Children of Joseph and Elizabeth Shingleton

Captn Browell & his family removed to Southampton. J. Gubbins & his family removed with them. Samuel Singleton eldest boy of Joseph Singleton went with them as groom, & Elizabeth Green daughter of Mrs R. Green as kitchen maid.

SINGULAR ACCIDENT.—On Wednesday, a little boy, named David Shingleton, sustained a fracture of the leg, under the following circumstances. His father was conveying a load of barley to a granary in Dredge's yard, Bartholomew-street, and the boy, who is 11 years of age, was walking by the side, when two sacks of barley fell upon him, knocking him down and injuring him as described.

HOUSEBREAKING.—Charles Manning, David Shingleton, and Thomas Doggett were charged with entering premises belonging to Mr. Robert Newton, and damaging a cask and desk, on Sunday, the 16th inst. It appeared that these boys entered the bone mill, took the tap from a cask of beer there, and let the contents run. The back of the desk was broken open. Manning has also absconded. Geo. Watts, a fourth boy, who was with the prisoners at the time, gave evidence, stating that Manning was the chief of the gang. Superintendent Harfield had no other evidence in corroboration, and Shingleton and Doggett were bound over (by their parents) to appear when called upon.

BREAKING INTO THE BONE MILL.

Charles Doggett and David Shingleton, the two boys remanded from last week for breaking into the bone mill occupied by Mr. Robert Newton, were discharged.

David Shingleton, aged 18, living in Bartholomew-street, and of no occupation, said that a quarter past ten he met deceased opposite Mr. Newton's; deceased, who was "beery," and had had a little too much, asked for half a pint of ale. Witness put a penny, and his companion named Brunsdon put another penny, and they went into the Jack Tap, and had a pint between the three. Witness left Brunsdon and deceased at the house.

"David Shingleton was fined 3s., and costs 7s., for being drunk and riotous."

DRUNKENNESS.—David Shingleton, a lad, was charged by P.c. Hawkins with being drunk in Northbrook-street, on the previous day. Fined 10s., but in default he was committed to Gaol for five days' hard labour.

David Shingleton was charged with deserting from the 3rd battalion, 60th Rifles, and an order was made to have him conveyed back to his regiment, now stationed at Aldershot.

DRUNK AND DISORDERLY.—David Shingleton, a young man, was charged with being drunk and disorderly in Northbrook-street, on the 26th October. P.c. Smith proved the case. Defendant (who denied the offence) was then charged with being drunk on the following day, in the same street. P.c. Gibbs proved the case, and the Magistrates imposed fines of 12s. 6d. to include costs.

CHARGE OF ASSAULT.—David Shingleton, labourer, was charged with assaulting John Snarey, on the 23rd inst. The complainant did not appear, and the Bench dismissed the accused.

"DRUNKENNESS—David Shingleton was fined 16s., including costs, for being drunk and disorderly on the 27th June."

David Shingleton, labourer, was charged with using obscene language, on the 27th ult. He pleaded not guilty. Richard Farmer said he was going over Newbury water bridge when defendant accosted him and called him most filthy names. Witness gave information to P.c. Holliday.

The Bench sentenced defendant to seven days' imprisonment.

WILFUL DAMAGE.—A well-known character, named David Shingleton, was charged with doing wilful damage to the shop window of Mr. Griffin, pork butcher, on the previous evening.—The defendant said he admitted the offence and he wished he had done more damage.—The damage was laid at £2 10s. The defendant deliberately threw stones at the windows and smashed the glass.—The defendant was sentence to two months' imprisonment with hard labour.

A SUPPOSED GRIEVANCE.

A man named David Shingleton applied to the Bench, stating that he had been convicted and sentenced to 21 days' hard labour, but they had detained him one day too long. Supt. Robotham said the man absconded, and the period of imprisonment dated from the day he was received at Reading. The Bench did not consider that Shingleton had any ground of complaint.

WILFUL DAMAGE.

David Shingleton, whose appearances before the Court have been very frequent, was charged with committing wilful damage, at 2, Oxford-terrace, the residence of Police-Inspector Weeks, on the previous afternoon.

Inspector Weeks stated that on Monday afternoon he heard a crash, and running to the door saw the defendant in the act of throwing a stone at his window. He seized Shingleton and took him to the police station. It was plain that the defendant must have done the act wilfully, as he had been making enquiries where witness lived. Shingleton was in drink, but sober enough to know what he was doing. Witness had found Shingleton lying in the road at an early hour on Sunday morning, and had started him off.

