LAW & ORDER – Extraordinary Robbery at Redcar Races

Accreditation the Redcar and Saltburn News 20/08/1874.

EXTRAORDINARY ROBBERY AT REDCAR RACES

            On Tuesday, (18/08) at the Guisborough Police Court, a man named Robert Bell, better known as “Boxer Bell,” hailing from Thirsk, was charged with stealing £23 in money, a silver watch, gold chain and ring, the property of Samuel Stones, at Redcar on Friday, the 7^th inst. The prisoner, who had taken lodgings at Redcar during the two days race meeting at that place, met the prosecutor the worse of drink, and took him to his lodgings, where he sought permission for “his friend,” to lay on the sofa until the train time. Whilst the prosecutor was lying asleep on the sofa the prisoner relieved him of the whole of his money, which he counted on the table, and also his watch, chain, and ring, and gave the watch to the landlady, telling her to keep it until his friend, awoke, but he afterwards took it from her and went out, remarking as he did so that he would be back again. He did not return, and prosecutor, oncoming to his senses, found that he had been robbed. Information was given to the police, and on the following morning. It was ascertained that the prisoner had gone to a race meeting at Musselburgh, near Edinburgh. A telegram describing the prisoner and what he was wanted for, was immediately forwarded to the place, and in the course of the same day prisoner was apprehended in the High Street there by Inspector James Baird, and charged with robbing Stones. He at first denied it, but on the following day he admitted that he took prosecutor’s property with the intention of keeping it until he got sober, but was introduced to come away with it, and unfortunately lost all the money by gambling at Musselburgh. The prisoner, who bears a bad character, was committed to take his trial at the next North Riding Quarter Sessions.

Accreditation Redcar and Saltburn News 22/10/1874.

Yesterday (21/10), and the North Riding Quarter Sessions at Northallerton, a valet, named Robert Bell (29), was charged with stealing from the person of Samuel Sones the sum of £23 and a watch and guard, at Redcar. The facts of the case have already appeared in our columns. Prisoner was acquitted.