Children of Thomas and Johanna Beck

Frederick Beck was charged with having assaulted John Wells, constable of White Waltham, in the execution of his duty, on Sunday last. It appeared that the constable held a warrant for the apprehension of a man named Barefoot. Having ascertained that he was at Beck's on the above evening, the constable went there to secure his prisoner. On his arrival, the fire and candles were immediately extinguished; Barefoot rushed at the constable and knocked him down; while down, either Beck or his wife kicked him, and this alone composed the assault. The case was dismissed.

FELONY.—Frederick Beck and Richard Warral, two labourers in the employ of Mr. Sharp, of Shottesbrook, were charged with having stolen 8 bushels of barley, worth 32s., and 4 bushels of barley, worth 16s., the property of their master.—Beck has worked for Mr. Sharp 23 years, and Worral from a child, except on two occasions, when he left for a time. He had no occasion to complain of them before. When Beck was taken, he said, I am much surprised you have robbed me, and are in this position.—Beck in reply said, I hope you will be merciful to me for it is the first time.—Mr. Superintendent Iremonger said, on the 4th ins. the sacks now produced were left with me by P.C. Lovell, and they have been in my possession ever since. The prisoners, the morning after they were apprehended, told me they were sorry for what they had done, and had since made a full confession of their guilt. Both prisoners are married men with large families. The prisoners had nothing to say in their defence, but begged the bench to settle the case as it was their first offence.—The bench informed them that the case was of too serious a nature to be settled then, and they must be committed for trial at the next assizes.—The prisoners were then removed, amidst the tears of their friends, who had been anxiously waiting the result of the trial.

CLEVER CAPTURE OF CORN STEALERS.—Frederick Beck, of Littlewick, and Charles Werrell, of Cold Harbour, were brought up in custody, charged with stealing, on the 4th instant, a quantity of oats, barley, and peas, the property of Mr. William Sharp, farmer, Shottesbrook.

It appeared from the evidence adduced that the prisoners were in the employ of the prosecutor, and had been engaged on the day in question in cleaning barley; about 8 o'clock at night, as police-constable Lovell, No. 26 Berks Constabulary, was on duty near the farm, he saw the prisoners leaving Mr. Sharp's barn, each carrying a sack, containing something; he went up to Beck, and asked him what he had there, when the prisoner dropped the sack, knocked the policeman down, and kicked him; the officer, however, retained his hold of the prisoner, when a struggle ensued, which lasted some time. The prosecutor, hearing calls for assistance, went out, and saw the policeman and the prisoner struggling together on the ground. He laid hold of the prisoner and assisted the policeman, and ultimately succeeded in getting the prisoner to his house. The prisoner Werrell made his escape during the struggle. Upon returning to the spot and examining the sack the prisoner had  been carrying, it was found to contain barley. After locking the prisoner up, the policeman, accompanied by his superintendent, Mr. Iremonger, went to Cold Harbour, and apprehended the prisoner Werrell. Upon searching Beck they found a skeleton key, by which the prisoners unlocked the barn, from whence the barley was stolen. On the following morning, after a careful search, the barley that the prisoner Werrell had been carrying was found in a ditch, about 200 yards from Werrell's house. The prosecutor stated, in answer to a question from the Bench, that Beck had worked for him for 23 years, and Werrell since a boy. Superintendent Iremonger said that both the prisoners had stated that they were very sorry for what they had done, and that they were guilty of stealing the barley.

The usual caution having been read over to them, they were asked if they had anything to say, when they answered that they hoped the Bench would settle it at once. The Bench stated the case was too serious, and committed both to the Assizes for trial.

STEALING BARLEY AT SHOTTESBROOK.

FREDERICK BECK, 40, RICHARD WORRELL, 33, charged with having, on the 4th February, at Shottesbrook, stolen 4 bushels of barley, the property of William Sharp.

Mr. Sawyer appeared for the prosecution. The prisoners were defended by Mr. Williams.

