The Proceedings of the Old Bailey
6 August 1878
William Morris / Arthur Powell / Edward Lowther
(There were two other indictments against the prisoners for burglaries, in one of which they obtained £700 worth of watches, and in the other £30 in money, and in both cases the same jemmy had been used. The COURT ordered a reward of £3. to the officer Lucas.)
731. WILLIAM MORRIS (22), ARTHUR POWELL (28), and EDWARD LOWTHER (19) , Burglariously breaking and entering the dwelling-house of Charles Tudge, and stealing silk, satin, and other articles and 30l. in money, his property, and a desk and two rings the property of Mary Holliday.
MR. CROOME conducted the Prosecution; and MR. PURCELL defended Morris
CHARLES TUDGE . I am a draper, of 133, High Street, Camden Town—on 31st May I went to bed about 1 o’clock, having seen the house securely, fastened—on 1st June I was awoke about 7 o’clock, went downstairs, and found the inner shop iron door leading to the house, broken open—some goods were pulled out behind the counter, and spread over with tallow candle—I missed a piece of silk, a piece of satin, several pairs of stockings, and several silk scarves, and from the drawing-room, two silver cups and an opera glass; a desk was broken open, eight doors were broken open from the inside, all the doors but one, which is the one leading to the back stairs—the policeman called my attention to the skylight—this satin (produced) is precisely the same as what I missed, in quality—I cannot tell the quantity because it was in cut lengths—these two scarves and these stockings are mine—Miss Holliday is in my employ, and lived in the house.
MARY HOLLIDAY . I am in Mr. Tudge’s employ, and live in the house—on 31st May I left this ring produced, on a hook on the dresser in the kitchen—on coming down in the morning I found my desk in the drawing-room broken open, and missed from it a gentleman’s signet ring, a silver thimble, and other articles; I have not seen them since.
LUCY BUNYAN . I live with my mother, at 148, Copenhagen Street—I know the three prisoners—Morris kept company with me in May and June—on 1st June I visited Esther Lacy, Minnie Collins, and the three prisoners at 3, Cromer Street—Lacy and Lowther lived together, Powell was keeping company with Collins—I slept with, Esther Lacy, and saw the three prisoners come in between 5 and 6 a.m. on 1st June—they had a piece of satin, and several pairs of stockings and neckties, two silver cups and an opera-glass; Powell took the satin out to give to his mother, the other articles were taken out by the prisoners, and I did not see them again, these are them produced—I identify this satin—a jemmy was kept between the bed and the mattress on which I slept, but I did not know it then; that was in Lacy and Lowther’s room, the room in which I saw the three prisoners—this Jemmy produced is very much like it.
Cross-examined by MR. PURCELL. I had been engaged to. be married to Morris, we were asked out twice, but I broke it off—Morris did not make a charge against me about a coffee house—Esther Lacy was also charged in this case, and Minnie Collins—they are here—the detectives came to see me—I did not tell them anything about this man.
Cross-examined by Powell. I did not bring these things in on the Saturday morning between 5 and 5.30—I was in bed with Esther Lacy when the burglary was done—I was not with you in the public-house—I did not go up Euston Road with you and ask you to stop there for the night—I did not say, “I am going. with Morris and another young man to do a bus”—I did not show you the jemmy under my shawl—I did not say that I was going to sleep in Cromer Street that night, to let you in next morning.
Cross-examined by Lowther. The quart silver jug was about this height, and the small one has two handles, but we could not very well recognise them because you bent them so shamefully about, you put them in a box, the biggest one had a handle—on 31st May I was moving from my mother’s, and I slept at my lodgings all night.
Re-examined. I broke off the marriage with Morris because I found out what they were doing for their living, and I did not choose to stop with them any longer.
ELIZA SINGER . I live at 23, Cromer Street, in the same house where Lowther lived—Esther Lacy had a room in the same house for ‘six or seven weeks, and Morris called on her twice and Powell once—I saw Lowther once inside and twice outside—I have not seen the prisoners together in the house—I have seen Lucy Bunyan there once; she asked me for a pitcher of water.
Cross-examined by MR. PURCELL. Miss Lacy had several young gentlemen visitors.
WILLIAM CLIFFORD (Police Sergeant Y). I have seen the prisoners together lots of times: and at the end of May and the beginning of June daily.
ALFRED GILLHAM (Police Sergeant P 33). On the morning of 18th June I found this jemmy in the back garden of 84, St. John Street Road, where a burglary was committed that morning—that garden abuts on 56, Rawstorne Street.
Cross-examined by MR. PURCELL. A person named Tassel was convicted of that burglary on Saturday. (See page 463.)
JOHN HENRY BURJES . I am clerk to Mr. Leonard Needes, pawnbroker, of 19, Barnsbury Road—on 1st June this piece of satin was pledged with me for 15s. by a customer who I know as Ann Everett—I do not know whether that is her real name.
THOMAS LUCAS (Detective Y). About 9th June I examined Mr. Tudge’s premises, and found marks on several doors corresponding with this jemmy—I went to 26, Rawstorne Street, to a room occupied by Lowther and Esther Lacy, and found these stockings and these two scarves—Powell stated that he gave a ring to Morris’s sister, and I got this ring from Mary Ann Morris—she was wearing it—I heard Powell say before the Magistrate that he gave m a piece of satin to his mother.
Cross-examined by Lowther. I am in error; I found the stockings not at your lodgings, but at Lucy Bunyan’s—she lodges some distance from Esther Lacy.
Powell’s Defence. Lucy Bunyan asked me to stop with her that night I said “Yes.” She said, “I am going with Lowther and another young man to do a bus,” and she asked me to stop and let her in, and when she came to 23, Cromer Street she brought the silk, satin, two cups, the stockings, and a ring, and gave them to me for stopping there all night I gave the satin to my mother as a present I received the silk, but I did not know it was stolen. I know nothing about the burglary.
Lowther’s Defence. What Powell has stated is a lie. He said that he would try and get Bunyan in as an accomplice. I have two witnesses to prove that she was never at my place. When she left him to go and live with Morris she had a little box with silk ties in it—she asked me to let her leave them at my lodging, and I said “Yes.” She had a row with Morris soon after, and came and took all her clean ties away and her under-linen. The silk tie found at my lodging was left there with her dirty clothes. I am innocent I was not with the prisoners on the night the burglary was committed.
GUILTY . They were all charged with previous convicitons, Morris in October, 1876, Powell in November, 1877, and Lowther in November, 1876, to which they PLEADED GUILTY. MORRIS** and LOWTHER**— Seven Years each in Penal Servitude . POWELL**— Eighteen Months’ Imprisonment .
There were two other indictments against the prisoners for burglaries, in one of which they obtained 700l worth of watches, and in the other 30l in money, and in both cases the same jemmy had been used. The COURT ordered a reward of 3l. to the officer Lucas.
ESSEX CASES.
Before Mr. Justice Lindley.
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