BARNOLDSWICK ROBBERY 1843

[Stanley]

ROBBERY 1843

Yorkshire Spring Assizes

Crown Court - Monday March 20 1843

(Before Mr. Justice Collman)

Barnoldswick Robbery.

Edward Petty, 28, was charged with having on the 7th of February last, at Barnoldswick, robbed Joseph Windle of a sovereign, and £3 10s. in silver. Mr. WASNEY was for prosecution and Mr. HEATON for the prisoner. The prosecutor is a carter at Barnoldswick, and on the evening of the 7th of February he was returning home from Burnley, in Lancashire, a distance of about twelve miles. He was sitting up in the corner of his cart half asleep, and when he had got to Tubber Hill his attention was attracted by his horse stopping, and on looking up he saw the prisoner near the end of the cart. It was a moonlight night, and the prosecutor had known the prisoner for several years before. He said "Hollo Ted, is that thee?" The prisoner replied "May I ride with thee down to Barnoldswick Joe," prosecutor said "Aye jump in lad" and he did so. Another man also got into the cart from the shafts, and the men said to Windle "Now thou must deliver up thy brass, or we'll kill thee in a minute." The prosecutor was struck several times with a stick, and robbed of the money mentioned in the indictment. The prisoner then said "This is not all, thou hast some in thy shoon (shoes.)" Prosecutor said he had not, prisoner called him a liar, and the men then cut the laces of his boots and took them away. The prosecutor was rather stunned by the blows, went to the nearest farm-house and obtained a pair of shoes, and then went to Barnoldswick and gave information to King, the constable. He, however, was lame and could not render any assistance, but Windle went into the Cross Keys public-house and asked Mr. Robinson, the son of the landlady, to assist him. He did so, and found the prisoner sitting by the fire in his mother's house, in his shirt sleeves. He went to get further assistance, but when he and others returned, it was discovered that Petty had made his escape, and he was not apprehended for a week or ten days after that time. Witnesses were called to prove an alibi, but this failed, and the Jury returned a verdict of Guilty. - Fifteen years transportation.

Article appeared in The Northern Star  

Edited by - panbiker on 14/11/2011 20:56:21

[Stanley]

Bumped.....

[Gloria]

Crikey, 15 years transportation, I just thought……I wonder what they got for murder, well we know that don’t we?

[Stanley]

I think we do Gloria....

[Whyperion]

why steal something off someone you know ?

what also is odd is the way the horse knew the way home even with an asleep driver, that often happened, poor thing the 12 odd miles to Burnley is not a fun journey even in today's motor cars.

[Stanley]

Bumped again.