The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-11-23 00:00:00

DARING ATTEMPT AT BURGLARY AT
ENVILLE HALL.

On Sunday night last between seven and eight o'clock
a most daring attempt was made to plunder Envilie
Hall (the seat of Lord Stamford), by three or more bur-
glars, and had it not have been for the pr-vidential
appearance of his lordship's valet in the corridor no
doubt they would have been well paid for their nefarious
right's work. It appears that the dining hour of the
Lindy is 8 p.m, and about an hour before th.tt
time the Earl and Countess proceeded to their dressing
apartments to prepare for dinner; On the first II ;or of
cue hall, and to the left of the grand staircase, are situa-
ted the dressing and sleeping rooms of the Earl and
Countess, those of his lordship being at the front of the
mansion on the south side, and those of her ladyship on
the north side. In the corridor, almost immediate')
facing Lord Stamford's dressing room, is a door leading
to the magnificently arranged boudoir of her ladyship,
from,which there is also a communication with the dress
iug room of the Countess. At half.past seven o'clock
Lord Stamford vval in his bedroom, being slightly indis-
posed, her ladyship being in her dressing room, as stated
above, preparing for dinner. At this period his lord-
ship's valet, who had been arranging some clothes in
Lord Stamford's dressing room, was proceeding from the
apartment into the corridor, when he was confronted by
a man, who, stepping stealthily from the boudoir,
levelled, a revolver at his head, and in an undertone re-
marked, " If you move or make a noise I will blow your
brains out." The surprise and the menacing demeanour
of the intruder completely unnerved the valet for the
moment, but on recovering himself somewhat he re-
treated hastily into the dressing room and locked the
door, his first step being to throw open the window and
give an alarm. Upon hearing the cries, the Earl and
Countess ran into the corridor, and in a few moments
the hall:was in a state of the greatest confusion. The
valet having reported what he had witnessed a search was
immediately made for the miscreant. His lordship
hastened to the yard, and proceeding to ring the alarm
bell, but the cord breaking, recourse WAi then had to
the firing of guns. 'llirty or forty shots were fired,
and in a short time the affair was made known for a con-
siderable distance around. The bell of tile church was
also rung, and this had the effect of bringing out most of
the villagers. The whole of the servants on the estate,
together with several of the people in the neighbourhood,
made a thorough search of the grounds and for some dis-
tance around, but the alarm given by the valet caused
the burglar to beat a hasty retreat, and notwithstanding
that the alarm was given so quickly, he succeeded in
eluding his pursuers. On the premises
.being examined it
was discovsredlaaat the burglar and his confederates had
made most complete preparations to plunder the resi-
dence of the noble earl. It seems that the thief and
his companions, three or four in number, arrived at
Enville on Sunday evening in a light trap, which was
drawo up shortly before entering the village. The men
there alighted with the exception of one, who proceeded
to the Stamford Arms Hotel, which is situated a short
distance from the hall, and went into the smoke room of
the house, le..ving the horse and trap outside. The
others in the meantime gained access to his loidship's
grounds, and evidently made a thorough survey while
concealed in the shrubbery, which extends to the hall
on the north side. It was evidently their intention to
gain an entrance to the rooms oa the first floor while
family were dining below stairs, for it was not until
some of the lights in the up stairs' rooms hsd been ex
tinguished that they commenced their operations,
Facing the north is the large bow window of the draw
mg room, the summit of which forms a balcony imme-
diately nuderneath one of the windows of her ladyship's
boudoir) About twenty-five minutes past seven o'clock
one of the servants drew down the blinds in the drawing
room, and it would appear that immediately after this
the attack was commenced. One or more of -the thieves
proceeded to the side of the drawing room window, and
hoisted a ladder which they had brought with them•
This ladder is most ingeniously constructed. It con-
sists of three stout pieces of timber, each about five feet
long. Two of these are oiued together by a strong
hinge, and the third is so contrived as to fit into an iron
socket at the end .of one of the others. Nine holes have
been burned in these uprights, through each of which
are inserted pieces of iron about nine inches in length,
forming steps for the feet, By means of this ladder,
the balcony, which is twenty feet from the ground, was
easily gained. A knife or some other instrument was
then employed to unfasten the window, and in effecting
this the burglar broke the spring of the window bolt.
The boudoir was not lighted, and the fellow in
passing into the room evidently failed to observe a
a screen of stained glass, one of the panels of which he
broke. It was evidently the intention of the thief, once
having gained ingress, to make for her ladyship's dress-
ing room, where he probably thought he would find pro-
perty ef a valuable nature. Had he been successful in
thoroughly exploring her ladyship's rooms he would un-
doubtedly have met with disappointment, for Lord Stam-
ford is meet particular in not allowing articles of intrin-
sic value to rernsiu in places where they would likely to
be purloined. When the man was met on the landing
by the valet he lost no tints in retreating into the iJoin
and leaving by the same way he entered, for not a single
article in the boudoir was disturbed. The night WAI so
dark that the men in leaving the grounds could only with
great difficulty see their way, but that they were
thoroughly acquainted with the place is made evident
made direct for a door which
they
from the kitchen garden.
This door, which had been locked at five o'el)ck was
the
forced open, and the miscreants thus pained a private
fdriovmidese fact that
pleasure t
gr
road which, running by the side of the cricket gronad,
Lads to the village and the Stamford Arms Hotel, The
trap bsfore alluded to remained outside the hotel until
after the man was discovered in the hall, and immedi-
atelyiefter he made his escape some people heard a man
shout and givo a shrill whistle. This was about a
quarter to eight o'clock, and the man who was in charge
of the vehicle ran out of the house and drove away in
the trap at a great speed. He picked up his companions
and shortly afterwards he was seen driving the horse and
trap at a very rapid speed in the direction of Stour-
bridge. It is almost providential that the Countess of
Stamford did not meet the into in the passage, as only
a few seconds previously to the pointing of the revolver
at the head of the valet sbe passed along the corridor
from her bedroom to her dressing room. Even as it was
the occurrence produced a severe shock upon her lady-
ship. During the evening one or two suspis,ious persons
were seen loitering in the vicinity of the hall between
the gardens and the hotel, and at the time the burglary
was attempted the village policeman happened to be
away investigating a case of robbery which is supposed
to have taken place in tne neighbourhood on Saturday.
There were no visitors at the hall on Sunday. Daring
the remainder of the night great excitement prevailed at
the hall. Immediately after the occurrence Lord Stam-
ford despatched messengers for the police to the various
local police-stations, and officers from Brierley Hill
and Stourbridge came with all speed to the hall. The
matter ill being tberenglilY iv/mitigated, and the assist-

