| Notes: | The Ipswich Journal
Saturday, 26 Oct 1861, Page 7
SPECIAL SESSIONS.
Serious charge of Housebreaking, at Winfarthing. -
Ellis Coleman, labourer, and Aaron Banham, bricklayer, were charged with breaking and entering the house of William Bobby, of Winfarthing, in the afternoon of Sunday, the 13th inst., and stealing fourteen £5 notes, one old guinea, an old crown piece, two old half-crowns, one old shilling, and two old sixpences.
Mr. Bobby, with his wife, left home about two o’clock in the afternoon, to attend chapel, about a quarter of a mile distant. On his way, Bobby saw the prisoner Coleman near his home. When he returned, about four o’clock, he discovered his house had been broken into during his absence, by breaking the parlour window and, on making search, found that the money mentioned above, which he had left safe in a chest in his bedroom, had been stolen. He immediately gave information at Diss, to the police, who succeeded in apprehending the prisoner Coleman the same evening, with the old shilling in his possession. On the following day, the prisoner Banham went to Diss, and thence to Pulham, in company with Coleman’s mother and sister, in search after Coleman. On their way from Pulham to Winfarthing, the prisoner told the mother, in presence of her daughter, that he would tell her all about it, if she would not “spout.” He then said - “I and Doddle (meaning the prisoner Coleman) got the money: and if I could see him, and say two words to him, we should be all right. I wish I could put my head on his shoulders.” He also showed them an old crown piece. The mother said - “If you will put the money altogether, so that Mr. Bobby can find it, I will not say anything about it:” and he agreed to do so, but afterwards said “We have got the money, and we will stick to it ; I can put on another suit of clothes, and go to London, and get the notes changed.” On the following day the prisoner Banham was taken into custody. On Thursday morning the prisoner Coleman went with Superintendent Witherford and policeman Bouttel, to a field near Mr. Bobby’s house, and took from the fence a purse containing fourteen £5 notes, and gave it to Bouttel, and said - “This is what we got from Mr. Bobby’s. Banham took the old guinea and five-shilling piece: the other silver I threw into Mr. Palmer’s pit, which is a very large one.” This pit has been emptied, but nothing found, there being so much mud.
The examination of the witnesses lasted nearly six hours, after which the prisoners were fully committed for trial at the next quarter sessions at Norwich. The prisoner Coleman pleaded guilty, and stated full particulars of how the robbery was committed. |
