, calling them to go back or it would be worse for them. George and James Beddoes thereon retreated up stairs to their mother's bedroom, where all the rest of the family, two nieces and a female servant, were assembled. While there, they heard a cupboard in the parlour beneath broken open by the robbers, who then proceeded up stairs, and in another room, adjoining that of the prosecutrix, burst open four boxes, all of which they rifled. The door of Mrs. Beddoes' room was then opened, and Davies, who appeared to act as ringleader, entered with an axe in his hand, while two others, whom the two Beddoes' distinctly swore were Mumford and Lloyd, stood at the door, the former having in his hand a pistol, the latter a bludgeon and a lantern. Davies then asked for the pocket of the old lady, which he drew from under her bolster, and threw to his companions at the door. They then proceeded to break open another box in the room, and upon George Beddoes offering them the keys of it, and begging them not to break it to pieces, Mumford presented a pistol at him, and said, Stand back, or I'll blow your brains out. They inflicted no personal violence upon any one, and left the house about eleven o'clock. Upon going down stairs, it was found that the cupboard had been robbed of five guineas, and more than ninety sovereigns, besides two old fashioned watches, and two pocket books belonging to the sons, a ham of bacon, and a cloak belonging to the niece. The next morning information of the outrage was was given to Lewis, the superintendent of police in the Church Stretton district; and upon examining examining the footmarks in the neighbourhood of the farm house, this officer, who appeared extremely intelligent, was struck with a peculiarity in the impression of one pair of shoes, which he thereon traced from a field about three hundred yards from the 'muse to the neighbourhood of Wenlock, which is fifteen miles from Minton. The landlord of tilt Fox public house, at Bridgenorth, which lies between Wenlock and Wolverhampton, proved that five men, four of whom he identified as the prisoners, came to his house about eight o'clock on the morning following the robbery ; that one of them produced some ham, which he cooked there, and they then proceeded together in a cart towards Wolverhampton. The boy who drove the cart, deposed that he took them all to Wolverhampton, and that on the road Davies pulled a watch out of his pocket, which the witness identified upon its being produced in court, that Mumford took several sovereigns out of his pocket, and that Pugh, the fifth of the party, who has not yet been apprehended, produced some ham uncooked. The police having traced the parties in the course of the same afternoon, Lewis, in company with Castles and another officer at Wolverhampton, apprehended Davies in a beer house at Bilston, at eleven o'clock at night, and found in his possession a watch, which James Beddoes clearly identified as his property, and eight sovereigns were found the next morning in Davies's house. Mumford and Evans were taken the next day in company ; a tobacco box belonging to George Beddoes was found in his pocket, and in the bosom of Evans's wife was found a pocket book, which was also clearly identified by the same person, and which contained a guinea and a sovereign. The fourth prisoner, Lloyd was apprehended the next night in his own house at Wolverhampton, and beneath the pillow of his bed, was found the other watch belonging to the prosecutrix, in the dress of his little child were also found six sovereigns wrapped in paper. From his wife were taken a pair of boots, which exactly corresponded with the footmarks observed by Lewis, a leaden model of which was produced in court, and a drawing of the impression made by the same policeman. The cloak of the prosecutrix's niece was also found in Lloyd's house. It was also shown that the four prisoners, in company with Pugh, were seen within three or four miles of Mrs. Beddoes' house on the evening previous to the robbery. The jury immediately returned a verdict of guilty. Davies, upon being called on to say why judgment should not be given against him, said, The Lord had delivered him to speak the truth when he came into court, and that they were all there together. Mr Baron Gurney said the prisoners had been convicted of a most daring burglary, planned evidently with great premeditation, after a journey of great length, and executed with violence of language and manner. Had that violence  actually extended to outrage upon the persons of the inmates of the house they had robbed, his lordship said he should undoubtedly have left the prisoners for execution; as it was, they were much too dangerous and desperate characters to remain in this country, and they were therefore severally sentenced to transportation for life. His lordship then ordered a reward of 20£. to be paid to Lewis, the policeman, and 10£ and 5£. to the two policemen who had assisted him in tracing the prisoners. Planet, 28 March 1841.