The Express.
London, England, 1858-04-13 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS

(Beim Yr. Paddey, Q.C., atasbioat-Judge, at Clerkenwell.)

TII 011• T 10 88888 AT ISLINGTON.
Wiz em Ash, El described as a photographic artist;
Hush Ash, his wits ; and Charles Elton, 42, slim Mar-
fru, were Indicted for feloniously breaking and entree the
dwellthg-house of William Steward, end stealing therein
divers Mugs, chains, watches, &a. ; end John Bosworth, 23,
hawker, was indicted for feloniously receiving part of the
same property well knowing it to have been stolen.
Mr. Metcalfe,instructed by Mr. Worthier, conducted the
prosecution; r. Cooper appeared for Ash and wife, Mr.
Ribton for Elton, and Mr. Horny for Bosworth.
Mr. Metcalfe, in opening the case, said it was one of a
most serious description, not only sit related to the prisoners
themselves, but to the prosecutor, who bed been plundered
of property to the amount of about 8601., nearly the whole
of his stook, and of course to the interests of justice.
The matter was rather complicated, and would require, as it
would receive, the easeful attention of the jury.
The prosecutor stated that he was a jeweller and watch-
maker, at 11i, High-strest, Islington, but be only occupied
the shop, the rest of the preemies being a separate tenancy.
Oa the evening of the 24th of February, he left his shop
about 9 o'clock. The foreman remained in charge, and was
to shut up at 10 o'clock es usual. At 11 he went to see if all
was safe. It was so. At half-past 2ln the morning be was
erased by a policeman, who told him his shop had been
broken into. He went there, and found the plops in
confusion, brooches and other property scattered
about, sad burglars' implements were found upon the
counter ; the stock had been left in the window. He mired
90 watches, of the value of 2901., and other property to the
amount of 8204 From information he received he went to
Halifax, and, armed with a search warrant, he went to the
house of the prisoner Bosworth's mother, who weed as Mrs.
Heed. When he got there Bosworth had but mined from
London a short time. While the officer who bad the warrant
wee reeding it, Besworth began fumbling In his points, and
on his being searched, a brooch end a ring, _pert of the stolen
property, were found in his tremors. The brooch was
merkked by his own band, and subsequentlyto ttre rob-
bay photoruphio portrait of the prisoner,
Asli, had been pat into it. He could portively weer
to the ring as are which was safe in his shop
window whin he left on the night of the robbery.
Borrerth told the officer he bought the things of a
Jew is Pettkost-Luse. He then inquired for a man named
Heed, whom ultimately be found at Huddendield. He was
In poresem of • gold chain, also part of the stolen pr
which he said his wife, the mother of Bosworth,
female primmer, gave him • week ago. Two rings were
taken from Mrs. Ash's fingers, which he also identified. A
ling, which was taken from • soldier, he believed to be his
property, and stolen on the occasion in question.
Jessie Norton—l am • single woman, and live at No. 2,
Skinner-thest, Bishopagate. I have been an unfortunate,
and now live with a youngtinan named Brewer. On the 24th
of February I wee lodging, at a house kept by Mrs. Ash,
near the Orem-gate, in Hackney-road. I had known
her before, for about eighteen months before her husband
came beck. About three weeks before last Christmas
I was llvi g at No. 4, Skinner-street, and Mrs. Ash oame to
me, and Wed me to go and live with her, as that would help
to pay her rest, as she was hard up. In the course of con-
versation she told me that her husband, Elton, who went by
the nickname of " the corporal," Ike, and Oliver, had " put
up" &jeweller's shop at Islington, and if it came off right
they would not be in want of money for a long time to come.
SIG told me not to mention it to any one, and that when it
did come off she would give me 21. and a ring. About a
week before Christmee week I went to lodge with her, and
she told me that the Islington job would be all right, as no
one slept in the house, for they had watched the foreman
leave every night after closing the shop; that
everything
was prepared, and it would be done as late seveln
the morning. She told me that the door had been tried,
but the key had broken in the lock, but the
=l.•by(littot7) grotththeye4l,:coehedouit. They
the ware not
orning and
saw the shopman open the door without ALI Scotty. Ash used
to go out at five o'clock every morning to watch the
endemically returned about seven or eight. The " corporal '
need to all for him. They watched at nights and Sundays
as well. Ash, his wife, Oliver, Mrs. Oliver, and the " co-
pond," used to go on Sundays. Mrs. Ash told me the
women went for a stall, or blind, and wen to have half as
much as the men. In the same wash Ash cams end maid
Oliver bad been experimenting on the key which was to do
the business, and he would punch his heed. Ash end Elton
used to Ale the keys; they were constantly et it. It would
have come off much sooner but they wetted far " Ike "
to come out of Maidstone Gad, es "Ike" sad
Aah would do more than the " corporal " would.
Ike had been sentenced to three months. He came
up by the train about a fortnight before the robbery, and
Ash and his wife went to meet him at the elation. I saw
then altogether at Ash's house the same night. Mrs. Ash
said it would soon be done, as Ike had come home • they
used to go out at night together. On the night of the rob-
bery Aah the corporal, and Ike, went out together. Ash
returned about ten at night in • hurry and fetched his wife •
they ell cams beck soon after twelve, and directly afterward;
Oliver end his wife come in. I wee waiting for Brewer, who
came in =oat one o'clock. Mrs. Ash had a large bundle
under her arm. She came Into my room, and put down a
shilling, and mid, " Get something to drink, We been • long
time thout, • but it has come off et Int." She bad
a ring on' and I said it was a niceone. She said it
was from the shop at Islington, which she had =ore
of. She told me it would not have coma off, only
Oliver purposely quarrelled with • prefix= and got her
locked up, which was to get the policeman on duty off his
beat while the job was erne. That was got up by Oliver.
While the policemen was gone to the section-house, the rob-
bery was done. That was what she told me. They sat up
all night drinking and arranging to dispose of the property.
Next morning she told me they had been having pinta of
=brandy and old ale all night, and she expected a gen-
whom the corporal was gone for to call, as he
was going to buy the things. Presently the corporal
came with a gentl_r_ftlT looking man, who went upstairs
with them. The came in flat, and left the door
=fin • the gentleman followed, and went into Ash's room.
Hs WY there two hours, and then went away. Mrs. Ash
gave me some ginger brandy, and then said, " I =Mg* up-
stairs, as they are dividing the money." She had showed me
a diamond ring. She had concealed some of the things
from the others he her boom. She showed me the marks
left on her brute by her keeping them there. Mrs. Oliver
did the same, and they were going to divkle the proceeds be-
tween themselves. A woman named Jeffries MIN with Mr.
Oliver, but Mrs. Ash would not let her in, as she was afraid
that being drunk she would make a nobs, sad the police
might come in. She came in and laid hold of Mrs. Jethro,
:rher into the passage, and forcibly took emethrg out
bosous, which the had eonmehd from him. That
we pert of the plunder. On the Wednesday a soldier
named Hayden come, and Mrs. Ash gave him a ring. On
the Friday Mrs. Ash showed me a small pasteboard box, in
=doh she wee going to send a brooch, • ring, and a chain, to
her moths, at Halifax. The brooch was to contain a por-
trait of Ash, which was to be taken by Itis n
a Ph0•011M1104. The ober, ring, and brooch now
and ideetiffed by Mr. Steward, are the same I saw Mrs.
with. This Ash's Mumma. nerd Ash say it was for
his mother-ht-law et Hails:. Mrs. Ash gave 61. of her
share for a mantle end • deem, end spent M. in new furni-
ture, bedding, and clothes for her children and her husband.
When Ash was taken, Bosworth wee left fa charge of the
home. His woman told me not to crook upon them. Hoe-
wrath said he should go to his mother's at Halifax, and that
it would be of no use any one a • against them, se all
the stuff had been " blewed," chi meant that the property
had been got rid of, and he mold get a man to swear, for
half • pound. that the rings found on Mrs. Ash's
fingers were bought. He said he would "knife'
any one giving evidence against them, and any one
keeping away should have 601. The keeper ring
mew &dotted, and sworn to by Mr. Steward, is that given
by Mrs. Aeh to the soldier. Bosworth carries knife about
with him. The burglars' tools produced are ell Ash's. They
were found at the shop. A most formidable bludgeon wee
also produced.
In oross-examination she said the police came to her; she
did not go to the police. She bad no trig, as promised. I
She had been a prostitute four years, and had been charged
with uttering counterfeit coin, but It was given to bee to
pus by Ash's sister. She had lived with Brewer 16 months.
He wee a gunsmith. She kept Mrs. Ash on her prostitution
for 18 months. She was aware that a reward of 1501. had
been offered, hot it was for the restoration of the property,
not for the conviction of the offenders. She gave informa-
tion to the police before she heard of any reward. She told all
she knew when a Iloilo man came a second time and
said she ought to tell. She did not give evidence because
she had not mired a share of the plunder. The policeman
told her that unless ohs told all she knew she would be as
bad e!they war?,

