The Sun.
London, England, 1844-01-06 00:00:00

WINTER ASSIZES.
CHESTER, Wednesday, Jan. 3.
THE HIGH LEIGH BURGLARS.
Thomas Riley, Richard Holbrook, and Joseph Holbrook,
weavers, were placed at the bar, charged with having on the
14th day of October last burglarieusly entered the dwelling-
house of one Lettice Widders, at High Leigh, and stolen there-
from 50 sovereigns, her moneys. This burglary, as will appear
by the evidence, was of the most atrocious desc-iption, per-
petrated in the middle of the night by armed men, with
blackened faces, under circumstances of almost unparalleled
atrocity.
The Attorisey- General, with whom was Mr. Trafford, ap-
peared for the prosecution ; Mr. Temple conducted the de-
fence for the prisoners Richard and Joseph Holbrook, and Mr.
Yardley appeared for the prisoner Riley.
The ATTORNEY.-GENERAL, in stating the case, said, the
prosecutrix was a widow, of the name of Lettice Widders, who
lived at High Leigh. On the night of the 14th of October
last her house was burglariously entered by persons armed with
pistols, who on being surprised by the inmates had used threats
and intimidations of a fearful nature, such as would be detailed
by the evidence which he was about to call. In endeavouring
to affix the guilt to the parties concerned, the prosecutor had
been obliged to resort to the evidence of one of the prisoners'
accomplices as an approver. Of course, it woufd be unneces-
sary to say, from the character of that witness, that his testi•
mony should be received with caution, he being, as would be
elicited, no doubt, by the cross-examination, a confirmed thief.
Lettice Widders, the prosecutrix, was then calted, and she
deposed that she lived at High Leigh, and when she went to
bed on the night in question, she left the house perfectly secure.
About one or two o'clock in the morning she was awoke by a
noise in the buttery. The prisoners, when they were disco-
vered, called out for their pistols, which they then presented to
me and my servant-man. My man fled from the prisoners, but
found they had fastened the front door outside. The thieves had
effected an entrance by taking out a window, and then had
burst open the door of the buttery, and entered the room where
the witness was. The witness continued—They had all black-
ened faces, and they said, "Do you know us?" They then
asked for money, and I said I had not got any. They said
they knew me of old, and I had got some. They said they
would shoot us, and my man, being much frightened, said he
had got nine sovereigns up stairs, and he would give them to
them. Two of the men then went up stairs with him, and the
other two remained down stairs with me. One of the men
began to break the locks of the drawers, and to destroy. my
goods with a poker. They found my money, which was In a
box, and then they handed me up to bed, step by step. They
took and ate even a few apples there were. (The witness, who
was somewhat advanced in years, at this part of the recital,
lost all self-composure, and repeatedly railed with indignation
at the prisoners at the bar for the injuries she had received.
The Learned Judge recommended her to avoid unnecessary
excitement, when the evidence was continued.) I remained in
bed until the robbers had left, and my money was taken away.
Cross-examined by Mr. TEMPLE—I became exceedingly
alarmed. I really could not tell from fright what happened.
By Mr. YARDLEY.-4 cannot say I knew any of the prison-
ers at that time.
Peter Street examined—Was servant to the last witness.
Remembered the night in question when the house was broken
open. Was awoke between one and two o'clock by a noise in
the buttery. Looked through the roof, and saw men with
blackened faces ; asked them what they were doing there, when
they pointed their pistols to the place whence his voice pro-
' ceeded. He then put the slate on the hole whence he was
looking. He went down stairs and tried the front door, but
found it fastened on the outside. As soon as he got to the
door, he turned his head round, and saw the men following
him. They said, if he did not sit down and be quiet, they
would blow his brains out. They asked him if he had any
money, and he replied " No." They told him if he did not im-
mediately deliver what he had, they would shoot him. They
asked his mistress for her money also, and whether he or his
mistress knew them. They said they did not. They brought
down a sickle afterwards. Their faces were blackened all over.
Two of the men went up stairs with him into the bed-room.
