THE DESBOROUGH HOUSEBREAKING CASE
The Kettering Police Court was crowded on Monday afternoon, when the
men, William Froggatt, shoehand, living in Buccleuch-street, Kettering,
and Samuel Bailey, a shoehand, of Wellingborough, were brought up in
custody, charged with breaking into the dwelling-house of Harriett
Aprice, at Desborough, on the 18th ult., and stealing therefrom a gold
watch and chain, and 35s. in cash. The magistrates present were Mr. J.
T. Stockburn (chairman) and Mr. T. Wallis.
—Mr. P. L. Rawlins prosecuted
on behalf of the police authorities, and Mr. C. Holt defended both
prisoners.
—Harriett Aprice, widow, living at Desborough, near the Angel
Inn, in High-street, stated that on Sunday evening she left her home to
go to chapel about six o'clock. She locked her doors before leaving, and
put the key of one of the passage doors into the table drawer. She gave
the key of the other drawer to her son,
John Thomas Aprice, in chapel.
When she left home that night she left from £1 15s. to £2 in silver in
her drawer, and a lady's gold watch and chain. When she got home from
chapel, the watch and chain and money were missing, and other things
were strewn about the room. One of the doors was open, and the front
door was shut. Witness afterwards gave information to the police.—By
Mr. Holt: Witness was sure she locked the doors before she went to
chapel. She did not see the prisoners at all.
—John Thomas Aprice, son
of the last witness, deposed that he accompanied his mother to chapel on
Sunday evening, March 18th, and whilst there his mother gave him the key
of the second door in the passage. On returning from chapel he let
himself into the room of the house before his mother arrived.—By Mr.
Holt: Witness only tried one door—the one leading into the kitchen. He
afterwards found a quantity of matches lying about in the parlour which
had been struck.
—William Martin, greengrocer, in the employ of his
father in Gold-street, Kettering, and who lived in Havelock-street,
stated that about two o'clock on the afternoon of the 18th March the
prisoner Froggatt came to his house and asked witness if he was going
for a walk. They left the house together, and on reaching the top of the
street the other prisoner, Bailey, joined them. They first went and had
a drink, and they then went to Rushton, and afterwards went to Mr.
Dines', at the Angel Hotel, and had some refreshments. The prisoners
went out when they had been there about an hour and a half to get some
port pie. They were not gone more than ten minutes.—Pressed by Mr.
Rawlins as to the time prisoners were away, witness said he was talking
during their absence, and it might have been fifteen minutes. The men
brought back a pork pie which they said they had got from
Mrs Eales, on
the Braybrook-road. They afterwards went on to Rothwell and had some
more refreshment.—By Mr. Holt: Mrs. Eales' house was in the opposite
direction to Mrs. Aprice's, and it would be impossible from the
prisoners to have gone to both places in the time they were
absent.—Re-examined by Mr. Rawlins: Froggatt treated two women with
port wine after they got back.
—Florence Shatford, a little girl living
near Mrs. Aprice's, at Desborough, deposed that on the evening of the
18th ult. she was in the back yard belonging to her father's house. She
could see Mrs. Aprice's back door from the yard. She saw the prisoner
Froggatt in the yard near the closet. She did not see anyone else.
Prisoner stared at her and frightened her away. He afterwards went up
the street. She did not see him strike any matches.—By Mr. Holt: She
was certain prisoner was the man.
—Clara Hull, wife of William Hull, a
bricklayer, living in Lower-street, Desborough, deposed that about 7.30
in Sunday evening, the 18th ult., she went up High-street to meet her
daughter. She passed Mrs. Aprice's shop, and when she first passed there
was no light there. Witness stood opposite the shop, and she notices a
tall man standing inside the shop door, which was open. The prisoner
Froggatt was the man. Witness then saw a light in the shop. Witness
re-passed the shop, and when she turned round prisoner was looking out
of the doorway. Prisoner was still at the door when witness went
away.
—Jane Dines, wife of Joseph Henry Dines, landlord of the Angel
Inn, Desborough, deposed that the prisoners and the witness Martin came
to her house on the evening of the 18th ult. The men had some bread and
cheese and some beer. She saw Froggatt leave the house about 5.45. He
came back in about an hour, and at that time he had two women with him.
Martin joined them in the passage. Froggatt paid for some port wine for
the women, and Martin also paid for some. She did not see Bailey after
they had the bread and cheese. She was quite certain Froggatt was away
an hour.—By Mr. Holt: She did not see Bailey leave the house with
Froggatt; neither did she see Froggatt bring any pork pie back.