Supt. Robotham, said it was defendant's seventh appearance.

The Bench sentenced Shingleton two month's imprisonment.

A BAD CHARACTER.

David Shingleton, who has only recently been released from gaol, failed to appear in answer to a charge of using obscene language in Cheap-street, on the 26th ult.

P.c. Pounds proved the case, and Supt. Robotham gave the defendant a bad character.

The Bench ordered Shingleton to pay 15s. penalty and costs, or to undergo 14 days' imprisonment.

DRUNK ON SUNDAY NIGHT.

David Shingleton was summoned for being drunk on the previous (Sunday) night, and the facts having been stated by P.c. Pounds, Shingleton was ordered to pay 5s. or undergo seven days' imprisonment. He was further committed for 21 days on a warrant issued against him in April last.

AN OLD OFFENDER.

David Shingleton, well known to the police, was charged with being drunk and disorderly and using obscene language in Church Lane on the previous night.—Defendant was before the Bench in August last.—He was fined 10s., or in default seven days' imprisonment.

REFRACTORY TRAMPS.—On Monday two tramps, David Shingleton and Frank Slade, two well-known characters, were charged by the Master of the Workhouse, with refusing to perform their allotted tasks. The magistrates, Colonel Willes and Dr. Major, sent them to prison for seven days.

DRUNK AND DISORDERLY—David Shingleton, who had only recently been released from prison, was placed in the dock charged with having been drunk and disorderly in St. John's-road, on the previous day. P.c. Williams proved the case. Superintendent Robotham mentioned that this was the defendant's fourth appearance within a year. The magistrates ordered Shingleton to pay 10s. 6d. or undergo a fortnight's imprisonment. Defendant elected to go to prison.

CHARGE OF BREAKING INTO CORN STORES.

David Shingleton, who has repeatedly been in custody, and has only just been liberated from Reading Prison, was charged with having broken into the stores of Messrs. Midwinter and Son, Corn Merchants, Cheap-street, during the night of Monday.

The evidence showed that when the stores were opened on Tuesday morning it was discovered that an entrance had been effected by breaking through a side window overlooking the garden of Mrs. Andrews. The drawers in the office had been rifled, but they did not contain anything of value beyond papers and printed matter, and the only thing missed was a cheque book. No attempt had been made to break open the safe. The police were communicated with, and suspicion fell upon the prisoner, who was met with on the railway bridge at St. Mary's Hill, a short distance only from Messrs. Midwinter's premises. He was arrested on suspicion of breaking into the stores, and he replied "Oh! only on suspicion." After his removal to the police station, the police officers noticed cobwebs and small pieces of corn on his cap and coat, also blood on his right hand and pipe. An examination of the broken window also disclosed blood marks, and footprints on the soft soil outside corresponded with the nails in prisoner's boots. The outside row of hobnails to which the attention of the Magistrates was called, corresponded very clearly with the footprints on the ground. Prisoner refused to give the police any account as to how and where he spent Monday night.

The prisoner, who professed ignorance of the offence with which he was charged, was committed for trial at the next Quarter Sessions.

THE CHARGE OF BREAKING INTO A WAREHOUSE.

David Shingleton, whose age was given as 49, and who was described as a general labourer, was then placed in the dock, charged with feloniously breaking and entering the shop, warehouse, and counting-house of Messrs. Charles Midwinter and Son, of Cheap-street, with intent to commit a felony, on the 25th November. The prisoner pleaded not guilty.

Mr. W.H. Ames, barrister-at-law, instructed by Mr. W.H. Belchor, solicitor, of Newbury, conducted the prosecution, and in opening the case explained to the jury that the evidence against the prisoner was of a purely circumstantial character, as no one saw him about the premises; but he would submit that there were four points which must weigh against the prisoner. These were that he refused to give the police any account of his movements on the night of the robbery; that there was a similarity in the footprints outside the premises and those made by the boot the prisoner was wearing; also that there was blood on his cap; and, further, that this cap and shoulders were covered with cobwebs and corn dust.

Frederick Henry Freeman, clerk to Messrs. Midwinter and Son, described the shop and offices of his employers, and also stated that he saw the premises locked up over-night, both as regards the windows and doors. On going to the office next morning he found the floor scattered about with corn and samples, and in the counting-house he found a drawer had been taken out and rifled, but nothing taken. A window had been smashed, and on going into the garden adjoining he saw footprints on the mould. These footprints were very large and hobnailed, one of the nails being missing. [A boot was here produced and handed to the witness, who said it was very similar to the impression made.] The boot was brought by the Police-sergeant back to the premises and made impressions on the mould which tallied exactly with the impression made. He did not notice that a nail was missing in the impression at first, but saw it when pointed out to him by the police.

