William Goodlad

Level 135

C H on 1st March 2024

Old Bailey Online WILLIAM GOODLAD. CHARLES CANNON. Theft; housebreaking. 10th April 1834 Text type Trial account Defendants WILLIAM GOODLAD, CHARLES CANNON Offences Theft > Housebreaking Session Date 10th April 1834 Reference Number t18340410-146 Verdicts Guilty, Guilty Punishments Transportation 667. WILLIAM GOODLAD and CHARLES CANNON were indicted for feloniously breaking and entering the dwelling-house of Edward Hill , on the 26th of March , at St. Marylebone , and stealing therein 1 pair of cloth trowsers, value 3s.; 1 looking-glass, value 2s.; 1 writing-desk, value 5s.; 1 tea-caddy, value 4s.; 1 bookcase, value 6d.; and 1 pocket-book, value 2d., his goods . EDWARD HILL. I live No. 6, Nightingale-street, Lissongrove , in the parish of St. Marylebone. My house consists of four rooms, two on the ground-floor, which I occupy - I am a single man, and Mr. and Mrs. Goldsmith occupy the second floor and two single men, Fife and Johnson - they are two distinct families - I went out between eight and nine o'clock in the evening of the 26th of March, and left Mrs. Goldsmith and her tenant up stairs - I shut the street door after me - I did not lock it, it shuts on the latch - I pulled it too - I am sure it was fastened, because I tried it - I left my room door shut but unlocked - I returned between nine and ten o'clock at night - I got into the house with a latch key, and found the front parlour door open; these trowsers were removed, and this book-case, looking-glass, tea-caddy, and other things - they were removed onto a table in front in the room, and some were moved on the dresser - nothing was carried out of that room - on going into the bed-room I saw the two prisoners standing behind the bed curtains at the foot of the bed - I knew Cannon before - the other was a stranger to me - Cannon was not a friend of mine - the bed-room door was left ajar when I went out - I got hold of Goodlad and said,"I have got you" - he made no answer - I brought them into the front parlour and sat them in a chair - I only knew Cannon by seeing him about - I found my property moved from where I had left it - some things which were in the drawer before, I found then on the table - I sent for a policeman - I found a dark lanthorn and crow-bar there, and some picklock keys on a drawer - I had not left them there - I could not ascertain how the prisoners got in. Cross-examined by MR. PHILLIPS. Q. They might have been under the bed when you went out? A. No; there is no room under the bed - it is about eight inches from the ground - they could not creep under it, for there was an iron machine under it which would prevent their getting under it - it is a machine for an hospital bed - nobody lives in the rooms below stairs but myself - it is my dwelling-house - I did not go up to Mrs. Goldsmith - they might have been there, for what I knew - I am certain I did not leave my parlour door ajar - I lost nothing - nothing was removed except what I have mentioned - a portfolio was removed - I call it a book-case - I used to carry my primer in it when I used to go to school. ELIZABETH GOLDSMITH . I and my children occupy a room in the prosecutor's house - I recollect Hill going out on the 26th of March, between eight and nine o'clock - I heard him shut the street door - I went out afterwards myself, a little before nine o'clock - when I went out I shut the street door close after me, and I locked Hill's parlour-door myself - the bed-room door has no lock on it - I returned in three or four minutes, found the street door and the parlour door secure as I had left them - I went up stairs, and went to bed - I am quite sure the street-door was shut - the other lodgers were not at home at that time - I have seen Cannon. Cross-examined. Q. What is the name of the lodgers? A. Fife and Johnson - they had a room of their own - I did not go into their room - I cannot be certain they were not at home - I am pretty sure they did not go down stairs and open the door. COURT. Q. What time did you go to bed? A. A little after nine o'clock - my room and Fife's are close together. DAVID LYNCH . I am a policeman. On the night of the 26th of March, I was on duty in Nightingale-street, and was informed I was wanted immediately - I went to the prosecutor's house and found the two prisoners both in the parlour sitting down - Hill went into the room, and brought out the crow-bar and dark lanthorn, and behind the bed he found the picklock-keys - I fitted the crow-bar with the mark on this desk - it seems to answer as near as can be- I took them into custody. Cross-examined. Q. It was a door any body could open? A. A common latch key would open it - there is a latch key here which will not open it - but one of the skeleton keys will open the street-door when it is locked - there is no key that would unlatch it. Goodlad's Defence. I was coming down the street with Cannon, and saw three men come out - Cannon knowing Mr. Hill, said, "Those men don't lodge there, let us go over and see what is the matter;" we went over, and just as we came to the parlour-door, the street-door blew to; we heard the street door opening; and he said, "I dare say here is the three men coming in again;" but Hill came in and accused us of the robbery. EDWARD HILL re-examined. My parlour door had been opened in my absence - I found it ajar when I came in. MR. PHILLIPS. Q. You left the street door latched? A. Yes; the lodgers had latch keys by which they could let themselves in. MRS. GOLDSMITH re-examined. I had been into the prosecutor's room, and locked it after me, while he was out. (William Gibson, a tailor; and George Mannington, of No. 15, Winchester-row, gave Goodlad a good character.) GOODLAD - GUILTY . Aged 18. CANNON - GUILTY . Aged 23. Transported for Life