1910 : Who is Brown alias Pluckrose?

Source:  Central Criminal Court Session Paper
Date: 6 December 1910
Place: London

BEFORE THE COMMON SERJEANT

 

CREASY, Charles Alfred (56, publican), MILLER, John (23, salesman), Brown,James (22, newsvendor), HARRIS, George (22, tailor), SMITH, Robert (22, greengrocer), and COOK, Sidney (19, florist) , unlawfully possessing counterfeit coin with intent to utter the same.

Brown pleaded guilty

Mr. Beaumont Morice prosecuted. Mr. Purcell defended Creasy; Mr. Crawford defended Miller; Mr. Daniel Warde defended Smith.

Police-sergeant ALFRED HANDLEY.  Medical evidence having been given of this witness's inability to attend, his deposition at the Old Street Police Court on November 7, 1910, was read as follows: "During the past week observation has been kept on the 'Pitt's Head' public house, Pott Street, Bethnal Green, of which Creasy is the licensee. During that time I had seen Brown, whom I know as 'Pluckrose,' enter and leave with a bicycle soon after 3 p.m. on Saturday with Inspector Divall and other officers. I saw Brown ride a bicycle down the street and take that into the 'Pitt's Head.' We entered soon after. In the bar in the taproom were several working men. I entered the bagatelle room in the rear, followed by other officers, where I found Miller, Brown, Harris, and Cook. I said to them, 'We are police officers.' Harris at once ran into a corner of the room near a window. Cook ran to the fireplace. I saw him put his hand in his jacket pocket and then put it behind him. I arrested Miller. I saw Sergeant Wright pick up a number of coins from the bagatelle table and the floor. I handed Miller to another officer and went to the spot where I had seen Cook fumble in his pocket. On the floor there I found a small packet wrapped in newspaper. It contained 25 counterfeit florins, 17 dated 1901, two dated 1907 and six dated 1909. I went to Cook, who was in charge of another officer, and said, 'This is what you ran over to the fireplace for", holding out the packet. He made no reply. I saw Creasy behind the bar. Inspector Divall said to him, 'I want to search your cellar, as I have arrested a number of men found in possession of counterfeit coin in your bagatelle room, and I have good reason to believe this has been going on for some time to your knowledge.' Creasy said to me, 'Handley, what do you want to go down there for?  There is nothing there. I am the only person that goes into it. I keep the door locked and carry the keys,' He unlocked the padlock of the cellar door. Inspector Divall, Wright, and I accompanied him into the cellar and searched it. I saw Wright find a small newspaper parcel beside one of the barrels which was opened in Creasy's presence and contained 25 florins. I said, 'Creasy, you say you are the only person who uses this place and that you keep the keys of the door. How do you account for these coins being here?' He said, 'My potman must have put them there.' On a further search I found on a beam wrapped in coloured paper one counterfeit florin dated 1907. I showed it to Creasy. He said, 'I cannot say how it got there.' Prisoners were taken to the station and charged. None of them made any reply.

Cross-examined for Creasy.  The bagatelle room is right away from the bar and cannot be seen into from the bar. None but Miller, Brown, Harris, and Cook were in the bagatelle room. Creasy was not asked who used the cellar. Creasy said we could search where we liked. When we were in the cellar it took us five minutes to find the coins. They were not well hidden. They were beside a barrel. Creasy's potman is Pluckrose, the father of the prisoner Brown. The man called Beam I found after the other prisoners had gone. Creasy said he had held 16 licenses, and only had been at that house two months. He is a man of good character. The house was thoroughly searched and nothing else was found. "Cross-examined for Harris. No bagatelle was being played in the room. You had your overcoat and hat on."

Cross-examined for Creasy.  I have noticed workmen about the 'Pitt's Head.' They were outside on ladders and were thoroughly doing it up. There are two cellars—a spirit cellar and a beer cellar. Both were locked. One door leads to both. I am certain that the door was locked. The door leading to the spirit cellar was also locked. Nothing was found in there. When Creasy made the remark, 'No one goes in there but myself,' he did not specify which cellar he referred to.

