The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-08-07 00:00:00

CAPTURE OF AN ARMED BURGLAR

Henry Marchant, 34, described as a general dealer,
and stated to be living at 12, Dock-terrace, Lilliput-
road, Custom House, was charged at West Ham on
Saturday with feloniously breaking and entering the
dwelling-house, 5, Haytor-villas, Ham-road, West
Ham, the residence of John Ward, on Sunday, July
25, with intent to commit a felony. Detective-
inspector Wildey watched the case for the Police
Commissioners. John Ward, of Haytor-villas, Ham-
road West Ham, a drap9r, said: On Sunday, July
25, I left my house at four o'clock in the afternoon.
It was then empty, but everything was secure. I
returned at eight o'clock in the evening, and I
then found that the front door had been forced
open. I missed nothing from the house, but
found two drawers upstairs in a bedroom
open. When I left the place these drawers
were closed but not. locked. I missed nothing at all
from the house. When I got ba3k to the house the
police-officers were there. Sarah Allwright, a married
woman, of No. 3, Haytor-villas, said that on Sunday
evening she was in her front room, when she saw the
prisoner leave the house of the prosecutor. One side
of her bay window commanded a view of the house.
When she saw the prisoner he was in the gateway,
ard he left. Knowing the house to be empty, she
! watched the prisoner, and saw him enter the gateway
and go up to the door four times. She could not tell
if he did anything to the door. Leaving the window,
witness told a neighbour to inform the landlord, and
the latter went out. Soon afterwards the prisoner
ran out of the front gate. Mr. Phillips asked when
witness saw the prisoner next, and she said that she
saw him once after. She next saw him at the Plais-
tow Police-station. He was then with other men, but
she identified him, though he was in different
clothes. On the Sunday he had on a brown suit.
Elizabeth Taylor, a married woman, of No. 2, Hay-
tor-villas, said that on July 25 she was in her
front room, when she saw the prisoner leaving Mr.
Ward's house. He passed her house, and she recognised
him as the man she had seen at Mr. Ward's house the
Sunday fortnight previous with another man.—De-
tective Patrick M‘Gowan, of West Ham, said that at
about eight o'clock on the evening of the 25th he re-
ceived information that No. 5, Haytor-villas had been
opened. He went there and examining the front door
he 83,w two dis'Linct marks of a " jemmy " on each
sid of the bolt. The catch was wrenched off. In the
front room on the first floor he saw two drawers open,
and receiving the description of a man from the last
two witnesses, he showed them to Inspector Wildey,
who at once told him to keep observation on he
prisoner. Witness, with Detective Hallmark, traced
him to 12, Dock-terrace, Custom House, and at a
quarter-past nine o'clock on Friday night they met
the prisoner in the Lilliput-road. The witness asked
him if his name was Marchant, and he said, " Yes ;
what do you want ? " He was then told he
would be arrested on suspicion of breaking
and entering 5, Haytor-villas.—Prisoner said, "I
den't know what you mean," and stepped back a
yard or two into the roadway, and then put his right
hand behind him and attempted to get to a back
pocket. Witness seized his right hand immediately,
and told Hallmark to look out. Hallmark then
seized him also, and searching him, he found a five-
chambered revolver, which, on being examined, was
found to be loaded in three chambers, two chambers
containing empty cartridges. Prisoner was then taken
to the police-station and placed among other men,
when the female witness picked him out without hesi-
tation. At the station, after he was searched, the
prisoner remarked that witness could see by the cata-
logue he gave up that he had bought the revolver for
ss. at a sale at Forest-gate the previous day, and, he
added, "I only loaded it to see how it would act."
The revolver mentioned in the catalogue, however,
was a six-chambered one. Detective Inspector
Wildey said that this was as far as he proposed to
carry the case that day, and asked for a remand.
Prisoner was remanded.