The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-03-29 00:00:00

HIGHWAY ROBBERY IN HAIGH PARK

James Nelson (281, Joseph Nelson (34), and Thomas
Lather': (26), were charged with having, at Haigh, fe-
loniously and violently assaulted Mrs. Alice Woodcock,
putting her in bodily tear, and stealing from her person a
gold watch, chain and key, and one gold pencil case. The
two prisoners Nelson were charged with stealing the
articles from the prosecutrix, and Lathom was charged
with receiving the same, knowing them to be stolen.
Mr. Monk and Mr. Ovens conducted the case on the
part of the prosecution. Mr. Tyndal Atkinson defended
the two Nelsons. Lathom was undefended.

It appeared from the case, on behalf of the pro-
secution, that on the 31st of July last, about twelve
o'clock at noon. the prosecutrix, Mrs. Woodcock, who
is the wife of Mr. John Woodcock. banker, of
the Elms, Wigan, was walking among the plantations
in the grounds at Haigh-hall, near Wigan, the seat of the
Earl of Balcarres, when the prisoner, James Nelson, who
is one of the Earl of Balcarres' gamekeepers, came across
on to the carriage drive, as it intending to meet her.
The prosecutrix, on seeing the prisoner, who apparently
had nothing more on than a long shirt, turned back,.and
in a few moments afterwards the prisoner took s round
and again met her. On coming up to prosecutrix, he de-
manded her to take her chain off her neck and give it to
him. She replied, "Do not take it from me, or you will
be taken up." Prisoner replied, " Oh, never mind
about that, give me what you have ;" and he then
took from her her watch, chain, and seal, and the
pencil case. The prisoner and Joseph Nelson were
immediately afterwards seen by several parties running
away from the direction in which the robbery was com-
mitted. A reward of £lOO was afterwards offered for the
discovery of the parties, £5O by the Earl of Balcarres, and
£5O by Mr. Woodcock. The prisoner Latham was sub-
sequently taken into custody, charged with being con.
cerned in the robbery, and on being apprehended he told
the police-officers that tha prisoner Nelson robbed the
prosecutrix, and afterwards gave the proceeds to him,
telling him to take them to Liverpool and sell them. lie
did so, but did not see the Nelsons any more, having got
on the spree in Liverpool, after he had sold the watch and
the other articles to a Mr. Abraham, a watchmaker, in
Oldhall-street, in this town. On this the police went to
Mr. Abraham's, and ultimately discovered that he had
purchased the property.
Mrs. Woodcock, the prosecutrix, and several other wit-
nesses, were examined in support of the foregoing state-
ment. Amongst other witnesses, Mr. Abraham, of Old-
hall-street, was also examined, and deposed to purchasing
the watch from the prisoner Latham.
In cross-examination by Mr. Atkinson, Mrs. Wood-
cock said that when the prisoner James Nelson was first
before her, a few days after the robbery was committed,
she could not speak positively as to his identity, but she
firmly believed he was the man.
Mr. Atkinson addressed the jury for the two Nelsons in
a powerful speech, confidently contending that the evi-
dence of identity against the prisoners was altogether in-
sufficient to justify a conviction, and that in all probability
the prisoner Latham had made the confession, and involved
his (Mr. Atkinson's) clients, in order to get hold of the
reward. _ _ _

His Lordship having summed up, the jury retired for
about a quarter of an hour to consider their verdict. On
their return into court they gave a verdict of acquittal in
the case of the two Nelsons, and found the prisoner
Latham guilty.
A. certificate of a previous conviction having been put
in against the prisoner, he was sentenced to fourteen
years' transportation.