Cross-examined for Miller.   The bagatelle room is a public room. Everyone in the room when we entered was arrested. You can reach the lavatory by going through that room. Miller did not come back into the room, but just after we entered he was searched, and he had 10s. in gold, 10s. in silver, 1 1/2 d. in bronze on him, good money. "Cross-examined for Brown. You did not say you put the coins in the cellar." "Brown says, 'I put the coins in the cellar.,"

Police-constable GEORGE WRIGHT.  About 3.45 p.m. on November 5 with about 15 other officers and I went to the "Pitt's Head." Sergeant Handley and I went to the bagatelle room at the back of the building. I there saw Miller, Harris, Cook, and Brown. Immediately Handley said "We are police officers" there was a stampede. Harris ran towards a window in the corner of the room and Cook towards the fireplace near the skittle table, both fumbling in their pockets. I saw Cook drop a piece of paper behind his back; as he got there he turned round quickly and dropped it. Miller walked some distance up the side of the bagatelle table, took his left hand from his coat pocket and dropped a number of coins in a piece of paper very quickly on the table. He then walked a little way away and threw some other coins on the floor. I spoke to Handley and he caught hold of him. I went to the table where he had dropped the coins and found 16 florins dated 1901, eight dated 1907, and seven dated 1909; five of these were on the floor. I found no bad money upon him. He said, "I only just got them from him (indicating Brown) when you came in. I have had nothing to do with the making of them." I then searched Brown and upon him I found in various pockets 31 coins altogether, consisting of one crown dated 1890, 27 florins dated 1901, and three florins dated 1909. He said, "I am done. These fellows buy them off me. We do not make them. I bring them here. That is all I have got on me. I had 18 quids, worth altogether. I know what it means for me. I do not get much out of it. I pay 5s. for £1's worth and sell them at 6s. 6d." All the prisoners except Creasy were present when he made this statement. They said nothing. (Witness corroborated the evidence given by Handley as to the interview with Creasy and the subsequent searching of the cellar.)

Cross-examined by Mr. Purcell.  I believe there was a van delivering beer before we raided this house. Creasy did not say that his potman went down to his cellar to clear up and had just gone down to see to some barrels of beer being put in; he distinctly said that no other person but himself went down there.

Cross-examined by Mr. Crawford.  I found some good money, I think, in Miller's right-hand trousers pocket. He took the coins wrapped in paper from his left-hand overcoat pocket and put his other hand into his right hand trousers pocket. The bagatelle room was public. The only entrance to it was the door we went in by. There were, with prisoners, eight of us altogether in the room, which was not very large. There was a scuffle, but it was not difficult to make detailed observations. I did not caution Miller. I wrote down what he said three-quarters of an hour afterwards. He took the five florins that I found on the floor from his right-hand trousers pocket, in which I found 1 1/2 d. in good money. He had also a half-sovereign and 10s. in silver in, I think, his left-hand trousers' pocket.

Cross-examined by Harris.  All you four were close together when we came in.

Cross-examined by Mr. Warde.   There were 14 or 16 other men besides prisoners on the premises; they were ordinary customers. There was a good deal of confusion when we entered and shut the doors.

Cross-examined by Cook.   You had plenty of opportunity to drop anything before you were arrested. You stood with the rest at the bottom end of the table.

Detective FREDERICK COBLEY, J Division.  From 2 to 4.30 p.m. on October 29 I kept observation on the "Pitt's Head." I saw certain prisoners enter. Brown was one of them. On October 3 I watched from 11. a.m. to 4.30 p.m., when I saw 21 strangers to the district enter the door of the bar that leads into the bagatelle room; they would have to go through a bar and the taproom to get there. Brown came on his bicycle and I also saw Harris and Cook enter. On November 1 I watched from 2 till 4,30 p.m., when I saw 18 enter the same door. Brown came again with his bicycle. Smith entered at 3.34 and came out at 3.46 p.m. Shortly before 4 p.m. on November 5 I with other officers rushed into the bar that leads to the bagatelle room and I shut the door and stopped there. I heard a rushing sound and then I saw Smith run from the private part of the House by the side of the taproom into the back of the bar. I said to him, "What are you running away for?" He made no reply and ran into the taproom, where there were seven or eight others. I ran to meet him and he sat down in the seat just as I went through the door. I caught hold of him and he said, "I did not like being found here when you people came in." I took him into the bagatelle room and on searching him found in his right waistcoat pocket three counterfeit florins dated 1909, wrapped in tissue paper. He said, "You must have put them there." I also found sixpence in silver and three pennies in his left waistcoat pocket. He then said, "I did not know they were in my pocket. Somebody must have put them there." That was not true. When charged he made no reply.

