George Digby

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Dianne Jones on 24th November 2023

TRIAL contd/3 CHARLES JAYNES I am an architect, and reside at 14, Stamford Villas, next door to Mr. Waller, and the gardens are separated by a low wall—on Sunday morning, Feb. 11th, I found a piece of a lamp over on our side of Mr. Waller's wall, nearest to his house; this is it (produced)—it seems exactly to fit the lantern produced. GEORGE WITHERINGTON (policeman, A 281). I was on duty near Hydepark corner—on Saturday morning, about twenty minutes, or half-past twelve o'clock, I saw the three prisoners together, walking quite fast, in the direction from Piccadilly—I am positive they are the same men—I followed them to the corner of Sloane-street—I first saw them between Hyde-park-corner and Wilton-place; they went down Brompton-road, which is the direction to Stamford Villas—I saw them again that morning, about twenty minutes or half-past four, coming from the direction of the Brompton-road—I was then between Wilton-place and Hyde-park-corner—they were all three together—as they passed me Cullum turned round and said, "That it the b—that was watching us on Wednesday, in York-street"—I was in York-street on the Wednesday, and saw Cullum and Pike there—I am sure it was them—I knew them before. Pike. Q. What coat had I on? A. The same coat you have now, and a cap. Pike. It is false; I wore a hat. JOHN JARVIS (policeman, B 72). On Sunday morning, about half-past one o'clock, I was on duty in Cadogan Mews, and heard a noise down a passage—I turned my light on, and saw the prisoner Pike coming towards me—I asked him what he was doing down there that time in the morning—he laid that he was taken short, and came down there to ease himself—I searched him, and found nothing on him—I asked his name, and he said Prince—I asked where he lived, he said in Pimlico—I asked what part, and he said, "49, Graham-street"—I have made inquiries, and there is no such number in the street—he was afterwards allowed to go—about three I went down the passage again, and heard some one on the wall at the back of the house—I listened, and heard some one speak over the wall—I then went and got assistance, and put policeman 136 on the wall—as soon as he got on the wall he said, Here they are"—I then got on the wall, and saw the two prisoners, Cullum and Digby, crouched under the wall—I got down to them and took them into custody—the wall was seven or eight feet high, and the gardens were on the other side of it—I took them to the station, searched them, and found on Cullum a comb and a tobacco-box; and on Digby I found a tobacco-box, a latch-key and pipe, and this knife (produced)—I afterwards went back and searched the garden of No. 19, and found this chisel—I searched Cullum's lodging—I had ascertained where he lived from private information—I went to No. 2, Pine-apple-court, Castle-lane, Westminster, and there found Pike in bed—I took him into custody, and accused him of being in Cadogan Mews that morning—he denied being there, and said he was in bed at half-past twelve—I heard him say at the station-house that he was in Cadogan Mews that morning. Cross-examined. Q. Is not Cadogan-place about three miles from Stamford Villas—I should say about that. WILLIAM PUCKNELL (policeman, A 277). I was present on this Sunday morning, and assisted Jarvis on to the wall, and saw Cullum and Digby—about ten yards from that spot in the same yard I found this life-preserver (produced). Cullum. Q. Which garden did you find it in? A. The same you were in, about ten yards from you. Contd/4...

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Dianne Jones on 24th November 2023

