Source: The Morning Advertiser, 20,558
7
Date: 8 May 1857
Place: London
POLICE COURTS
GUILDHALL
CHARGE OF ROBBERY. — Thomas Ramby and Edward Wilson, in the employ of Mr. Deputy Hicks, meat salesman, in Newgate-market, were placed at the bar charged with the following systematic robbery of their master, and James Pluckrose, a butcher, who had a stall in the market, was charged with receiving the property knowing it to have been stolen. Mr. Wontner, for the prosecution, stated that Ramby and Wilson had been many years in Mr. Hicks’s employ, the former as salesman, and the latter as scaleman. Mr. Hicks examined his books when making up his accounts, and discovered a large deficiency in the meat sold for which he was unable account. He applied to the two prisoners but they were equally ignorant of it. From information, however, received from a butcher of the name of Ncwbegin, in March last, to the effect that Pluckrose was supplying him with quarters of beef which had been surreptitiously obtained from Mr. Hicks’s shop, and that he never weighed them openly in the market as any honest tradesman would have done, but sent them away, and called upon Newbegin generally on the following day to ascertain the weight of the meat he had so sold him, it was determined that the system should be allowed to go on a little longer, for the purpose of getting the real thieves. Several flanks and quarters of beef were afterwards missed from Mr. Hicks’s shop, and which, as was expected, found their way to Mr. Newbcgin’s shop, where a policeman was placed, so as to overhear the conversation that ensued between Newbegin and Pluckrose when the latter arrived to see the meat weighed. The effect of that conversation left no doubt of his complicity in the fraud upon Mr. Hicks, and he was therefore taken into custody. The other prisoners had expressed great contrition for their conduct, but Mr. Hicks felt it his duty to give them into custody upon this charge, in order that the receiver might be brought to justice.
Mr. Henry Hicks, jun., said — I am a salesman in Newgate-market. Bamby was what we call hanging-up man and collector, and Wilson was scaleman. It was Ramby’s duty to sell the meat, and Wilson’s to weight it before it went out of the shop, and call out the weight, the kind of meat, and the names of the buyer and the consignor, so that they might be entered in the counting-house. It was also his duty to superintend the delivery of the meat. On the 23rd of March last I received a communication from Newbegin, and on proceeding to his house saw there two flanks of beef which I immediately recognised as the property of Mr. Gocher, of Ipswich, who had consigned them, with other goods, to us that morning. On the 24th of April I missed a fore quarter of beef, consigned to us by Mr. Ledingham, of Huntley, that morning, and on the following evening I saw it at Newbegin’s. In consequence of these discoveries, I told Wilson and Ramby that the game was up, and that we should now come to the return match. I told them I had series of robberies to charge them with. I charged Ramby with having delivered to Pluckrose various quantities of goods on different dates, commencing from the 5th of December last, and I charged Wilson with receiving payment from Pluckrose. They said they knew nothing about it; but I told them it was useless to deny it, as they had been watched for the last six weeks, and that Ramby had been seen seeking Pluckrose to get the meat conveyed to Newbegin’s cart, although at other times it had been taken direct to Pluckrose’s stall. They both begged that I would deal as leniently with them as I could, on account of their wives and families. We have not sold any meat to Pluckrose for many months.
Edward George Newbegin said — I am a butcher, and live at No. 2, Hertford-place, Kingsland. I have dealt with Pluckrose for some time. In the latter part of February last my suspicions were awakened, in consequence of which I gave information to Mr. Hicks. On the 19th of February I bought some meat of Pluckrose, when he told me he should have two flanks of beef, which had come from Mr Hicks’s, and that they would be put into my cart by his boy. I went to cart and saw the flanks of beef in it, and the boy waiting for 6d., which Pluckrose told me to give to him. I took them home, and the same evening Pluckrose came to see them weighed. The weight was 6 stone 6½ lbs. On Friday week I saw Pluckrose at his own stall in the market, and while I was outside the Red Cross public-house I saw Ramby in, and Pluckrose soon after came out and told me he should want to see me again presently. About three-quarters of an hour after I saw Pluckrose again, and he then told me he had been with a porter to my cart with a fore-quarter of beef from Mr. Hicks’s. He said I was to weigh it, and let him know the weight of it next morning when I met him in the market. I did so, and upon telling the weight was 16st. 11b., he said that Hicks’s men told him it was 17st. 4lbs. He came to me on the Sunday morning and gave me a bill, in which he said he had omitted the quarter of beef, but he also said he would take the bill back and give me another one, including that item. He did so the next morning, and I now produce it. Mr. Hicks saw that quarter of beef at my shop, as well as the two flanks of beef, on the 23rd March. On Friday last1, while I was in the market, I saw Wilson go into the Red Cross, and when he came out he said he had left Pluckrose something to drink. When Wilson was gone, Pluckrose told me that he should have a flank or two of beef, but that he must see the men first, that his boy should put them into my cart. I waited some time at my cart, but as they did not come I went back to the Red Cross, where I found Pluckrose, and he said, “There is your bundle,” pointing to some beef in a cloth. He gave it to me, and I found it was a flank of beef weighing 2st. 14lbs. I saw him in the market the next morning, when I told him the weight, and he then said Wilson told him it should weigh 4st., as the skirt was in it, and that it came from Gocher, of Ipswich. I paid him 3s. per stone for some and 4s. for other meat, which was the full market value; when there was a difference between his weight and mine he always took my weight. He told me last Monday morning that he should have nothing more to do with having meat from Hicks’s, as there would be a regular smash there before long, he should get into trouble. I said if it was found out I should get into trouble also. On Tuesday morning I saw him again, when he said he had stopped in time, for he had been told by a friend that there were three policemen in private clothes watching the market, and one of them had been locked in Mr. Hicks’s shop all night.
Mr. Wontner here applied for a remand.
Alderman Wire. — Do either of you wish to ask any questions?
Ramby and Wilson. — None, Sir.
Pluckrose. — All I have to say is that he knew where the meat came from from the first, for I told him. The prisoners were then remanded.
1 1 May 1857
This is James Pluckrose, PL1950 in Tree 1010.