Alfred Ward, a foreman porter, gave corroborative evidence as to the premises having been broken into.

P.s. Maunders deposed that, suspecting the prisoner, he went in search of him, in company with P.c. Mansbridge, and saw him on the Greenham Railway Bridge. He took him to the old Police-station, where he asked him to account for himself during the night, to which Shingleton replied, "That's no odds to you. I shan't tell you anything." Witness told him he should charge him on suspicion with breaking into the premises, and then searched prisoner, on whom he found a clay pipe stained with blood, while his cap and coat had cobwebs and particles of corn adhering to them. After seeing the footprints one of the prisoner's boots was taken from him and an impression made alongside, underneath the window, and it corresponded exactly. There were also blood marks on the prisoner's hands.

P.s. Mansbridge corroborated the sergeant's evidence, and said, in reply to the Recorder, that neither of the witnesses nor himself noticed that a nail was missing until after the prisoner had been before the Magistrates, and when they did so they did not think it of much consequence.

Supt. Robotham stated that he saw Shingleton at the Police-station, and noticed dust on his cap and coat. He noticed footmarks under Messrs. Midwinter's windows, and sent the last witness for the prisoner's boots. He saw the impression made alongside that already on the ground, and noticed that one nail was missing. He did not attach much importance to it at the time. He fancied that one nail only was out of the boot then, but there were several missing now. There was blood between the fingers of prisoner's left hand, and also a scratch on his right wrist. There was a spot of blood on the window and on the sash.

This concluded the case for the prosecution, and Shingleton elected to give evidence on his own behalf. He stated that on the morning of the 26th he was on the Greenham Railway Bridge when the police officers came to him and asked him to accompany them to the Police-station. Nothing was found on his cap, which was taken away from him, but his boots were never off his feet.

In reply to Mr. Ames, prisoner said he was drunk on the night of the 25th, and slept at a house on the floor. It was in Newbury, but he would not say the name of the woman, as it would cause trouble. It was in the "City," and he and the woman and two children were in the house. He never parted with his boots at the Police-station, as they were taken away at the old Police-station. He would rather suffer anything than mention the name of the woman at whose house he stopped on the night of the 25th.

Mr. Ames then briefly summed up, and pointed out that the story just told by prisoner was an obvious concoction. He submitted that in view of all the circumstances the jury could have no alternative but find the prisoner guilty.

The Recorder then addressed the jury, pointing out that this was a case which required their very careful consideration, as it was based on circumstantial evidence. There was no direct evidence in law against the prisoner, but circumstantial evidence was quite sufficient for the law to convict a man if satisfactory to an ordinary man. The learned Recorder then went through in a minute manner the whole of the evidence. He had no reason to question the truth of the evidence of the police witnesses, but it was certainly peculiar that neither of them should have mentioned before the Magistrates the fact that a nail was missing in the impression on the ground and also from the boot prisoner was wearing. He could only assume that the police could have attached but very little importance to the fact at the time. Having further enlarged upon the evidence, the Recorder reminded the jury that they could not, under the law of England, convict a man on suspicion, but if, on the other hand, as business men they considered the prisoner was guilty of an act for the committal of which they would discharge anyone in their own employ, then it was their duty to find the prisoner guilty.

The Jury then considered their verdict, and after an interval of rather more than ten minutes announced through their Foreman (Mr. J.L. Giles) that they had found the prisoner guilty.

Supt. Robotham handed in a list of 16 previous convictions dating from 1883 down to November of last year, chiefly for drunkenness and disorderly conduct. He had never known the prisoner to do any work, and he was always loafing about.

The Recorder, in passing sentence, said he entirely agreed with the decision come to by the Jury. It was clear from the evidence of the police that prisoner was a disreputable character. He was liable to a very heavy punishment for this offence, even to the extent of seven years' penal servitude, but in deciding the sentence upon him, he (the Recorder) would take two circumstances into consideration. The first was that he had not previously been convicted for any indictable offence, and the second that he had already been in prison for several weeks. In view of these circumstances, he had decided to pass sentence of nine months' imprisonment with hard labour.

A SMART CAPTURE.

David Shingleton, an old offender, and William Manners, were charged with stealing 116 rabbit skins, value 19s. 4d., the property of Mr W.H. Higgs, marine store dealer, Cheap-street.

