William Charlton Gregory

218

Dianne Jones on 26th February 2022

NEWSPAPER report of his committal hearing: 20 February, 1856: From the Manchester Guardian: "BURGLARIES IN CHESHIRE: THE BURGLARS FRUSTRATED Two men, names William Gregory, alias Charlton, and Charles Williams, alias Hall, have been committed by the magistrates at Knutsford, for trial at the Chester assizes, upon three charges of burglary, at places in that county widely distant from each other. It appears that about half-past ten o’clock on Sunday, the 10th inst. Police-constable John Pigot, of the D division, met Gregory in Deansgate, in this city; and as he could not satisfactorily account for the possession of a shawl which he had wrapped round him, and which contained three fowls and a number of cigars, Pigot took him into custody. About the same time, and in the same neighbourhood, Police-constable William Birties, of the D division, met Williams and took him into custody; he having in his possession five fowls, and copper coins to the value of several shillings. The prisoners were taken to the office at the Chorlton Town Hall; and Mr. Superintendent Taylor determined to detain them, while he made inquiries as to some burglaries in Cheshire of which he had heard. Mr. Taylor consequently forwarded to the heads of police in several towns descriptions of the prisoners, and of what had been found in their possession. This led to the discovery by Mr. Halliday, chief-constable at Lynn, that a number of fowls had been stolen on the night (Saturday) preceding the apprehension of the prisoners, from the premises of Mr. Armstrong, a gentleman farmer, residing near Tabley Park; and that there was reason to believe that the cigars were part of a number that had been stolen, on the same night, from the house of Miss Emma Gleave, the Windmill Inn, at Tabley. In this case, the premises were entered from the back, a window being broken and some inside stanchions wrenched out. Two spirits, a number of cigars, and rather more that 5d in copper were stolen. Mr. Taylor had ascertained, when the prisoners were searched and their dress examined, that Williams wore a singularly-nailed pair of boots; there being two rows, of 17 and 18 nails down the centre of each sole. Gregory was found to be wearing two odd stockings; the foot of one being stiff with mud and much damaged, as though it had been walked in, without a shoe, over wet and miry ground. These circumstances led to the inference that the prisoners had perpetrated a daring burglary with violence at Wigton, near Malpas, on the night of Friday, the 8th instant. On that night the house of Mr. James Lloyd, a farmer, was entered in the same way as the house of Miss Gleave; and at the examination before the magistrates, the prisoners were positively identified by Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd, as the burglars. There seems to be no doubt that, after entering the premises, the prisoners pulled off their shoes, and then ransacked several drawers and cupboards in the lower rooms. Not satisfied here, they armed themselves with a large cleaver and a butcher’s knife, which they found during their search; and having with them a lighted candle, they got upstairs and into the room of Mr. Lloyd, an old gentleman, who was sleeping alone, without awakening him. Mrs. Lloyd was in bed in another room, with a grand-daughter, seven years old; and, by some means seeing the light, she called to Mr. Lloyd to know what he was doing to need it. Gregory instantly ran into the room, seized Mrs. Lloyd by the throat, and swore he would choke her if she gave an alarm so as to wake her husband; and, being followed by Williams, he struck her on the back with the bludgeon. This caused her involuntarily to shriek with pain; and the cry awakening Mr. Lloyd, he jumped up and was making his way to the spot. He was, however, met and knocked down by Williams, who beat the poor old man’s head upon the floor, until blood flowed freely. Gregory also kicked Mr. Lloyd about the legs, and placing the butcher’s knife to his throat, he threatened to “do for” Mr. Lloyd unless he remained quiet. Mr. Lloyd begged for his life; promising to give the fellows a large cheese if they would depart. While this was going on, Mrs. Lloyd, with a good deal of spirit and presence of mind, blew out the light, and ran down stairs, trusting that from their intricacy (the house being a very old one), she might escape and give an alarm. She succeeded; for although she was at first followed by one of the men, she got safely (in her night-dress only) to the house of a neighbour, about 300 yards off; her pursuer having stumbled on the stairs and then retraced his steps. While the burglars were engaged in searching for and re-lighting the candles, Mr. Lloyd also contrived to escape to the house of another neighbour. The burglars seem to have felt that they could not, under these circumstances, prolong their stay in the house for more that a few minutes; and after breaking open a box, without succeeding in getting hold of a £5 note which was in it, they made off, fortunately without finding a purse containing £3.15s, which Mrs. Lloyd contrived to remove from a table and fling aside, during the confusion. On the next morning Malpas constable examined the premises, and traced footsteps under the window by which the burglars effected their entrance and exit, and also across the garden. There were clear traces of two persons for nearly a mile from the house; one of the men having worn a pair of boots nailed like those found upon Williams, and the other having walked in his stockings only. The marks showed that one of the stockings had been much damaged as the wearer proceeded; and about a mile from the premises, was found a much worn stocking, which in make corresponded with the muddy one worn by Gregory, when he was taken into custody. The peculiarity in Williams’s boots enabled the Malpas constable (Steen), to follow the track of the footsteps, from the point at which the stocking was found, to the Beestom Station, on the Chester and Crews line. It was also proved before the magistrate, that on the night of Wednesday the 7th inst. the prisoners called together at a public house five miles from Malpas, and had some beer. Williams is said to be a native of Malpas, and to have left that place rather more than a year ago, after committing some offence; Gregory is a ticket-of-leave man." --0--