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Page 1: The Lincolnshire Chronicle and General Advertiser …members.iinet.net.au/~nnorth/North Trial.pdfThe Lincolnshire Chronicle and General Advertiser Friday March 10th 1843 Burglary at

The Lincolnshire Chronicle and General AdvertiserFriday March 10th 1843

Burglary at Beckingharn

JOHN NORTH, 52 (22?), WILLIAM NORTH, 27, AND WM BRADSHAW, 23,were indicted for burglariously entering the house of Charles GuyMilnes, Esq., at Beckingham, on the 8th December. - Charles GuyMilnes had been entertaining his tenants to dinner on the 6th ofDecember: it was the rent dinner: the party left a little afterone in the morning: John North had been in his service fiveyears: one of the party being rather intoxicated, John North wentto see him home: witness sat up till two o'clock when Northreturned: he saw the prisoner fasten the door: witness then wentto bed, closing the door at the foot of the stairs: it led to noother chamber, but witness's. Undressed, and put his clothes onthe usual chair: he had been in the habit of placing the money ina pocket of a Taglioni coat: but on that night he put the cash-bag in his breeches pocket, and he put his breeches low down inthe bed. After having been asleep some time, he was disturbed bysome person pulling off the bed-clothes: there was a light in theroom which he had left burning: saw two men, one on each side ofthe bed; felt a cord pulling at his wrist towards the bed-post atthe foot of the bed: observed that the men's faces were eitherblacked or covered with masks: called out "murder", one of themen immediately ran away, and the other soon followed. The cordremained round t~e wrists, but was not fastened to the bed-post:witness went after the men into the kitchen: saw a man standingat the end of a long table: he was a very little man (Bradshaw islow of stature) with a black face: a taller man was skulking onthe other side of the table: they had taken the light from thebed-room, it was a dim light, as the candle wanting snuffing.Said to the Iittle man "you are chimney-sweeps, are you": butupon seeing that the man rose from behind the table, he wentaway, as there were two to one: went towards his own chamber, andwhilst shutting the door, he saw a man to whom he said, "whoeveryou are, you are not coming here". John North said "it is me,sir": witness opened the door, and knew it was John North by hisvoice: he was in his shirt. Believed that John North had comefrom the kitchen, and not from the staircase: went to examine thebasement story, without dressing himself: found the outer kitchendoor wide open: the library window shutters was also open. Aninner cellar door had been pulled open. Went to his sister'sroom, to quiet her alarm: in five or ten minutes, heard thereport of a gun under her window: had left John North belowstairs: does no t know whether he closed the door and window: W.enLto bed: the next day on examining the kitchen door, there were nomarks of violence: the library window had been opened, but notbroken open: there were no foot-marks on the soft earth outside,nor on the polished floor of the library. Thre~ cords were foundby a female servant. A terrier dog was usually kept in the house:did not see it that night: it was John North's business to tiethe dog up: kept pistols in his sitting-room, saw one of them thenext morning in a different part of the house, laid on a table.

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In following the men down stairs, he kicked over his coat andwaistcoat which were lying in the ante-room of the chamber.Cross-examined by Mr h'hi tchurch: .Iohn Nor th had 1 ived with himfive years: had a character from a place where he had lived ayear and a half. Jno. North's chamber is over wi tness' s: theshutters of the library window were open, the fastening of thewindow was pointed out by John North as unfastened: the librarywas little used except by himself, the shutters were generallyclosed, and he opened them himself in order to obtain light: heis quite sure he had left the shutters closed the last time hehad been in the library: he had turned the key in the door, andleft it in the door. Was not at all intoxicated that nighL. Twofemale servants, John North, and a farming man attended upon theguests. - By the Judge: The kitchen door is usually locked by thecook: admitted John North by that door, and saw him lock itagain. It was William Pogson who was tipsy. - George Harrison, ofWellingore, is cousin to the two Norths, who are brothers: on the3d of December he went with William North to see John North: theyslept that night in the hay-loft: John North suppl ied them wi Lhfood: stayed from Saturday night till Monday morning: he saidwitness was to come again on Tuesday night, as it was the rent-day. William North promised that they would corne back on thatnight. Witness did not return on the Tuesday. - Robert Straps,miller, Beckingham, was leading sand on Tuesday afternoon in thedirection of Beckingham, from Newark: was overtaken by WilliamNorth and Bradshaw, and walked with them as far as the end of thelane leading to Mr Milnes's: they went up, and he saw no more ofthem. - William Johnson, Beckingham, saw Wm North and Bradshaw,about five o'clock in the afternoon, coming up the turnpike fromNewark to Sleaford: he saw them cross Mr Milnes's road, and gointo the church-yard: they walked backwards and forwards, andthen there was a short whistle: upon which they went out of thechurch-yard, into HI' Milnes's yard. - Richard Johnson, shoe-maker, Beckingham, was in HI' Hilnes's yard, getting water: heardJohn North give a whistle: went ou t, and saw his brother, Lhelast witness. During the night, witness had occasion to get \IP tohis chamber window: saw a light in Mr Milnes's saddle-house, andalso in HI' Milnes's chamber window. - William Cropley, farmer,Beckingham, was at the rent-day dinner: went out into the yard,between twelve and one o'clock: John North said, "You get nothingto d I'ink: corne wit h me, and I will g iv e yo usa met.h i n g you 1 ike" .Went into the stable, and saw a light in the saddle-room: saw aman sitting with his face to the fire, and his back towardswitness: did not know the man: asked John North who he had gotthere: be said "keep back", the man had a fustian coat on: aftera time ",itness went in, and found no one: there is a doorf.romthe saddle-room to the coach-house, through which the man mightgo. Heard a breathing of some person in the passage, Elsked JohnNorth if he had got Addington there: he said, "Oh yes, its Ad".Asked who it was in the saddle-house: John Nort11 said "you knoh'George Stafford the carpenter". \Vitness said "That's noL GeorgeStafford". - Cross-examined: !lad only drunk a litLle ale duringthe day: what John North gave him in the stable was either rumand a leo r gin and Ell c . (B'y the .J IIdg c ) \Ve n L wit h the p r i son e I'