To Mr. Purcell.   At the end of the bar into which these men went there are some steps which lead up to a taproom, at the side of which is a passage. On the other side of the passage is the bar parlour. The passage leads to the back, but that is not what I mean by the private part of the house. He came from the bar parlour; that is where I first saw him.

To Mr. Crawford.  I did not see Miller on any of the days I kept observation.

To Mr. Warde.  All the people in the taproom were searched, but none arrested. Orders were given for everybody found in the house to be searched. Smith was not sitting in the taproom smoking and I did not call him out. Quite a lot of people were trying to hide money and there was a state of confusion. I should not think it would be possible for money to have been slipped into Smith's pocket without his knowing it.

Re-examined.  I am quite clear that Smith came through the bar parlour, the private part of the house, into the inside bar. I could not see where he had come from.

Sergeant JOHN COURSE, J Division.  I was with the officers who made this raid on November 5. I saw Sergeant Edwards arrest Harris, who was standing against a little table in the corner of the bagatelle room. He led him towards a skittle table. On the table by which Harris had been standing I saw a parcel. Whilst I was picking it up Cook, who was standing against the fireplace, went to the other corner of the room. I went to him and asked him what he had got about him. He said, "I've got no bad money, Mr. Course. I was playing bagatelle." I searched him and found 10s. in silver and 8 1/2 d. bronze, good money, three penny packets of cigarettes, and a pocket-book in which the name "G. Harris" was written in several places. I said, "Do you wish to give any information about having all these cigarettes?" He said, "I bought them all at one shop in Dalston this morning." I said, "Where is the shop?" and he said, "I forget." Pointing to the money which I had placed on the table he said, "That's my own money. My mother gave it to me at one o'clock to-day to get my overcoat out of pawn." I said, "But you have not been near your mother for some time." He made no reply. I then said, "You heard what Sergeant Handley said about that parcel he found near the fireplace where you were standing?" and he said, "Yes, I did. "On November 15 he, Harris, and Miller were identified by Garforth, of the "Holly Tree" public-house, Dalston Road, as having uttered a counterfeit florin. Miller said, "Let the man have another look. I am sure he has made a mistake. I have never been there in my life." I then said to Cook, "I have made inquiries from your father and mother. They state you have not received any money from them; that you have not been home for about five weeks, and that you did not receive any money from them on the 19th of last month." He said, "That is quite right. It is all lies that I have told you. When I get over this I will never go wrong again." On examining the parcel I found on the table on the 5th I found it contained 18 counterfeit florins dated 1901 and two dated 1907, separately wrapped in tissue paper.

To Mr. Crawford.  Miller was not identified as having actually uttered the coin.

To Cook.   One of the packets contained three cigarettes, one four, and the other two. They are sold in packets of five. I saw your parents the same night as I arrested you. They were not excited.

Sergeant WRIGHT (recalled)  produced and proved a plan of the premises.

Detective JAMES WOOD, J Division.  On the afternoon of November 5 I kept observation on these premises. At 2.20 Smith entered the door of the bar which leads to the bagatelle room. At 3.5 Brown, with a bicycle, at 3.20 Harris and Cook, and at 3.25 Miller came up and went through that same door. I left at 3.30. Shortly before 4 I went in with the other officers and saw all prisoners arrested. I assisted to take them to the station.

WILLIAM JAMES GARFORTH , licensee, "Holly Tree" public house, Islington.  About 8.30 p.m. on October 19 Miller, Harris, and Clayton (or Cook) came in and were served with beer. Cook tendered a florin which I saw my potman break into two pieces with his teeth. He handed it to me and I asked Cook where he had got it from and if he had any more. He said he got it from his father, Mr. Clayton, a florist, of Dalston Lane. "You know Jack Clayton?" I said, "Yes." He said, "Well, that is my father and I work for him." He paid for the drinks with a good coin. These are the broken pieces. (Exhibit 8.) I attended at the police court on November 15 when I identified prisoners.