The evidence showed that shortly after midnight on Monday, Mr. Shilling, proprietor of the "Catherine Wheel" hotel, was sitting, with his son-in-law (Mr. Croxford) at home, when they heard a noise in the yard, and on going into the yard they saw the prisoners getting over the wall from prosecutor's premises. Manners let a bag fall into the hotel yard, and was about to make off with it when Mr. Shilling secured him, and Mr. Croxford took charge of Shingleton. The two men were handed over to Police-sergeant Maunders, and locked up for the night. On Tuesday morning the ostler at the "Catherine Wheel" found another bag lying beneath one of Mr. Shilling's brakes in the yard. Both bags were filled with rabbit skins, which the prisoners had evidently stolen from a loft belonging to Mr. Higgs, whose brother, Brice Higgs, identified them as having been safe in the loft on Monday evening.

The prisoners were committed for trial at the Borough Sessions to be held next Wednesday.

THEFT FROM MARINE STORES.

David Shingleton, 50, labourer, an old offender, and William Manners, 47, labourer, were charged with stealing 116 hare and rabbit skins, value 19s. 4d., the property of Mr. W.H. Higgs, marine store dealer, etc., Cheap-street, Newbury, on the 13th inst.

Mr. Ames, instructed by Mr. Belcher, solicitor, appeared for the prosecution. The prisoners were undefended, but cross-examined the witnesses, only, however, to prove their guilt, and the Recorder told them that they were simply prejudicing their own interests by the course they were taking.

The circumstances of the case were reported in last week's "Mercury." Shortly after midnight, the prisoners were caught by Mr. Shilling, the landlord of the "Catherine Wheel" Inn, removing a quantity of hare and rabbit skins from the adjoining premises belonging to Mr. Higgs. Mr. Shilling and his step-son (Mr. Croxford) with considerable smartness, detained both the men. Manners had in his possession a sack containing a large number of hare and rabbit skins, and on the following morning another sack containing skins was found beneath a vehicle in Mr. Shilling's yard, and in the course of the trial, Shingleton admitted that he placed them there.

The Jury at once found the prisoners guilty, and Supt. Robotham informed the Court that Shingleton had been previously convicted. There was also a conviction against Manners before the Wokingham Magistrates.

The Recorder sentenced Shingleton to 18 months' imprisonment, and Manners to six months.

A CHRISTMAS DRUNK.

Albert Brindley and George Mitchell were charger [sc. charged] with being drunk and disorderly in Northbrook-street on December 27th.

P.C. Freeman said defendants were drunk, marching arm-in-arm, pushing people off the pavement, and behaving disorderly.

A man named David Shingleton, who was in the company of the defendants, had absconded, and the Superintendent hoped he would keep away. [ . . . ]

AN OLD OFFENDER.

David Shingleton pleaded guilty to having been drunk and disorderly on December 27th. P.C. Freeman proved the case, and Supt. Gamble read a long list of convictions, starting with 1899 and onward to twelve months ago.

In reply to the Bench, Shingleton said he had spent most of his time since his last conviction at Southampton, and was earning about 3s. a day.

Fined 5s., including costs, with a week to pay.

STEALING GREENS AT THATCHAM.

David Shingleton and Frederick Elliott were charged with stealing a quantity of greens, belonging to Mr. George Wallis, of Thatcham, on February 26th.

P.C. Taylor, who was in plain clothes, said he saw the defendants come out of a field of swedes and thousand-headed kale, each carrying a sack of greens. He rode after them on his bicycle, and both gave false names. He took possession of the greens, and told them they could have the sacks back if they applied for them.

Arthur Cruse, a lad, said he heard the defendants give the names of Wright and Collins.

Frank Wallis, son of Mr. G. Wallis, said the greens produced were kale, and were worth 5s.

Shingleton: Can you match those greens?—They are the same as those in our field.

Elliott: Are you the only one to grow kale like this?—There is not much more about like it.

Elliott.—There's plenty more about like this, we bought these off a man on the road.

Supt. Gamble reported a long list of previous convictions against Shingleton, and one against Elliott.

The Bench fined the defendants 15s. each, or 14 days hard labour.

Defendants went to prison.

David Shingleton, another inmate, who was one of the working party in the garden, gave corroborative evidence, and said that when he assisted to pick Cooper up, he remarked "O David, do take me up in the warm." He and Hart were helping him along, when the Labour Master told them to put deceased down, and he was left lying in the path. He had never seen the deceased fall about before.