1866 : Samuel Pluckrose - Sent to Feltham Reformatory

Source:  Central Criminal Court. Sessions Paper. Gabriel, Mayor. Second Session, held December 17th, 1866. Minutes of Evidence. Taken in Short-Hand by James Drover Barnett and Alexander Buckler, Short-hand Writers to the Court, Rolls Chambers, No. 89, Chancery Lane. The Points of Law and Practice Revised and Edited by Edward T. E. Besley, Esq., of the Middle Temple, Barrister-at-Law, 1866, London, 170-173

Date: 19 December 1866
Place: London

This account is from a different source, but except for a few minor details, is identical to the previous entry.

THIRD COURT
Wednesday, December 19th, 1866

Before Mr Common Serjeant

113.  GEORGE BARKER (14), SAMUEL PLUCKROSE (14), and WILLIAM THOROUGHGOOD (12), Stealing 128 pounds of lead, the property of the Great Eastern Railway, and JAMES NOE (33) and HANNAH SMITH (28), Feloniously receiving the same, to which BARKER, PLUCKROSE, and THOROUGHGOOD, PLEADED GUILTY.

MESSRS. STRAIGHT and GRAY conducted the Prosecution. MR. WOOD defended Smith.

WILLIAM HARMER (Policeman 166 N). On the 7th September I was on duty in Pownall Road, Dalston, and saw Noe carrying this sack (produced)—I stopped him, and asked him what he had got there—he said, "See"—I said, "I want to know what you have got there"—he said, "Well, it's lead"—I asked him where he brought it from—he said, "17, Martha Street, Haggerston," and that he kept a marine-store shop there—I asked him what he gave for it—he said, "17s. 6d. per hundred-weight"—I asked him if he kept a book—he said "Yes" at first, afterwards he said "No"—he said I might come to 17, Martha Street, and I should find it all right—I took him to the station, and afterwards went to 17, Martha Street—I found the name of Smith over the door—I saw the woman Smith there—I asked her if she had bought any lead or any metal that day, or if she had received any—she said no, and if she did she did not buy above a pound or two, and then did not keep it—I said, "That's strange; I stopped your husband, at least a man, with some lead, and he says he brought it from here"—she said, "He has not taken any from here"—I said, "Oh! yes, he has"—I went to No. 10, at the bottom of Martha Street, and saw a man named I son—what I son told me induced me to go to Noe's father's house, Camden Street, Old Bethnal Green Road—I knocked, and Noe's sister opened the door—I said, "I have come for that lead which was left here"—she said, "There is no lead left here"—I said, "Oh! yes, there is; for the man is here who brought it"—I found there another bag of lead; it was handed to me by Noe's father—I took it to the station—Noe was then in custody—the boys were not in custody at that time—Noe was charged with unlawful possession—he said he bought it of a tall man—he did not know who he was, but should know him again if he saw him—Ison was present, and said, "That is the man that asked me to carry the bag from 17, Martha Street"—I don't think Noe made any reply to that—I son said he was carrying the bag to the Olive Branch, in the Hackney Road—I had seen Ison also when I saw Noe carrying the bag—he was carrying a bag, and Noe was a little distance behind—they were going in the same direction—on the following morning I went to Martha Street—I saw there a lad named Oaks, about ten yards from Noe's house—I told him I should take him in custody for stealing lead—I observed the boys Barker and Pluckrose going in the direction of Noe's house, not above a hundred yards from where I saw Oaks—Barker was carrying a piece of lead on his head—Pluckrose had not anything—they threw down the lead, and ran away—I ran after Barker—I took them into custody, and I picked up this lead (produced)—Pluckrose was with Barker when I saw them crossing the road towards Noe's house—I took the three boys up to the Broadway, and, from what Oaks told me, I went to Thoroughgood's house and apprehended him—I told him the charge was being concerned with the other lads in stealing the lead—he said he had done nothing—this was about half-past eight in the morning—I took them to the station—they were placed in the dock—Noe was then brought in—Pluckrose and Barker then said, "That is the man that bought the lead of us"—Noe said, "That is false"—Pluckrose, I think it was, also said, "He told us he would buy anything we liked, so that we didn't crack the crib"—Noe said, "That is false"—I searched 17, Martha Street, and found a quantity of locks and gas-fittings—I asked Smith if she had got a marine-store dealer's licence—she said she had not—I went with Superintendent Russell and a brother constable to No. 1, Tower Street, and took the lad Oaks there—I saw the lead compared with the lead on the roof; it tallied, and the nail-holes, where it had been taken off, corresponded with the holes through the lead—I should say it was cut with an old knife; it was cut very badly, and was jagged—I knew nothing of Smith and Noe before.

Cross-examined. Q. How long have they been living together? A. Since Whitsuntide (20 May 1866) —I have made inquiries—I have heard that they have been married, but I do not know it for certain—I believe he has a wife and family—he has gone by the name of Smith since he lived with the woman Smith—she told me she had not purchased the lead—the boys said she received it from them—they meant some lead before when they said, "That is the man who bought the lead"—Oaks received a penny from the woman.

JOHN JONES (Policeman 466 N). I was called to assist in taking Noe into custody—I went with him to the station—he told me on the way that he had bought the lead in the morning of a tall man, for threehalfpence a pound—I was with Harmer when Pluckrose was taken in Martha Street—I was at the station when Barker was brought into the dock, and Noe was also brought in custody—the sergeant on duty asked the boy if that was the man he had taken the lead to, and he said, "Yes".

