The Sun.
London, England, 1868-03-07 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY BURGLARY,

At the Chelmsford Assizes, on Friday, two young men,
named John Pendrcy, alias John Everett, labourer, and
John Gladden, sweep, were tried before the Hon. G. Den-
man, Q.C. (who presided in consequence of the indisposi-
tion of the Lord Chief Justice), for burglariously breaking
into the dwelling-house of Anne Nevard, at Ardleigh, near
Colchester, and stealing a sovereign, some silver, a bottle
of home-made wines, and other articles, her property. It
appeared that the prosecutrix was nearly 85 years of age,
andlthat she lived alone in a small cottage at Ardleigh,
near Colchester. She had the reputation of being
possessed of a hoard of money. On the 21st of
January she went to bed as usual, about half-past
six o'clock in the evening, and a neighbour, a
Mrs. Hale, as was her custom, locked the door of the
cottage and took the key home with her, leaving the pro-
secutrix alone. About ten o'clock the prosecutrix was
awoke by hearing a noise in the room adjoining her bed-
room, and she got u? and lit the candle. She was then
about to go into the adjoining room, when she found
that some on•! was bolding the dour on the other side. She
culled out, " Who's there; what are you after?" and the
voice of a, man replied, " We want your money." Aman who
was disguised by having his face blackened came directly
into her bed-room, and said that he must have her money.
The poor old woman, being dreadfully alarmed, told the
man that she had not got any money, but he replied that
she had, and he must have it. She heard another man rum-
maging in the sitting-room. The first man came again to her,
and asked her for money, and she told him she had a little
in her purse. She found her dress and felt in the pocket, but
the purse was gone. The men inquired what she had in her
drawers, and she told them there were only a few of her
clothes, but no money. They then searched the drawers.
One of the men said that they had been sent down to do
what they were doing by one of her London relations, and
that they were " other countrymen—Fenian." They said
that they were going into the other room to have some
bread and cheese, and they would come and wish her good
night before they went away. The men were in the house
altogether about an hour and a half. One of the pri-
soners, she saikmalle use of some very indecent language to
her, and assaulted her in an in lelicate manner, and also
put a knife close to her throat, and threatened her. After
they had regaled themselves the ruffians returned to the
bedroom, wished the old lady good night, and threatened
that if she made any outcry they would return and do for
her. The prosecutrix made a search when they were gone,
and discovered that her purse, which contained a sove-
reign and about four shillings, had been stolen. She
also missed five shawls, a silk handkerchief, a' loaf
of bread, and two stone bottles, one containing red
currant, and the other black currant wine. The prose-
cutrix was unable to speak definitely as to the
prisoners, but it was proved that they were seen together
on the night of the outrage going in the direction of the
prosecutrix's cottage, and at a late hour of the night, or
rather on the following morning, they were seen In Col-
chester, one of them having some shawls wrapped round
his neck, which turned out to be those stolen from the pro:
secutrix, and the other carrying a stone bottle. One of
the prisoners also appeared to have shown a silk handker-
chief to a man with whom he was acquainted at Colchester,
saying that it had been given to him by a " moll" at
Colchester on the previous evening. The prisoners also
appeared to have told an extraordinary story about the
bottles they had with them containing poison, and they
said that they had thrown one of the bottles into a pond.
The jury, after hearing the prisoners' statement in their
defence, which was merely to the effect that they were not
the men by whom the robbery was committed, almost im-
mediately returned a verdict of guilty. It appeared that
both prisoners bore a very bad character, and had been
previously convicted of felony, and the learned judge sen-
tenced them to be kept in penal servitude for the space of
fifteen years.