—Bertha
Payne, machinist, living at Desborough, deposed that on the evening of
the 18th March, she and a companion named
Ruth Yeomans went into the
Angel Inn with Froggatt and Martin. They had some wine, which was paid
for by Froggatt and Martin. She saw Bailey come out of the bar parlour
and pass a little parcel to Froggatt as he went by. The parcel was about
six inches long by four inches wide, and was wrapped in paper, tied up
with string. Froggatt said, "Let's be going," and the men all went away
together. The last she saw of them was when they were standing between
the Angel Inn and Mrs. Aprice's.
—Samuel Holmes, machinist, living in
the Station-road, Desborough, stated that shortly after five o'clock on
the afternoon of the 18th ult., he was returning up the High-street from Rothwell, when the prisoners were looking at Mrs. Aprice's. He next saw
the prisoners under the gateway leading to Mrs. Aprice's back door about
seven o'clock. He thought they looked very suspicious characters.—Froggatt:
Have you a spare helmet for him, Andrews? (Laughter.)—Bailey asked
witness where the police lived, and witness told him, and left the
prisoners standing under the archway. He noticed that Bailey was wearing
a blue-striped pair of trousers. Those (produced) were the same.—By Mr.
Holt: He came to identify Bailey, and he picked him out of a number of
men at the Police Station. Witness did not see Martin at all.
—Arthur
Amos Cobb, shoe rivetter, living at Oxford-street, Wellingborough,
stated that the prisoner Samuel Bailey worked with him in the same room
at the Public Benefit Boot Company's factory. On Monday, the 19th
March (the day following the robbery), prisoner showed witness a lady's
watch—an open one, and gold colour. There was a long chain on the
watch. Witness took the chain in his hand, and saw it consisted of small
square links. Prisoner asked witness if he should like it, but witness
refused it. The same evening Froggatt came to the shop and spoke to
Bailey, and the men then went out together.
—Charles Percival, shoe rivetter, Stroud-road, Wellingborough,
stated that the prisoner Bailey worked in the same shop as witness. On
Monday, the 19th ult., witness saw prisoner with a lady's watch and
chain. Witness examined it, and gave it back to prisoner, who replaced
it in his pocket. Froggatt same to the shop the same evening and called
Bailey out. Witness had never seen prisoner with a watch before or
since.
—Supt. Andrews stated that on examining the premises he found
several burnt matches, both on the floor and on the stairs. Froggatt was
brought to the station on the following day by P.S. Marks and P.D.
Campion. Witness told Froggatt that he was suspected of breaking into
the house of Mrs. Aprice, at Desborough, on the previous night. Prisoner
replied that he was never near Mrs. Aprice's, and he did not know what
he meant. Froggatt added that he went to Desborough with William Martin,
and they got there at five o'clock in the evening. They went to Dines',
where they stayed half-an-hour, and left together, and then went home to
Kettering. He never left Martin. Witness told Froggatt that there was
another man with them, and asked him if he wished to say who it was.
Froggatt replied, "No, I shan't." Prisoner was then detained, but on the
following day he was again brought to the station and identified by the
witness Clara Hull. Witness then charged him with the offence, and he
replied, "All right." On the 24th ult. witness went to Wellingborough
and apprehended Bailey, and charged him with being concerned with
Froggatt in the robbery. Bailey said, "I was not at Desborough on
Sunday, but was in Nestfield's, at Wellingborough. I was never in
Desborough nor Rothwell, he did not know where they were. He had not
been to Kettering since the July previous." Witness told him that he had
heard he was at Desborough with Froggatt and Martin, but Bailey denied
being there, or seeing the men named. He afterwards said, "I wish I had
never seen Froggatt."
—Mr. Holt rose to reply for the defence; but the Chairman said the
Bench had quite decided that upon the evidence before them they must
send the case for trial.
—Mr. Holt contended that so far the charge of house-breaking was
concerned there was not the slightest evidence to connect Bailey with
the charge.—The evidence having been read over, the Chairman said the
Bench were quite clear as to what course they should take.
—After the charge had been read over, Froggatt preferred to make the
following statement:—On Monday, the 19th ult., I was detained at the
Police Station until 3.30. I remained out until four o'clock, and then
returned to my work at Mr. East's factory, where I remained until 6.15.
The witnesses Cobb and Percival stated that they saw me in
Wellingborough between four and five, and that I went to the prisoner's
shop, and that we both went out together. The same evening I was in
company with P.D. Campion at Kettering. I went to Desborough on Sunday
night, March 18th, with Martin and Bailey, but know nothing at all about
the affair with which I am charged.
—Bailey only pleaded that he was not guilty.
—Prisoners were then formally committed for trial to the Quarter
Sessions.
Northampton Mercury,
Friday 06 April 1894