Pollortioustable 627, said he was on duty on the night in
question by the prosecutor's shop, and at half-past ten he
tried the door, and found ft quite safe. He was called upon
by • men to take a proms to into custody. He complained
et her having stopped Wm in the street. After he returned
to his beat he found Mr. Steward's shop door open, end a
His preserver en the mat. There was • beg of implements,
end this bludgeon (produced), the same that JIM& Nadas
bad identified =befogging to Ash. The same night ha saw
Elton walking en the pavement in front of the shop at about
a quarter to siren, and he had seen Ash loitering near the
sloop several times en nights before the robbery.
William Brewer, the person cohabiting with huh Nor-
ton, gave evidence corroborating her M many materiel points,
and proving that the prisoners were constantly together.
Luke James Tocopkin, 316 N, said he went teAsles house
with two other Of6ollll on the 16th of Merck mud took four
rings from Mrs. Ash's fingers. Two had bum gloss up, two
bad been sworn torlil Mr. Steward. M. Ash put some-
thing bright like and 'a bit of paper, into her mouth.
Her husband said t woe • fialf-eovarelan • hat whatever it
was she swallowed it. He prevented- kir swallowieg the
=which proved to be the fregreents eniall ad-
to Heed at Halifax. He went to WesiwM and
found out the soldier to whom Mau. Ash gavearleg. He now
produce:l the r, width the solar fave up. It
was tee et thefts shim hens the ,ites= s shop. Hs
had rams to knew that Bosworth kd sleeted to Battles,
and toil Mr. Steward to go lbws and fad eat Jim Heed,
his mother. Waft Mt be saw Bosworth he was In easirdy
at hileglen souse-hoses. He then seed to witness, "You
think yes ars very dew, bat we dal
se ens yes." Mr.
eIiWIE/1 brought idea tows Ralik: withro
Kr. I lirsolletwinist, High•eirset, depend So havier
'seen the unapt Bosworth, Wining about in front
et Mr. s Asp.
This was the eerier the prosecution.
Tee learned road la the disco addressed the '