JAMES ISON. I am a labourer at Haye's wharf, and live at Haggerston—on 7th December, about half-past seven in the evening, I went to Noe to buy a pair of boots he had promised to get for me—he said he had not got them from the party he had promised to get them from, but had two pairs in the house belonging to his neighbour next door—I asked him if I could see them—he said not just at that time, because he was going out—I asked him how long he would be, he said, "Not long; I am only going as far as the Olive Branch, in the Hackney Road; you might as well go with me"—I consented—when we were about starting a woman came into the shop, and after she had gone we put two bags on the counter—I saw no transaction take place—there was no talking—she came into the shop and left—Noe asked me if I would carry one—I objected at first, on account of the weight, about half a hundredweight—he said directly, "It is not far; we shall not be long"—I carried a bag—he told me he was going to the Olive Branch—when I got as far as the canal bridge Harmer stopped us, and when he stopped I stopped—afterwards he passed on, and I went on my way till I got to the Olive Branch, in the Hackney Road, expecting Noe would soon come after me—I waited there half an hour—I knew that I could not have got so far ahead of him as that, and crossed the road, with the intention of going back to his shop; but, on second thought, and as the load was heavy, I recollected that he had a relative living close there, and I took it to his house—that Noe's father—I left it there—I then returned home, and my wife told me what had transpired.

COURT. Q. Did Noe start with the other bag at the same time? A. He carried that about thirty or forty yards behind me when I first started—I saw no more of him till after he was in custody.

DANIEL OAKS. I live with my father, a carpenter, at 12, George Street, London Fields, Hackney—on the morning of 7th December I was. in the London Fields playing—I saw Thoroughgood first there about half-past ten running across the fields—he said, "Have a game," I think it was—I then saw Barker and Pluckrose playing at tip-cat—I stayed about a quarter of an hour—Barker said to Pluckrose, "Are you coming to get any of that tonight?"—I said, "What is it?"—they hesitated a few minutes, and then Barker said it was lead—I asked where they were going to get it—they would not tell me—I said, "If you can get any I can sell it"—Barker said, "Very well, we'll get some"—he did not say where—he said it was an empty house—we went lower down, by some railway arches, and played there some time—about half-past three in the afternoon we went together to the house No. 1, Tower Street—we got over the garden wall—a hole was broken through the roof—we got through that hole into the loft—Barker got through first—Pluckrose began trying to hack the lead off the roof with an old rusty knife—the lead was ultimately got off the roof—Pluckrose handed it down to Thoroughgood, and Thoroughgood to Barker, and when I got over the wall it was thrown over to me—we then all got over the wall and went with the lead to 17, Martha Street, a marine-store dealer's—we found Mrs. Smith there—I said, "We have got some lead,"—she said, "He is not at home now"—I said, "What time do you think?"—she said, "I do not know; it is uncertain"—she said, "Give it to me, and I will put it underneath the counter"—I said, "There is ten pieces," and counted ten pieces out to her—Thoroughgood asked her if she had got sixpenny worth of halfpence—she said, "No"—it was about half-past six or a little less—I borrowed a penny of her, and after that we left the shop—we left the lead there—we went back in about three-quarters of an hour and found Mrs. Smith in the shop—I said, "Has your husband come home yet?"—she said, "No; leave it till next morning; you can come as early as you like"—we agreed that we should all meet at eight o'clock next morning—then we all went out of the shop—I went by myself next morning—I found Mrs. Smith there—I said, "Is your husband at home?"—she said, "No; he has gone to do a little job; he is obliged to go to a job when he is wanted"—I stopped about there a little while—at last she said, "My husband is locked up, and the lead is at the station-house"—about ten minutes after that I was taken in custody and placed in the dock with the other boys—when Noe was brought in Pluckrose said, "He will buy anything of us if we don't crack the crib"—that means let out when we took anything—Noe said it was false—during all the time that we went to Martha Street we did not see Noe there—I took 3s. 6d. worth of copper about four days before this and heard Noe say then, "I will buy anything of you if you don't crack the crib"—I was out dusting, and a copper coalscuttle was given us up at Clapham; that is how I got that copper—when I took the copper Noe had a book—I am fifteen years old—I have known the other three boys about five years—I have never been convicted.

THOMAS RUSSELL (Police Superintendent Great Eastern Railway). I went with Harmer to a house in Tower Street and saw the lead produced here to-day compared—it exactly corresponded, the nail-holes and everything else—the house has been vacant about two months—the material of the house was vanishing away gradually: locks and keys, waterpipe, and so on have been taken out.

Noe. This is the first time I have ever been in this place, and I am sure it will be the last. I have had the shop about eight months.

SMITH— GUILTY. NOE— GUILTY.— Confined Eighteen Months.
BARKER, PLUCKROSE, and THOROUGHGOOD.— Two Years, in Feltham Reformatory .

See the previous record.

This is almost certainly Samuel George Pluckrose [PL1936 in Tree 1010], the son of Emma Abel and Samuel Pluckrose( who also features in several court reports). It looks as though Samuel Jnr was a "chip off the old block'.

 

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