John Wellby

342

Maureen Withey on 27th March 2024

Extensive Robbery of Gold Watches —Sometime during Tuesday night, or early on Wednesday morning, rather serious robbery was effected at the premises of Messrs. Schulen and Co, jewellers, Cornhill, Ipswich, the discovery being made by the man who went to open the shop for business. It was then found that more than gold watches, brooches, and other articles had been taken from cases the counter, of upwards of 150 £. in value. The manner in which the thief effected entrance is quite apparent. There was no external breakage, and not the slightest appearance of any attempt at it. Part of Mr. Schulen’s dwelling-house is hired by Messrs. Spurling and Son, auctioneers, for town offices, and is seldom used but on market days. These rooms are occasionally left alone; I and there is no doubt that during Messrs. Spurling’s absence on Tuesday the thief walked in and secreted himself in the cellar below, amongst some fagots, where several lucifer matches were found. Between this cellar and that under the shop is a door. After Mr. Schulen had retired for the night a hole was cut , through the door and the bar, which fastened it on the inside, was removed. Access to the room adjoining the shop then an easy task, but at the I entrance to the latter is a door, which was fastened; one-half of this, however, is of stout plate glass, and this the thief removed bodily, setting it down by the side of the wall with considerate care—and through the vacancy thns created an entry into the shop was effected. That the thief or thieves were so modest in their requirements is matter of surprise, seeing that they were surrounded by a large quantity of property as portable and valuable as what they took. A reward of 30/-. has been offered by Messrs. Schulen and Co. for any information that may lead to the apprehension of the thief and to the recovery of the property. Yesterday afternoon, the police apprehended, on suspicion, John Wellby, watchmaker in a small way of business at the entrance of the Thoroughfare, Cornhill, who was formerly in the employ of Messrs. Schulen and Co. Suffolk Chronicle, 10 Oct 1863. The Watch Robbery at Ipswich.—John Wellby, described in the calendar as a watchmaker was indicted for burglary in the dwelling-house of Charles Schulen, in the borough of Ipswich and for stealing therefrom 20 gold watches the value of £l50, and six gold brooches, value £10, the property of Charles Schulen.— The prosecutor is a watchmaker and jeweller living in Tavern-street, Ipswich. Chelmsford Chronicle, 1 Apr 1864.