They took 91. from him. He did not know any of them at
that time. He had seen one of them since the robbery ; it
was Kerfoot, the approver. As soon as he saw him, he said
he was one. There were two sickles in the bed-room. One was
brought down and put into the fire. His mistress asked them
what that was for, when one of them took out the sickle, and
shook it over his mistress's head. It appeared very hot. He
saw them take the money out of his mistress's box. They
afterwards broke open some drawers and a desk. They got
hold of some silver spoons, and one of them said, " Put them
down, they are marked." One of them made a prayer upon
his knees, and said, " There, we shall do now; we will not
come again this year, but shall the next;" and said, while on
his knees, " The Lord have mercy on Tour two souls." A
handful of ashes was then thrown into his eye's. When they
went away, they told him what he had terAkiect if he offered
any alarm or resistance; that they would leave two men at the
door with the pistols, who would turn upon them and kill
them both.
Ralph Kerfoot, the approver, was then sworn, and said—l
know the prisoners at the bars I have known the Holbrooks
from children, and Riley about five years. I went with them
on the 14th of October from a public-house in Bridge-street,
soon after nine o'clock. John, Joseph, and Richard Holbrook,
and Thomas Riley, started with me to go to High Leigh. We
went to a house that John Holbrook had arranged to rob. We
arrived about eleven o'clock at the house where Mrs. Widders
lives, and they then consulted which was the best way to enter.
We entered by a small window at the back of the house.
After that we fastened the door of the adjoining house with a
cord, and, as I think, a thick stick. Riley then fastened the
front door of Mrs. Widders' house. We then blacked our
faces with some blacking which we had bought. John Hol-
brook came to us, and said somebody was going by, so that
we desisted for a little time. Riley then, who had a chisel,
struck out a pane of glass, and wrenched the window open.
We broke some iron bars which were across the window.
Riley got in first, myself next, and then the Holbrooks.
John Holbrook remained outside to watch. Riley made a
great noise by jumping upon a mug, which awoke Mrs.
Widders. The man above said " Where's my gun ?" There
was a hole in the room floor, and I thought some one was going
to shoot down. We cried out " Get your pistols ready."
They then broke open the door into the house, and found Mrs.
Widders and the servant trying to make their escape from the
front door: We went to them, and demanded their money.
They at first said they had none, but we said we knew they
had, and we were determined to have it. At that time Riley
put a sickle into the fire which he had found. Joseph Holbrook
and Riley then broke open the drawers. I then took the sickle
out of the fire. Riley then went up to the old woman and
said, that if she did not find the money in two minutes he
would blow her brains out. We had two pistols, but Ido not
know whether they were loaded or not. Joseph Holbrook gave
me the pistol when be went up stairs to open the drawers. The
servant then said he had a trifle, and Richard Holbrook and
Riley went up stairs with him, leaving myself and Joseph down
stairs. We then all went up. I discovered a box, and went
round and pulled it out from under the bed. Riley broke
open the box, and found a purse with 42 sovereigns, 41. or 51.
in silver, and a watch. Some silver spoons, also, which I had
in my hand, I was told by them to put down, as they were
marked. Riley went down stairs, and returned with some
ashes, knelt down, and, as I understood him, said, " May the
Lord have mercy on your souls," and then threw the ashes to-
wards the young man's face, and said, " Come, now we shall
do." We went down stairs, and struck off for the direction of
the river, and then divided the money, and each received his
share, some 101. and a few shillings each. Riley threw the
watch into the river. We then kund a boat moored on the
river, which we took, and passed over to the Lancashire side of
the river. The three Holbrooks went towards home. Riley
and myself went to Manchester. The dark lantern was pur-
chased by John and Richard Holbrook. I gave Joseph 91. 14s.
of my money, because I was going home, and was afraid of my
wife seeing it. Joseph Holbrook told me that he had thrown
my money into the river. He told me, also, that he had given
it to his wife, hut when in Bridewell he said he had thrown it
into the river.
Cross-examined by Mr. TEMPLE—I did not keep my share
of the money. I was taken up on the 22d of October. I was
tired of the line of life I was leading, that was the reason why
I turned approver. I thought it would be a means of breaking
us up. I was never in gaol before, or ever caught. I have
a very good-will towards the prisoners. I have never quar-
relled with any of them.
