ROBBERY – Jewellery Shop Redcar.

Accreditation The Redcar and Saltburn-by-the-Sea Gazette 30/05/1885

ROBBERY OF JEWELLERY AT REDCAR

            On Monday night (25/05) a daring burglary was committed at the shop of Mrs Wakefield, Jeweller, &c., Central Hall, Redcar; when goods to the value of £400 were stolen. Mr W. Ashe, Chief Constable of Middlesbrough, received information of the robbery from a private source on Tuesday morning, and at once communicated with the various pawnbrokers in the town, putting them on the lookout for anyone offering jewellery in pledge. A short time after two women went to Mr Wilson’s pawnshop, in Durham Street and asked for a loan on a gold ring. The pawnbroker noticed that the ring was quite new and put several questions to the women, who seemed to be somewhat reticent in answering them. In the meantime a messenger was sent to the police office for a constable. Detective Sergeant Knowlson was promptly on the scene, and took the women into custody. At the station they were searched, and a considerable quantity of new jewellery was found upon them. The women stated their names were Jones and McQuire, that they had been living in Hilda Place, Middlesbrough, for a few weeks, and they had got the ring from some men who had been living with them.

Sergeant Knowlson and Detective Jefferson then went in search of the men, but the thieves had already “got wind” of the women’s apprehension and decamped. One of the suspected men, Thomas Taylor, was traced towards Hartlepool, and apprehended on the high road a short distance from that place, about midnight. No jewellery was found upon him, although he admitted that he had been at Redcar on Monday night, and the landlord of the lodging house where he stayed in Hilda Place states that Taylor did not come home till two o’clock in the morning. Two other women, named Elizabeth O’Neil and Elizabeth Cassey, alias Cooney, were captured at Middlesbrough on Wednesday morning (27/05), and two men were apprehended in the Black Bull yard at Stockton. The whole of the prisoners except the last mentioned pair were brought up at Middlesbrough Police Court and charged with being concerned in the burglary. Prisoners were remanded.

Accreditation The Redcar and Saltburn-by-the-Sea Gazette 13/06/1885

BURGLARY AT REDCAR

The men and women, whom the police have apprehended on a charge of burglariously entering the premises of Mrs Wakefield, near the Central Hall, and stealing there-from a large quantity of jewellery, were brought up again on Tuesday (09/06), before Guisborough Magistrates. Since the case came before the court last week three other arrests have been made. When the case was called on Superintendent Clarkson he had again to ask the bench to hear the evidence in private for the same reasons that he gave on the last occasion. The Bench at once ordered the Court to be cleared.

Accreditation The Redcar and Saltburn-by-the-Sea Gazette 04/07/1885

REDCAR JWELLERY ROBBERY

            Thomas Taylor (25), Henry Fitzgerald (22), John Dasey (25), Mary A. Jones (25) and Sarah A. Taylor (24), were charged at the Northallerton Quarter Sessions with stealing from Mrs E. Wakefield, at Coatham, a quantity of silver guards, brooches, ornaments, and a large quantity of other articles – the men with breaking into the house, and the women with receiving the property. The men pleaded not guilty. The Case for the prosecution was conducted by Mr. Meek, and after the evidence, which was previously heard at the police court, had been taken, the jury dismissed the charge against the male prisoners of breaking into the shop, but found all guilty of receiving the property knowing it to have been stolen. The men were sentenced to twelve calendar months, and the women to receive a similar sentence, with the addition of two years police supervision.