The Warwickshire Herald. — 1899-11-30 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

NOTORIOUS BURGLARS' GANG BROKEN UP.  At the Middlesex Sessions, Clerkenwell, Arthur Eade, forty-six, carpenter; Cl arles Clare, thirtythree, painter; and George Godfiey, fifty-one, labourer, wei e charged with being concerned together in breaking and entering a number of houses at Wood Green, and stealing therein property of the value of about £350. Godfrey and his wife were charged with receiving stolen property. The police, from observations, came to the conclusion that Godfrey, who kept a china shop at Trinity-street, Islington, WBB receiving stolen goods, and when the (,odfre)s were arrested, and the place searched a large quantity of property was found, and it took several vans to get the goods to the police-station. Sergeant Powell then proceeded to the lodgings of Clare and arie,ted him, as he was preparing to decamp. When the officer went to Eade, who was in bed, and arrested him, he was sleeping on a loaded *evolver, and but for the fact that lie was surprised he would probably have made a desperate attempt to escape. Toe property seized ccmprised plate, jewehery, watches, bicycles, clothing, curtains, table-covers, clocks, a complete net of Maundy money, tools and apparatus for making counterf it coin, Etc., the whole worth about £2,000. The gang consisted of nine men, who worked in sections in different parts of London. It is known that on one day they committed sir; burglaries at Chingford. The modus typerandi with tie Sr men was that Godfrey, who had a cart, would rive them out to the suburbs, and they would "spot" a h use, force an entry, and then Godfrey would drive up and remove the property. In one of the cases now charged bank-notes to the value of £BO were stolen, and these were changed by Sarti and were the cause of his committing suicide. The man who took the notes to him is now in custody. In five cases at Wood-gresn over £2OO in hard cash was taken.— The male prisoners pleaded guilty, the two firstnamel to hou-ebreaking, and the latter to receiving; but Mrs. Godfrey pleaded not guilty, and no evidence was offered, and she was discharged.— Warder Cook proved many convictions against Eade and Clare.—Nothing was known against Godfrey. —Mr. Purcell, for Godfrey, pleaded that this was the first offence, that he was an old man, and that he gave the police valuable information. Mr. Leycester, for the other men, made a strong appeal on their behalf.—D.tective-inapector Morley said these men were part of a gang of nine who had been committing burglaries all over the suburbs, and they had altogether been able to get seven of them. Out of the property seized they had evidence of forty burglaries, and there was a large quantity which had nut been identified.—Mr. Littler postponed sentence on Godfrey, who during the remand has been in the infirmary. in dealing with the others he said they had never had so bad a case as this of a persistent and deliberate carrying on a trade of this nature. This was a regular systeta,l and the court were determined to protect the public. Eade and Clare must go to penal servitude for ten years.—As the men were being removed Clare knocked Godfrey down in the dock with a violent blow in the fare. Later in the day Godfrey was put in the dock again and sent to penal servitude for eight years. Clare was put up for the assault on Godfrey, and said but for his having bought the tools for him he would never have been a burglar.—Mr. Littler said It was a serious offence. but as he had expressed sorrow he would not be further punished.  Moo: 1 moot soofipt yon, Vaptata Indeed,. juilM wont I moult not accept tit« Ip.st was : Really Wall at lowa 3ron' hove 5.1,0 estiofootioa of knoolog that bob.. offartl rl • IL