Mr. Sawyer briefly stated the case to the jury, and called the following witnesses:—

Police-constable Lovett said he was on duty on the evening of the 4th Feb., near Mr. Sharp's house, at Shottesbrook, which is four miles from Maidenhead. At half-past seven he saw the prisoners coming from the prosecutor's house, each of them having a sack. He went up to them, and spoke to Beck, saying, "Who are you?" Hen then "collared" Beck, who made answer "Who are you?" and knocked the constable down, and kicked him. They continued to struggle together, and Mr. Sharp came out of the house, and the prisoner Beck was taken in by Mr. Sharp and the witness. After he was taken in, witness went back to the place where he had been struggling, and there found a sack with some barley in it. He took that into Mr. Sharp's house, and afterwards conveyed the prisoner to Maidenhead. While he was struggling with Beck, Worrell ran away. After Beck had been taken to Maidenhead, witness went to Worrell's house, in company with Mr. Sharp; he lived at Cold Harbour. They got there at about half-past twelve. Witness knocked at the door. Prisoner opened it in a short time. Witness told him he wanted him to go with him. He said he would go, and witness then took him to Maidenhead. He searched the country the following day, and about 200 yards from Worrell's house he found a quantity of barley strewn in a ditch, altogether about two bushels.

By the Judge: This was in the direction from Mr. Sharp's to Worrell's house, but in the fields. It was the nearest way of getting from one house to the other—much nearer than going by the road.

Examination continued: Witness took up the barley, and showed it to Mr. Sharp. On reaching Worrell's house he found a part of a sack with Mr. Sharp's name upon it, and also two sacks contained barley ailes. The sacks were taken to Mr. Sharp. When he searched Beck he found a tobacco box upon him, and in the box a key. The key was tried in the padlock on the door of the barn where the barley was, and it unlocked it.

Cross-examined: Took Beck into custody at once, and delivered him to Mr. Sharp. He knocked witness down when he first saw him. Worrell ran off with the sack he had. The night was light enough for him to sear to the men. It was a light night. The man was not visible. There were trees near the place. Worrell ran away at the same time Beck knocked witness down. Cold Harbour is not a village—there are only four labourers houses there.

Re-examined: Had an opportunity of seeing Worrell before, and knew both of them previously from their being employed on Mr. Sharp's farm.

Mr. William Sharp said he was a farmer living at Shottesbrook. The two men at the bar were in his employ on the 4th February. He was in his house on the evening of that day, and heard a cry. He went out and saw the policeman struggling with Beck. The latter was taken into his house. The policeman then went out and brought in a sack containing barley. The prisoners had been employed in the barn, where there was barley lying on the floor, partly cleaned. Prosecutor went into the barn next morning, and missed some of the barley. He examined the barley brought in by the policeman, and also that found in the ditch, and in his judgment they exactly corresponded with that in the barn. There would be ailes in the unclean barley. Prosecutor saw the sack that the barley was in, and also those taken from Worrell's house. They were not his. While Beck was in his house, he said he hoped prosecutor would be merciful to him. Prosecutor said, "How could you use me so?" Beck said, "I hope you will be merciful to me." Had a sample of the barley in his barn here.

Cross-examined: Had known Beck 23 years.

By the Judge: The men left off work generally about half-past five. They were paid that evening, and left at about that time. They had no business in the barn afterwards. They were never trusted with the key of the padlock—that ought to have been brought into the prosecutor's house. They ought to have come in the morning to get it.

Superintendent Iremonger produced the two sacks with barley. There was about two bushels in each sack. The prisoners were in his custody. Witness told them he had searched Beck's house and found nearly 2 sacks, of barley and a sack of oats, and that they had been identified by the prosecutor. They both said they were sorry for what they had done, and that they were guilty.

Mr. Williams said he would adopt what he considered to be the best course in the case, to leave it in the hands of his lordship, and not trouble the jury with any address on their behalf.

His Lordship, who concurred in the course taken by the learned counsel, then summed up the case, and the jury immediately found the prisoners guilty.

His Lordship, in sentencing the prisoners, said he was very much afraid they had taken advantage of their good and kind master in taking not only these things, but other property from him. Sometimes servants might be tempted to take articles of this kind, yet it was a great aggravation to take them from a master. He had trusted them with the key of the barn, and they did not take it into the house in the evening, as was their duty to have done, but took advantage of being trusted with the key to go the barn and so rob their master. From what had transpired in the course of the trial there was reason to suppose that there were other things stolen from time to time, and the sentence of the court was, that they be kept to hard labour for six calendar months.

Sarah Bird and Amelia Young were charged with having, on the 10th Nov., stolen a quantity of turnips growing in a field, the property of Mrs. Shaddick Clode. Each fined 5s., 6d. damage, and 6s. costs.