To Mr. Crawford.  Miller did not ask me to look again saying that I had made a mistake. The police did not ask me to look at him again. I had never seen him at my beerhouse before. I identified him without hesitation.

HARRIS.  "I went into this place with Cook and another man, not this man here (Miller)."

COOK.  "I admit going into the public house, but I did not know the coin was bad."

Inspector HARRY LAWRENE, J Division.  At 9 p.m. on October 19 Garforth handed me a counterfeit florin in two pieces. He made a statement to me.

Sergeant JAMES EDWARDS (C.I.D.).   About 4 p.m. on November 5 I went with other officers to these premises. When I went into the bagatelle room I arrested Harris, who was standing against a long narrow table near the window. I said, "I am going to search you," and he said, "You will find no 'snide' on me." I took him to the little skittle table, which is between the window and the fireplace. I turned out the contents of his pockets and found 4s. 6d. in silver and 10 1/2 d. bronze in good money, four 1d. packets of cigarettes and one 2d. packet, two 1d. packets of Peter's chocolate, a packet containing some cachous, and a match box which also contained some. He said, "I was playing bagatelle," and I told him he was not. He said, "Well, I came in here to have a game." I took him to the Bethnal Green Police Station. He gave his address as "Rowton House, Charing Cross," which he afterwards altered to King's Cross. I told him I would make inquiries, and he said, "I will tell you the truth. I live in a 'kip' house (common lodging house) at Balls Pond Road—it is No. 36. You ask for 'Dido'—that is the name they know me by there," I asked him where he had bought the cigarettes and chocolate, and he said, "At Kingsland." I asked him what part, and he said, "At a barber's in Kingsland Road." Kingsland Road is about three miles long. He said I would have to find out where it was and laughed.

To Harris.  When I first saw you your hands were behind your back. You had your hat, coat, and gloves on and were not playing bagatelle at all. I did not see anything in your hand.

WILLIAM JOHN WEBSTER , Inspector of Coins, H.M. Mint.   I have examined 135 florins and one crown and one broken florin and found them all to be bad; they were handed to me by Detective-sergeant Handley. All the coins of one date seem to come from the same mould. I could not possibly go through all of them, so there may be exceptions. They are all fairly well made.

(Defence.)

CHARLES ALBERT CREASY (prisoner, on oath).  I have been in business for 25 years as a licensed victualler. My character has been inquired into by the police when my licenses have been transferred or renewed and no question has ever been raised. I have been at the "Pitt's Head" a little over two months. Brown is the son of a potman I had there named Pluckrose. He had gone for his rest on the day of the raid. At 2 p.m. he was superintending two barrels of beer being put in the beer cellar, which was never kept locked. Access was gained to it by a door leading from the passage; I had to go downstairs. From the cellar you get into the spirit cellar by a door which I always kept locked and of which I kept the key. It was the spirit cellar door that I was referring to when I told Sergeant Handley I always kept the cellar locked and kept the key. Nobody had access to it but myself. My potman was in and out of the beer cellar all day long. I told the police they could look where they liked for counterfeit coin and they did so. I did not know there was any in the beer cellar. When serving in the bar you cannot see into the bagatelle room.

Cross-examined.  I did not see anything of the stampede that took place when the police arrived; I heard it. Smith has never been in the bar parlour in his life. I never saw him running at all on this day. I did not say to Handley, "What do you want to go down there for?" when he said he wanted to search the cellar. There was nothing said about spirit cellar, but that is what I was referring to. The passage door of the beer cellar was secured by a padlock, but this was broken and was never locked; I took it off and showed the officers down. I did not take a key out of my pocket to unlock it. When shown the coin I said that I did not put it there and that only the potman and myself were there. It was while in the beer cellar that I said I always kept the door locked and kept the key myself and it was after they found the coin I unlocked the spirit cellar door. I said the potman must have put them there. Re-examined. When Handley was giving evidence at the police court Brown said, "I put the money into Creasy's cellar unbeknown to him." I had seen him in there once or twice and I cautioned his father about it. He said he was only showing him some cellar work. When Cobley saw Smith he might have come from the passage which leads to the bagatelle room.