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John North, the publican, and two other neighbours, to thepublican's house, and stayed, till two o'clock. - John Horseman,groom, Newark, was returning from Brant Broughton on the Saturdayafternoon, 10th of December, and saw William North and Bradshawat the public-house at Beckingham: asked the landlord if they hadmade any thing out about the robbery: the landlord said, not thathe kneh' of, Wililiam North said, "I believe I am one that issuspected". Bradshaw was near: witness remained about an hour:Bradshaw and a man who he understood to be named Mitchell, wentout: walked to Newark with Bradshaw and them. As they were goingalong, Bradshaw said, "I believe I have been suspected of thisrobbery, and I have been before the squire to clear myself to-day". I said, "Have you? what did he say to you?". Bradshawreplied "The squire said he could not swear to me". He added thathe expected to be paid for his loss of time. Witness said WilliamNorth looked very down, and he (witness) would bet a sovereignthat if he knew anything about it he would split. Bradshaw saidif he thought so, he would split first. Witness said he wouldadvise him to do so, if he knew anything of it. Bradshaw said hewould tell Mr Bell, the chief constable of Newark, all about it,if witness would be bound for him, as he should not like to go tothe hole. He said William North fetched him from Newark, and theygot to Mr Milnes's just as it was dark: they went to Mr Milnes'ssaddle-room: John North brought them some ale, and said, "D- youlads, I know of a rare booty for you". They went into the hay-chamber, and then carne into the saddle-room again: they loaded apistol of Mr Mil.nes's: John brought in two cords: they were totie Mr Milnes down in bed with one, and the other to tie him(John) but they were not to tie him fast, but so as he could getundone without assistance. John North blacked Bradshaw's face andput a mask or piece of crape over Wm North's face, and then Johnlet them into the house: he showed them Mr Milnes's chamber door:he and William North went into the chamber: they were doingsomething at Mr Milnes and he awoke: William North ran awayimmediately: Bradshaw stood before Mr Milnes who was screamingout, he said "D- your eyes, you - if you don't hold your noise, Iwill shoot you" Did not think HI' Milnes heard him: he knockedthe candle out of Mr Milnes's hand, and he was shouting "John":John carne down with a ruck, and was knocking about: he rubbedagainst him (Bradshaw), but did not him. After John had been withHI' Milnes up stairs he returned, and let them out of the houseand sent them to the saddle-room: after all was over he broughtthem some brandy. After he had made this long statement, witnesswent with Bradshaw to the police-office at Newark. Went withHives and Ramsden to Beckingham, and informed Mr Milnes, whodirected them to apprehend John North: told him it was onsuspicion of being connected with the attempt to rob his master,with Wm North and Bradshaw: went up stairs with him to change hisclothes: he opened his box, and said "What a fool I was to haveanything to do with them, to ever let them in, . for you see allthese clothes are all of no use to me now". Told him he hadbetter say no more, as what he said would be taken down: hereplied he would say no more till he got before the magistrate(Cross-examined) Stated to the magistrate, that he used the words

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"I never let them in". - Wm Baker, police-officer, Newark: onSaturday evening Bradshaw said "Baker, you have been inquiringfor me". Told him a person from Beckingham had been asking forhim. Bradshaw said he would tell all about. it: the wi tnessdetailed the statement already given: it was past two o'clockWilliam North put a cord on Mr Milnes's left wrist, and Bradshawon his right: that the cord he (Bradshaw) had put on slipped offas Mr Milnes awoke. - Matthew Edis Maile, keeper of Falkinghamhouse of correction: on the evening of the 12th December he wastaking William North as a prisoner from Sleaford to Falkingham:he said it was a bad job committing this robbery with Bradshaw,who had split all about it: he had an objection at first tocommit it with them: he said he was invited to go to Mr Millnes'swith Harrison on the rent-day, but Harrison could not go and hetook Bradshaw with him. They had some drink in the saddle-room.Bradshaw was the first to propose the robbery: he would notconsent at first: his brother and Bradshaw called him a coward.They went into the house only with the intention of stealing somebeef, but Bradshaw would go to Mr Milnes's chambers: they had gota string on one wrist, and in trying to put on the other he woke,and "(bawled?) out _like a (ch_icken?) with a sore neck". He sawthat he was frightened, and ran away, being as much frightenedhimself. He had loaded a pistol in the saddle-room, but would nottake it with him, for fear of an accident. - him North: "I neversaid nowt of the sort: I know'd nowl: about it". _ N1' f\Thitchu1'chat great length argued that John North was innocent of feloniousintent: that he had invited the parties to drink with him, whichwas very wrong, and that he had permitted them to come into thehouse, without any participation in the intention to rob. _ Thelearned Judge very minutely summed up the evidence, as itregarded the prisoners, and the Jury immediately brought in averdict of guilty against all the prisoners. - John North to betransported for life: Wm North and Bradshaw for 15 years.

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