William Keefe

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Dianne Jones on 4th May 2022

FOOTNOTE: Alfred Arnold was also sent to VDL, arriving on the Mount Stuart Elphinstone in 1845. See his bio at https://convictrecords.com.au/convicts/arnold/alfred/28358.

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Dianne Jones on 4th May 2022

11 April, 1848: He was granted a Ticket of Leave (https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON33-1-44$init=CON33-1-44p109). --0--

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Dianne Jones on 4th May 2022

IN VDL: 12 October, 1843: On arrival, William Keefe was listed as 18 years old, a painter and glazier, single, able to read and write, Protestant, native place Marylebone (https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON14-1-23$init=CON14-1-23P45). --0--

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TRANSCRIPT OF TRIAL AT OLD BAILEY: #781. JAMES JONES and WILLIAM KEEFE were indicted for stealing, on the 25th of Jan., 12 cigars, value 3s., the goods of William Henry Johnson; and ALFRED ARNOLD, for feloniously receiving the same, well knowing them to have been stolen; against the Statute, &c. WILLIAM HENRY JOHNSON. I am a tobacconist, and live in Oxford-street. About ten o’clock on Wednesday morning, the 25th of Jan., Jones and Keefe came into my shop—Jones drew open the lid of a box on the counter, and took out twelve cigars, which he passed over to Keefe—Keefe put them into his coat, and ran away—I took Jones into custody—they had not asked for any cigars—when I went into the shop they asked for a pennyworth of tobacco—I am sure I saw Jones pass them over to Keefe. GEORGE BECK. On Wednesday morning, the 25th of Jan., I was in a coffee-shop in Bell-street. Arnold was there—Keefe came in, and said, “Do you want to buy some cigars?”—Arnold said, “Let me look; I will buy them, as many as you have got”—Keefe took them out of his pocket, and said, “Here they are then”—Arnold took them into the parlour, and brought him out some halfpence, about 5d. I think there was—he said they were a halfpenny a-piece. Cross-examined by MR. PRENDERGAST. Q. You take a cigar at a coffee-shop, like other young gentlemen? A. Not unless I buy it—I do not buy them in a coffee-shop at all—I am fifteen years old—I pay 1d. a piece for them—I do not get them at three for 2d.—I have been here before about two old pairs of shoes—two boys got me into it—I have never been in custody but then—I was in the coffee-shop having a drop of coffee—I help my father at printing—it was a quarter past ten o’clock when I was at the coffee-shop—I saw Keefe and a boy named Nickaby there—I do not know what has become of Nickaby—the officer did not speak to me about this—he went to my father, and acquainted him that I was in bad company—that was on Wednesday night—he took me home to my father, and asked me where Keefe was—that was the first time I said anything about this—I remained in the coffee-shop about an hour that morning before I went home to my father—I dined with him, but said nothing about this. JOHN GUYATT. I am an errand-boy. I met Hall, the constable, about six o’clock, on that Wednesday evening—he asked me about Keefe—I went to the coffee-shop, where Arnold is waiter, and Keefe was sitting at the table—I went and told Hall that Keefe was there—I then went back into the house—as I was going in, Arnold came out, and met the constable, who told him he wanted Keefe—Arnold then came in, and told Keefe that Hall wanted him, and he was to go out at the back door and scale the wall. Cross-examined. Q. How long had you been in the coffee-shop? A. I only went in to see if Keefe was there—I am not acquainted with the constable, but he knew me by sight—he met me in the street that day—I go to Colonel Berners’ to clean knives and shoes. JOHN HALL (police-constable D 64.) From information I received, I went on Thursday night to a lodging-house, and found Keefe in bed—I said I wanted him, for stealing some cigars in Oxford-street—he said he knew nothing about it—on the way to the station, he said he had met Jones in Oxford-street, at Mr. Johnson’s shop; that he went in to buy a penny-worth of tobacco, then jumped up behind a carriage, and went away—I met Guyatt, and asked if he knew Keefe—he went into the coffee-shop, and said he was there. ROBERT JACKSON (police-sergeant D 25.) I took Arnold, for receiving cigars from Keefe—he said he had not received them—on the way to the station, he said he had received two cigars of Keefe, which he had smoked. Cross-examined. Q. When was that? A. He did not mention the time—I told him, of course, the circumstances. Keefe’s Defence. I was coming along the street, and saw Jones coming out of the shop; he spoke to another boy; Jones said to me, “Stop, I am going home;” there was a carriage going by; I got on it, and rode away, as I wanted to make haste. MARY ANN HARDIE. My husband keeps this coffee-shop—we do not dwell there—we dwell at No. 22, Winchester-street. I was in the coffee-shop on that Wednesday morning about seven o’clock—we have a parlour there, divided from the shop by a partition and door, with a window in the door and partition—I was in the parlour—I remember on that occasion some boys being there—Arnold was in the parlour—he went into the shop when the boys came in, to take the order—he came back to me in a few minutes—he had not taken any money then—I had seen no transaction between the boys and Arnold—if there had been I must have heard it. COURT. Q. Are you related to Arnold? A. No, he is a friend of ours, we have known him some time—I swear he is not related to us—I have known him above twelve months, I dare say—he was in business, something in the straw line—we have kept this coffee-shop about two months—we live just by—it is a night-house, open all night—there are boys come there sometimes—my husband’s name is Charles—the shop is in Bell-street, Paddington. Re-examined. Q. Do you remember some boys coming into the shop between eight and nine o’clock, in the evening, at the time Hall the policeman came? A. There were some boys came that evening—it might be about that time—I remember the policeman coming—Arnold was in the parlour—a boy came in, and said to Keefe, I think it was, “Hall wants you”—Arnold was then gone outside—Keefe got up immediately, and ran through the side-door into the street—Arnold was outside, talking to Hall—Hall then came in, he searched for the boy, and said to Arnold, “You have let him go”—Arnold said, “I have not let him go”—on the Friday following, two policemen came, and called for Arnold—I did not hear what they said. THOMAS HENRY STOVEL. I am a biscuit-baker, and live in Winchester row. On the 26th of Jan. I was at Hardie’s coffee-shop, about eight o’clock in the evening—I went to take a cup of coffee—a boy came in, and said to Keefe, “Hall is after you”—Keefe rose from his seat, and went from the shop into the parlour, opened the door, cut into the passage and out into the street, and escaped—Arnold was not in the shop. COURT. Q. Do you attend this shop much? A. No, I have been in three or four times—it is a day and a night shop. (Thomas Stevens, a boot-maker; and James Charlton, a watchmaker, in Lisson-grove, gave Arnold a good character.) JONES— GUILTY. Aged 16.— Confined Three Months. KEEFE— GUILTY. Aged 16. ARNOLD— GUILTY. Aged 32.—Transported for Seven Years. Convict Ship. (https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/). —00—

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TRIAL: 21 January, 1843: William Keefe was convicted and sentenced to 7 years’ transportation for stealing 1 dozen cigars. He had a previous conviction for breaking a lamp (https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON33-1-44$init=CON33-1-44p109). —0—