To the Court.  Smith called on this day to bring me a business wire.

ROBERT MARSHALL , solicitor, 83, Bishopsgate Street Without, and WILLIAM PERCIVAL DUNNETT, of Abbey and Co., auctioneers and surveyors, Bishopsgate Street Without, gave evidence as to character.

ROBERT SMITH (prisoner, on oath), greengrocer, 210, Brick Lane.  On this day I went with some information as to a horse I got from a Pizzy's wire, which I had been in the habit of doing. I had in my pocket 6d. in silver and 4d. in bronze. I saw Creasy and bought a glass of ale. As I had nothing to do for an hour I sat down in the taproom, where some other men were sitting. I had been in there half an hour when I heard shuffling in the bar. I went to open the door to see what it was when one of the detectives opened it from the outside and told all of us to sit down. I did so. He then ran into the bagatelle room. I was not in the bar parlour or behind the bar when he saw me. He returned and called me into the bagatelle room, where he searched me. When he found the three florins wrapped up paper I said, "Don't be wicked, for you know very well you have not taken them out of my pocket." He said, "We don't do anything of the kind." I was excited at the time. No charge has ever been brought against me before. I do not suggest that he put them there, but I have no knowledge as to how they got there. I left school with seven years' good character.

Cross-examined.  I have known Creasy about two months, and have given him sporting tips nearly every day. I always used to tell him them over the bar. I did not go to the bagatelle room nor the lavatory at all that day until the detective called me in. I was not running quickly into the inner bar when he saw me.) Cobley asked me why I was running or something to that effect; I suppose he thought I was. He never caught hold of my arm when he saw me, and I did not say, "I don't like being found here when you people come in," or anything like it. I did not say when he found the coins that somebody must have put them there, and I do not withdraw that. I said nothing when charged, I was too upset. I did not know what to say. I did not know that I was entitled to say anything.

GEORGE CROWTHER, greengrocer, Granby Street, Bethnal Green; ALFRED SALMON, butcher, 212, Brick Lane, and WILLIAM LARA, greengrocer, 153, Brick Lane, gave evidence as to character.

CHARLES ALFRED CREASY (prisoner, recalled. To the jury). Pluckrose had been in my employment about nine months before this. He went away on the day of the raid, and I have not seen him since.

Mr. Crawford called no evidence on Miller's behalf. 

GEORGE HARRIS (prisoner, not on oath). I leave it to the jury to bring in their verdict.

SIDNEY COOK (prisoner, not on oath).  All that I can say is that I am innocent of this charge. I am charged with being in possession of counterfeit coin because I am found near them.

Verdict, Miller, Harris, and Cook, Guilty; Creasy and Smith Not Guilty. The jury added that Creasy should use more discretion in the future in the supervision of his premises.

Sentences (December 10), Miller, one previous conviction for larceny in 1908 was proved against him. It was stated that there was no doubt that he had been engaged in uttering counterfeit coin since August, 1909, 12 months, hard labour; Brown, one previous conviction for larceny in February, 1909, was proved against him. For many months past it appeared that he had been in the service of makers of counterfeit coin, Nine months' hard labour; Harris, up to 12 months ago he was a respectable lad, but since that time he had been associating with bad characters and passing counterfeit coin, Six months' hard labour. Cook, who had evidently been influenced by his associates, was released on his own and his father's recognizance's in £20 each to come up for judgment if called upon.

A trawl through the 1901 census suggests that the 'potman' could be Frank Pluckrose (PL1349 in Tree 1006), and his son "James Brown" would be James John Pluckrose (PL1371) who was born in Bethnal Green in 1891.  Frank was certainly in the "pub" business over the years.   According to Henry Pluckrose (his grandson), he was an itinerant 'rag and bone man' and 'jack of all trades' who scratched a living wherever he could.  James John Pluckrose alias Brown was not with his family at the time of the 1911 census.

 

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