TRIAL contd/2 THOMAS DRAKE (police-inspector). I went to the house on Saturday morning, about five o'clock, and found a square of glass broken in the watercloset window, and the window open—I found marks of a crow-bar, and of a knife, on the inside of the water-closet door—I found a square of glass broken in the kitchen-window, and several marks of a crow-bar near the hinges on the shutter—the hinges were nearly forced off—I next examined a small place used for cleaning knives and shoes; a square of glass was broken in the window, and the window was open; no entry had been made that way—I found the tool-house door forced off the hinges, and set on one side—there was then a hole through the brick-work into the kitchen, large enough to admit a man—I picked up this crow-bar—the kitchen-drawers had been disturbed, and some linen removed—I went up and saw Mr. Waller in bed; he had a wound on his head—a quantity of blood was on his shirt, and in different parts of the room—I saw footmarks on the mould—next day I went to the Pimlico-station and saw the prisoners—I took off these shoes from Cullum and Pike (produced), and compared them with the footmarks, by making an impression at the side of the marks—they corresponded in every respect—these are Cullum's shoes—the right-foot is worn, and has given way to the sole—there is only half a tip on the heel—on the left here are a few nails on the toe, which left an impression; the toe was the deepest part—there is nothing peculiar about Pike's shoes—the impression was not distinct enough to show this impression on the side—I had noticed on the Saturday that one footmark had only half a heel—I received this knife from sergeant Matthews, in Digby's presence, and this point of a knife from Snell on Saturday afternoon; they fit one another exactly. Cross-examined. Q. What time on Sunday did you compare the marks? A. In the afternoon, about a quarter-past four o'clock; it was fine weather on Saturday night. JOHN SNELL. I am a bricklayer, and was employed on 10th Feb. to repair the house—I found this piece of a penknife-blade, about three quarters of an inch long, sticking in the putty of a pane of glass, which was broken in the knife-house window—I gave it to the servant, afterwards got it back from her, and gave it to the inspector—this (produced) is the same. LUXE BUCK (policeman, V 39). I found this life-preserver on Saturday morning, by the tool-house door, where the entry had been made—on Sunday, about mid-day, I took off Digby's shoes, and compared them with the footmarks—here are peculiar nails in the right-foot at the toe; and, on the inside of the foot, here are four nails of a larger description—here are roundheaded nails on the sole, and square ones on the heel and centre, all which was very distinct in the footmark—I could distinguish the round-headed from the square-headed nails—I found from the print there was a nail missing from the toe on the left-foot—here are four nails on the toe, one out in the corner, and one out in the centre—the nails in the heel are round-headed, and those in the centre, square—that was shown in the impression. Cross-examined. Q. What is the peculiarity about the shoes? A. There are four descriptions of nails—the marks were across the field, at the back of Mr. Waller's, and in the garden—Drake compared the other's shoes at the same time—we were all together—I made the impression by the side of the original footmark, and saw that they corresponded; and, as I was leaving, I dropped the shoe into the original mark, and saw that it fitted in every respect. Contd/3...

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Dianne Jones on 24th November 2023

TRIAL: OLD BAILEY, 26 February, 1849: 708. WILLIAM CULLUM, GEORGE DIGBY and FRANCIS PIKE , burglariously breaking and entering the dwelling-house of John Waller, at Fulham, and stealing therein 2 spoons, value 3s., his property, and feloniously beating, striking, and wounding him in the said dwelling-house. MR. ROBINSON conducted the Prosecution. JOHN WALLER I live at 13, Stamford Villas, in the parish of Fulham. On Friday night, 9th Feb., I went to bed about ten o'clock—between two and three I was awoke by my wife, who heard footsteps on the stairs—I immediately jumped out of bed, and asked who was there, but I received no answer—I then opened my bedroom door, and saw a man standing on the landing, very near the bedroom door—I said, ‘What do you want?’—he answered, ‘Here he is,’ or ‘Here is the dog’—he had a lantern in his right hand—I immediately received a blow on the top of the head, which broke a vein, and it immediately bled very considerably, and caused a violent bruise—I did not see what I was struck with—I was not able to attend at the police-court for a fortnight in consequence of the injury—I did not distinctly see who it was that struck me, I was so alarmed, and the blood was flowing from my head, I retreated into my bed-room as quick as I could, fearful the man might follow me—my wife got out of bed, and assisted me to close the door—she then threw up the window and called the police, and I sprung a rattle which I had in the room, and the police came—a surgeon was sent for, and he dressed my head—I afterwards missed two small silver spoons, worth about 3s.—I should say the lantern was of the same description as this one (produced), but it being lighted it appeared much larger—it was a very powerful light—I cannot say whether it had a shade to it—I saw the lantern as soon as I opened the door, and I continued to see it till I returned into my room. Cross-examined by MR. WOOLLETT Q. NO one else lives in the house? A. No; I cannot speak at all to the man I saw—I have no impression on the subject. ANN BUCKMASTER I am servant to Mr. Waller. I was the last up on Friday night, 9th Feb.—before I went to bed I particularly examined all the windows and doors, and they were perfectly secure—there was no whole in the wall—I was awoke shortly before three o'clock by a bell ringing, and I heard a scuffling or confused noise on the stairs—I do not think there was more than one person going down stairs, but I cannot say—I looked out at the window, and saw a man running down the garden as fast as he could, with a lantern in his hand, apparently making his escape—when I first saw him, he was about eight or ten yards from the house—he leaped over the wall, at the bottom of the garden, and I lost sight of him—from what I saw of him I believe it to be Cullum—I heard other men's voices, but only saw him—I should say there were two or three men; that was after I saw the man get over the wall—I afterwards examined the premises, and missed two silver spoons, which I had seen just before I went to bed—next morning I received a piece of a knife from Snell, which I wrapped in a piece of paper, and afterwards gave it back to him the same day. Cross-examined. Q. I suppose you were very frightened? A. I was; I was at my window when I saw the man in the garden—he had his back to me—I did not see his face—it was a light night. Contd/2...