By Mr. YARDLEY.—I am a power-loom weaver by trade.
I have not done an honest day's work these three months. I
have been concerned in four burglaries, and one attempt. I
cannot recollect whether I have been concerned in any high-
way robberies, or other offences.
Mary Houghtoa deposed to selling a dark-lantern to two
men on the day in question, but could not identify them.
Mary Gibbons examined—l keep a shop at Lutchford, and
sold some blacking on the 14th of October, a half-penny
worth, to a man of the name of Thomas Riley.
Cross-examined by Mr. YARDLEY—I will swear solemnly
that the prisoner Riley is the man.
William Walton, the owner of a boat on the river, de-
posed to finding his boat on the Lancashire, instead of the
Cheshire, side of the river, where he had moored it.
John Yates knew K erfoot, and saw him with Riley in Man-
chester the morning after the robbery, and thought from their
looks that they had been up all night.
James Irwin, a constable, arrested Richard Holbrook. Went
to his father's, and found two pieces of cord, which corre-
sponded with that with which the doors of Mrs. Widders' and
the adjoining house had been fastened.
James Jones, a deputy-constable it Warringten, on being
sworn, said—l apprehended Kerfoot and Riley. The prisoner
Riley said he had not been in Warrington since 1839, nor bad
he seen Kerfoot for five months. Riley said in my hearing
that he would not mind giving 101. to somebody who could
pull them through the job. Riley said to me, as I was con-
veying him along, " Well, Jones, what is your opinion? had
we better not plead guilty ?' It is a good job we are stopped,
for had we gone on much longer, murder would have been
the result. It has been suggested by one of our party that
we should strike parties on the temple, so as to make them
insensible."
David Willis, policeman, on his examination said—The two
Holbrooks admitted to me that they had done the High Leigh
robbery. The evidence given by this witness in every respect
corroborated the evidence of Jones as to the confession of the
prisoner Riley.
This was the case for the prosecution.
Mr. TEMPLE, for the prisoners Holbrook, laboured hard to
prove an alibi.
Witnesses were called, but they did not at all strengthen the
defence.
Mr. YARDLEY also addressed the jury for the prisoner
Riley, after which
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL replied.
The Learned JUDGE summed the case up very elaborately,
recapitulating most minutely the evidence that had been of-
fered, when
The jury returned a verdict of Guilty.
The Learned Jonas after commenting upon the heinousness
of the offence, sentenced them to be severally transported for
eighteen years.
John Dekenin was indicted for an abominable offence.
The evidence was of such a disgusting nature as to preclude
to possibility of publication.—He was acquitted.

BATTLE WITH A BEAR.—The following skirmish
actually occurred with two men and : a huge black bea
ont.r
a few weeks since, in the town of Sandgate, Verm
The inhabitants of said town had quite a number of their
sheep killed, as they supposed, by foxes : and one Mr. Sher-
man another person, took their guns and their dogs and went
in pursuit of the sheep-slayers. They had been out but a
short time ere they saw a bear's track. The dogs were im-
mediately put on the chase, and but a few moments elapsed
before they were heard to bark. Mr. Sherman and his friend
pursued in the direction of the alarm in "hot haste," and in a
short time they were in the presence of a large black bear,
sitting on his hind legs, feeling no doubt annoyed at their
presence, and the saucy dogs. Now came the tug of war. Mr.
Sherman snapped his gun at the bear, several times, but it did
not fire. The bear supposing they were poking fun at him,
made towards them, determined on revenge. He came
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it exploded, tearing off the bear's under jaw. The other man
fired his gun at the bear, killing him instantly. Thus ended
the fearful combat with the hear. He weighed about 4001 b.
This makes the fifth bear that has been killed at Sandgate
within a few weeks.— Washington Co. (Vt.) Post.
The Toulouse journals of Saturday remark that
that town had been for 18 days in a continued fog, while Mar-
seilles and its environs had enjoyed an equal duration of fine
clear weather.