John Keenan

341

Maureen Withey on 20th December 2025

VIOLENCE, AND SHOP BREAKING Thomas Doyle, 22, William Doyle, 19, John Keenan, 19, John Macdonald, 18, Sarah Jones, 17, and Elizth. Hallam, 15, were indicted for having, at Liverpool, feloniously and violently assaulted - one James Rimmer, and stealing from him a watch, a spectacle case, a pair of spectacles, two odd gloves, and two books. Mr. Forsyth conducted [This case we also reported when brought before the magistrates, and we therefore merely   give the prosecutor's testimony.] James Rimmer said he lived in Shaw's-brow. (in Sunday evening, the 22d of May last . he had been in Sparling-street, and had had several glasses of spirits. lie turned down Dale-street on going home, about  about twelve o'clock. Two girls got hold of him, one on each side. He turned down with them into Fontenoy-street. He felt his watch slip out of his pocket. He saw some men immediately after. He was knocked down from behind, and severely kicked. When he recovered  himself, he missed the articles named. He called for the police, and was taken to the Dispensary, and thence to his own house. He was much hurt about the throat and head. He could not swear to any of the prisoners, but they were identified by other witnesses. The case was summed up and commented on by the Judge, and the jury found all the prisoners guilty. John Keenan and Elizabeth Hallam, two of the same parties  were then further indicted for breaking open the shop of Joel Hart, in Dale-street, on the 30th of May, and stealing therefrom 41bs. of cigars, 21bs. tobacco, a knife, and other articles,  the property of the said J. Hart. The case, which was stated by Mr. Forsyth, has already been before the public in the columns of the Standard. In searching the house in Ford-street, as stated in the last case, the knife, a peculiar one, was found on the person of Keenan  and a small tin tobacco-box was found in the hand of the girl Hallam. Property was missed to the amount of from £23  to £3O. Some cigars were also found in the house. All the property found was identified. The jury found both prisoners guilty. All the prisoners in the two cases were then put up, and the Judge in passing sentence said, they had all been convicted of a highway robbery, attended with violence, which subjected the parties committing it to lose their lives. If the violence had been proved against them, such might have been the result ; but the jury had negatived that part of the charge, and they were therefore to be punished for the highway robbery only. The case of Keenan and the girl Hallam was gone into only further to prove the kind of life that they had led. Their conduct had been marked by great violence and cruelty, and such crimes were not to be tolerated in a Christian country. It was quite necessary, therefore, to pass the sentence which he was about to pronounce, and which was, that they should each be transported beyond the seas for the term of 15 years. Liverpool Standard, 5 Aug 1842.