LAW & ORDER – Robbery from female Yearby Bank

Accreditation the Redcar and Saltburn-by-the-Sea 20/04/1876

SINGULAR HIGHWAY ROBBERY NEAR REDCAR

           An extraordinary case of highway robbery with violence was heard at the Guisborough Petty Sessions on Tuesday and power and 17/04). The prisoner was a young man named Matthew Manroe, a painter, and well known in the Cleveland as a fair long-distance pedestrian, and the charge against him was for assaulting and robbing on the highway between Guisborough and Redcar one Sarah Briggs, on Saturday night last (14/04). The prosecutrix stated that she was the wife of William Briggs, a cart man, living at Yearby Bank, and, on Saturday evening, on her returning home from Guisborough, where she had been making her marketing, the prisoner passed her on Yearby Bank. She was alone at the time, and, as the prisoner passed, he said, “it’s a nasty night Missus,” and she replied it was. After proceeding a short distance, she heard someone coming after her. She became afraid, and run down the bank in the direction of her home, but the person behind ran after her, and, on overtaking her, through his arm round her neck, gagged her mouth to prevent her shouting, and covered her face with a newspaper. He then said, “Deliver up all you will have got, or I’ll stick a knife through you.” She said, For God’s sake, spare my life, and I will give you everything I have.” The prisoner took her meat, hat, and shawl from her, and she screamed out, and tried to make the prisoner believe that her husband was coming, and that she was glad to see him. This caused the prisoner to releases hold of her, and she then ran home as fast as she could. On informing her husband what had occurred, he procured a lantern, as it was dark, and went with two men to the place she named as the spot where she was attacked. The meat, shawl, and hat were found on the ground, and there were apparent traces of a severe scuffle. The prisoner was apprehended on the following day (15/04) by Inspector Hutchinson at his father’s house at Guisborough. The prisoner denied that he was the man, but it was proved that he passed the village of year be and proceeded in the direction of Guisborough shortly before the robbery occurred. The Bench committed him for trial at the next Quarter Sessions, but offered to take to sureties of £50 each as Bell for his appearance.