ance of Detective Cooper, of the Birmingham force, has
been obtained. His lordship has offered a reward of
£lOO for such information as may lead to the apprehen-
sion and conviction of the thief or thieves, It may be
stated that in February last Lord Stamford was aroused
at the hall about half-past two o'clock in the morning
by hearing a noise in the corridor near to his dressing
room. The servants were called up, and on making an
examination his lordship fund that the north door,
which leads into the garden, had been opened, the bolts
having been withdrawn and the key turned. Although a
thorough investigation wee then made no clue was ever
obtained. It is quite clear from the circumstances
that the attempted robbery on Sunday last had been
premeditated, and that those who were engaged in it
were thoroughly experienced at the work. The Earl and
Countess of Stamford only returned from Shrewsbury on
the 15th inst. The police are assiduously following up
their enquiries regarding the burglars who were at
Enville on Sunday night last, but there appears to be at
present no clue to the horse and trap or dog cart which
the men used. From the publicity which has now been
given to the affair, it is not unlikely that there will be
persons in the district who will be able to give the police
help in the matter. We understand that enquiries were
made on Tuesday in a direction, which it is thought
possible the burglars took. The vehicle they drove, it
may be mentioned was apparently lightly built, of some
dark colour, and with high wheels. There was only one
lamp lit at the time it was noticed, and this was on the
off side. It was of square shape. The burglar who
threatened to shoot Clubs, Lord Stamford's valet, is
described as a man about twenty-eight years of age, 5
feet 7 or 8 inches high, dark whiskers and moustache, of
dark sallow complexion, long thin face, and slender
build. He wore a dark suit of clothes. Another man in
the gang, who was seen near the hall, was taken to be
about thirty years of age, 5 feet 7 or 8 inches high,
black hair and moustache, no whiskers, thin face, nod of
slelider build. He was dressed in a long dark coat, dark
trousers, high box hat, low shoes, and white stockings.
discovery has been made of part of the burglar's
equipment in addition to the latter described above.
which they left near the hall. A dog was noticed giving
his attention to something he had found, and this
turned out to be a bunch of skeleton keys. They had
some tallow grease on them, and the finding of these
keys perhaps indicates that the burglars threw away
other housebreaking plant in making their escape, so
that there should be no telltale tools upon them if they
were run down. The speed with which they drove from
Enville shows they anticipated in. mediate pursuit. As
Enville Hall is in Staffordshire, the constabulary of that
county have the principal onus of endeavouring to trace
the thieves, but information has been sent to all the
officers outside the county who by any possibility are
likely to get a clue to the men. The whole of the police
in the Stourbridge division and Kidderminster sub.

division of the Worcestershire force are making enquiries
in their respective districts.
On Wednesday a joiner, named William Fewkea Birch.
all, answering the description of tho perpetrator of the
burglary at the seat of Lord Stamford on Sunday last,
was arrested and taken before the Nottingham magis-
trates. The prisoner stated that he had come from
London in search of work, and as a telegram from
the Derby Chief Constable went to support his stmt..
went, he was ordered to be liberated as soon as he could
prove by reference that he was not concerned in the
affair.