The Sun.
London, England, 1851-12-25 00:00:00

A BAN]) OF YOUNG BRIGANDS AT

STOCKPORT.

A few days since two boys, named Frederick
Jones, aged 17, and 'William Walker, aged 15 years,
were charged before the magistrates of Stockport
with attempting to rob, and threatening to shoot two
females named Harriet Beckett and Ellen Wood, on
the highway; the former on the 13th October last,
and the latter on the night of the Gth instant.
Mrs. Harriet Beckett, a widow lady residing at
Levenshulme, stated—On the evening of Monday,
the 13th of October, between eight and nine o'clock,
I was returning home alone from Heaton Norris, and
when I arrived at Blackbrook, between Heaton Norris
and Levenshulme, I met the two prisoners coming to-
wards Stockport. They passed me, and when they
had got about one hundred yards, they both came up
to me and said, "Are yo going far this way ?" I said
" Yes; why do you ask ?" Jones then took a pistol
from his breast pocket, placed it close to my bead,
and said, " See, its your money we want, and if you
don't give it us I'll blow your brains out." I said,
"I have got no money ;" to which he replied, " You
have—a lady like you to say you've got no money—
you have, and if you don't give it without a disturb-
ance, there's six of us, and we've all got loaded
pistols, and we'll shoot you dead ;" he kept holding
the pistol to my head, and I walked backwards to-
wards Mr. Walsh's house. I said I had no money,
but if he would go with me to my house I would give
him what was reasonable. He asked me where I
lived, and I said here (meaning Mr. Walsh's house).
He asked me if there were any men in the house; I
said "No." He said, "You'll not split; who did you
leave in the house ?" and I told him the servant only.
I was at that time standing near to Mr. Walsh's
house, and seeing a light I called out " Mrs.
Walsh." I presently saw Mrs. Walsh close the
inside window-shutters. I then became alarmed,
and called out several times. Jones then came, and
in an undertone said, " If you will give us 4s. it will
satisfy us, and we won't harm you." I said, " Oh,
yes, most gladly." At this moment Mrs. Walsh and
her servant, and two children, came to the door. I
called out that there were two boys that threatened to
shoot and rob me. The prisoners were then quite
close to me. Mrs. Walsh's servant tried to open the
gate, but could not ; and on the children becoming
alarmed, Jones said, " If you make any disturbance
I'll send a bullet amongst you." Mrs. Walsh then
desired one of the children to call their papa, on hear-
ing which the prisoners began to curse, and then ran
id
entity
of The witness was confident as to the
of the prisoners, as it was a clear moonlight night,
and she kept her face turned to the prisoners the
whole of the time.

Ellen Wood, a domestic servant to Mr. John
Booth, Heaton Norris, said—On Saturday evening,
about six o'clock, I was coming out of the entry of
my master's house, to go to Stockport. I saw the
prisoners opposite. I was in a hurry and ran. The
prisoners ran after me about 100 yards. I then
began to walk, and on reaching a part of the road be-
tween Lamb's Fold and Danby-lane the prisoner
Walker came in front of me, and put a pistol to my
face and said, "You must deliver or die." Jones
was behind, and placed his band over my shoulder.
I screamed out, and presently a man came running
up, and the prisoners ran away.
Mr. Charles Booth, of Lamb's Fold, deposed, that
on hearing a person scream on the night in question
he ran to the spot, when he saw the last witness. He
went in pursuit of the prisoners, overtook them near
the Navigation Inn, and secured Jones, but the
other escaped. He took Jones into a house and
searched his pockets, from which be took a pistol.
Walters, of the borough police, took the prisoner
Walker into custody at the house of his brother on
Saturday, and upon searching him found a pistol
loaded half-way up the barrel, two boxes con-
taining some shot and percussion caps, a whistle,
and a dark paper mask. _

Constable Lee stated that he received the prisoner
Jones and the pistol from the witness Booth ; and
that upon unloading the pistol it was found to con-
tain powder, wadding, and a atone about the size of
a bean. He also found upon his person a mask of
the same description as that found upon the other
prisoner, a pistol screw, powder flask, and other
articles.

The prisoners, who declined to say anything in
answer to the charge, were fully committed for trial
at the assizes for Liverpool.
Some facts were communicated by Mr. Sadler to
the magistrates relative to the previous character,
habits, and conduct of the youths, from which some
practical conclusions may be drawn as to the origin
of juvenile delinquency. Walker's mother died in
1842, and his father followed in five years after-
wards, since which time he has been under the charge
of an elder brother in Lancashire Hill, regularly
attending the Stockport Sunday School, and working
at different places, but latterly at Alderman Fernley';,
of Weir Mills, during the last eight months as a
piecer for a spinner named Johnson. Jones had re-
sided at Dew Bank for three years, attended the same
school, and for eighteen months was employed the
Weir Mills, being moreover a piecer for this
same
Johnson, who himself is not more than 22
age. Johnson, it also turns out, has beenyeiaersthe
habit of purchasing a number of pernicious publica-
tions. All these papers were usually read both by
Jones and Walker, not only while in the mill, but
at their own homes ; so much so, that Walker's
brother, who is a conscientious man
and a teacher of
'the Stockport Sunday School, has frequently remon-
strated with his younger brother, and burned the
publications whenever he could find them. Johnson,
who is morally responsible for the social ruin of these
two boys, has been dismissed from his situation. The