Edward Fletcher

Level 135

C H on 4th March 2024

Old Bailey Online EDWARD FLETCHER. Theft; housebreaking. 26th November 1849. Text type Trial account Defendants EDWARD FLETCHER Offences Theft > Housebreaking Session Date 26th November 1849 Reference Number t18491126-36 Verdicts Guilty Punishments Transportation 36. EDWARD FLETCHER , feloniously breaking and entering the dwelling-house of Elizabeth Hester Willis, and stealing 2 shawls, and other articles, value 7l-; her goods. MR. CLARKSON conducted the Prosecution, ELIZABETH HESTER WILLIS . I live in Douglas-street, Vincent-square, St. John's, Westminster, and am a laundress. I went out about noon on 14th Oct.—I left Mrs. Cooper in charge of my house—I left every thing safe—I came back about a quarter before nine in the evening, and found every lock and door broken, and everything in confusion—I missed five shirts and some other things belonging to a gentleman for whom I wash, and two shawls, four pairs of stockings, six silver spoons, and two salt spoons of mine, altogether perhaps worth 7l.—I have since seen my two shawls and a handkerchief. MARY COOPER . I am the wife of Ed ward Cooper. On 14th Oct., Mrs. Willis asked me to take care of her house—the two houses are in one, but there is a door at the top of the stairs—I went into the yard, about a quarter-past seven in the evening, and heard a noise—I came in again, and heard something fall over the fireplace in the top room of No. 3—I went out in front to shut my shutters, and saw a light in the front room first-floor of No. 3, and saw two men walk across the room—I got a policeman, and went with him upstairs, with a candle—I saw two men open the door between my house and Mrs. Willis's—they were coming down stairs—when they saw the policeman they shut the door and went from No. 3 front room to No. 2 front room, and ran down stairs—the prisoner was one—he had a candle, and he threw it at me—the other man followed him—he was taken, tried here last Session, and had twelve months (see Vol. 30, page 696)—the prisoner made a blow at me, and swore at me as he came out of the house, and got away—I went through my house into Mrs. Willis's—the first thing I saw was a hat—I went into the upstairs room, and found every drawer and box completely broken to pieces, even to the tea-caddy, and down stairs the same—the things were taken from the drawers, and packed up in a bundle to be taken away—in the passage of No. 2, I found a bag of skeleton keys—I am positive the prisoner is the man who threw the candle at me—Mrs. Willis told me if I heard a knock at her door to answer it. Cross-examined by MR. PAYNE. Q. Did you say that the other man had a light complexion? A. No, I did not say exactly what he was—I did not say if the prisoner was the man he had shaved off his whiskers; I said he had had his hair cut—I saw him on the stairs and at the door—I did not say I was not sure it was this man, and then come back with the policeman and say he was the man—I was fetched to the station by Serjeant Loome on the 30th, and saw the prisoner—I do not go into the house by the same street-door that Mrs. Willis does—the prisoners went into the house by Mrs. Willis's door with a key—there is a door upstairs which communicates between the two houses, and so there is at the bottom—I occupy the back parlour of No. 2, and Mrs. Willis occupies the whole of the other part. JOHN HOCKETT (policeman, B 92). I was called by Mrs. Cooper on that Sunday evening—I went upstairs at No. 2, I saw two men at the staircase-door; the prisoner was one, he had a candle—I have no doubt at all of his being the person—he slammed the door to—they came out and ran different ways—I pursued the other man, and Caught him—the place was all in confusion, and the things packed up—these two shawls and handkerchief were in a bundle—the other things were given up to the person they belonged to. Cross-examined. Q. Which of the two men was foremost? A. The prisoner—he ran up Hyde's-place—I pursued and took the other man. JOHN TAYLOR (policeman, B 247). I went to Mrs. Willis's on Sunday evening, 14th Oct.—I found these skeleton keys on the mat—I tried them, and this one opened the street-door—I found this hat and when Loome saw it at the station he said it was Fletcher's. SAMUEL RESTELL . I am a grocer, of Chapter-street, Vauxhall-bridge-road. On Sunday evening, 14th Oct., about seven o'clock or a quarter-past, I was standing just inside my door—I heard a cry of "Stop thief!" and saw a man run by, and Hockett in pursuit of him—I heard something fall, went out, and saw my wife pick up this crowbar—that might be about 200 yards from Mr. Willis's. MARK LOOMS (police-sergeant B 11). On Sunday evening, 14th Oct., Johnson, who was tried last session, was brought to the station—this hat was brought in—I knew it the moment I saw it, and said it was the prisoner's—on 22d July I had the prisoner in custody, and two others—this is the hat he wore on that occasion, it is rather a remarkable one—on 14th Oct. I saw Johnson and this prisoner and two others in company, about five o'clock, in Orchard-street, about a quarter of a mile from the prosecutrix's—I did not find the prisoner till 30th Oct., at the White Horse—I told him he was concerned with Johnson in a burglary—he said be knew nothing about it—he had a new hat and coat on. Cross-examined, Q, What is there peculiar about this hat? A. The lining if out, and the rim is broken—here is a piece of the leather broken out, and so there was then—it was tried on the prisoner on the night he was taken—I generally examine the hats of all the prisoners I take. GUILTY . Aged 20.— Transported for Seven Years ,