CHESHIRE OBSERVER 1 August 5 1854 Runcorn POLICE COURT 28TH ULT John Hatton, a boatman, of Winsford, was charged with being drunk and incapable of taking care of himself on the previous night, and was locked up for safety. Discharged with a reprimand. 2 October 7 1854 Runcorn ROBBERY BY A SERVANT Mary Clarke, lately in the service of Mrs Greener, beerhouse keeper, Alcock Street, was, on Wednesday, charged before Philip Whiteway Esq, at the Town Hall, with stealing a small box, containing 15s 6d, the property of her late mistress. The prisoner, on Monday evening, left Mrs Greener's service, and the property in question was missed shortly afterwards. Early on Tuesday morning she was met by Davis, assistant constable, in the company of John Bradshaw, a boatman. She had then only 3 1/2d in her possession, but she subsequently acknowledged that she had taken the box and money, and said she had given the money to a young man. She was committed to trial for the theft, and Bradshaw, the boatman, was committed as a participator in the offence, but was allowed to find bail for his appearance. 3 April 14 1855 Cheshire Assizes BURGLARY William Gaskell, boatman, aged 24, for feloniously breaking into the dwelling house of Thomas Hughes, clerk, on the night of the 8th August last, and stealing therefrom a silver salver and various other articles. Sentenced to 4 years penal servitude. FORGERY Joseph Bennett, boatman, was indicted for forging an acceptance upon a bill of exchange, with intent to defraud Mr Henry Smith, of Stockport, on the 29th of August last; also with uttering it with the same intent. Mr Horatio Lloyd appeared for the prosecution, and Mr Macintyre defended the prisoner. The prosecutor deposed that he was a brewer and wine merchant residing at Stockport. He received from the prisoner the bill of exchange at his place. It purported to be accepted by Meadows and Bibby, and it was for £25. The bill became due after the prisoner was apprehended. Mr Richard Edwin Bibby deposed that he was a lime burner at Manchester, in partnership with Mr Meadows. The acceptance of the bill (put in) was not in his handwriting, nor in that of Mr Meadows. Never gave any authority to any one to accept the bill. Mr Meadows has not been fit to attend to business for two years. Mr Macintyre having cross-examined the witness for some time, observed that after what had been stated by Mr Bibby, he would not feel justified in defending the case further, as he had been instructed to set up that the prisoner had received permission to draw the bill. The learned Judge then summed up, and the prisoner having been found guilty by the Jury, he was sentenced to four years penal servitude. 4 August 11 1855 Cheshire Assizes HIGHWAY ROBBERY John Machin, a boatman, was indicted for robbing Peter Verga of eight shillings, on the highway on the 27th June last. Mr Macintyre prosecuted and Mr Morgan Lloyd appeared for the prisoner. On the 27th June last, the prosecutor was returning home from Burslem to Congleton, and on arriving at a place called Kidsgrove about nine o'clock, he overtook the prisoner, who enquired if he was going to Congleton, he replied that he was, and he gave the prisoner a lift. They pulled up at a public house called the “Bleeding Wolf”, when the prisoner had two glasses of ale which Mr Verga paid for. They then drove on as far as old Moreton-hall, a distance of two or three miles, when the prisoner said to the prosecutor that he thought he would return, and asked the prosecutor to give him some money. He gave him sixpence. The prisoner replied that it was not enough, and the prosecutor declined giving him any more, and ordered him out of his cart; a quarrel ensued, and the prisoner pulled the prosecutor out of his cart and held him on the ground by the throat. He then put his hand into the prosecutor's right hand pocket and took out the money it contained. The prisoner then left him. On reaching Congleton, the prosecutor gave information of the robbery to the police, and on the following Saturday saw the prisoner in custody at Congleton, when the prisoner asked him “what he was going to do at him” and “could he make it up as he was a poor lad and his parents were poor”. On behalf of the prisoner the learned Counsel contended that the prosecutor was so drunk that it was utterly impossible that he could know what he was about. The prisoner was found guilty, and sentenced to eighteen months imprisonment with hard labour. 5 September 1 1855 Birkenhead POLICE COURT – WEDNESDAY One of those amphibious beings, a boatman, named William Ecclestone, formerly employed on the Rock Ferry boats, was charged with having stolen a pair of pistols from a yacht belonging to Mr Hethrington at Rock Ferry. On the day previous the prisoner had been engaged in cleaning the complainant's yacht, and upon the yachtsman going on board in the morning the fire-arms were missed. Information was given to the police, and the lost articles were traced to a beerhouse kept by a man named Smith, in Limekiln Lane, the prisoner having sold them to the landlord for 18s. He was soon after arrested. Mr Hethrington sen said he did not wish to press the charge. The prisoner was remanded to Saturday. 6 September 1 1855 NANTWICH PETTY SESSIONS Edward Evans, boatman, was convicted in the penalty of £5, including costs, for violently assaulting William Webb, captain of one of the Shropshire Union Canal Company's boats on the 28th last; in default, to be committed for twelve months to Chester Castle. 7 November 10 1855 CREWE PETTY SESSIONS Thomas Price, boatman, in the employ of the Shropshire Union Railway and Canal Company, was summoned by John Jones, wharfinger, Audlem, for wasting the water in the canal wharf at the above place, was committed in the penalty of 20s, including costs, and in default one month to Chester Castle. 8 November 10 1855 SANDBACH POLICE COURT John Mason alias Hall Green Jack, was charged by Police Constable Walker with stealing a pair of trowsers and one pair of boots from a boat on the Trent and Mersey Canal, the property of George Green. It appears that the robbery took place in June last, when the prisoner absconded, and was not heard of until last Friday night, when he was apprehended in a boat at Lawton. The prisoner was further charged with stealing a pair of boots, the same night, from Robert Corden, another boatman. The prisoner, who had been previously convicted for highway robbery, was committed for trial on both charges. 9 December 8 1855 DISCOVERY OF THE BODY OF THE LATE MR F O TAYLOR All apprehensions as to the fate of this highly-esteemed gentleman, who was the manager of the North and South Wales Bank in this city, were set at rest on Tuesday morning last, by the discovery of his body in the Shropshire Union Canal, nearly opposite Messrs Huxley's brewery, by a boatman named William Jackson. The gold watch and ring which he wore, also two keys and a small sum of money were found in his pocket. Information was immediately conveyed to John Hostage Esq, the city coroner, who summoned a highly respectable jury, who met at the Exchange at 4 o'clock the same afternoon, and after viewing the body, adjourned until yesterday morning. 10 January 5 1856 CHESTER POLICE COURT Thomas Price, a boatman, was charged with being drunk and disorderly about half past one o'clock on Sunday morning, being found by a policeman knocking at the door of the Coach and Horses. Fined 5s and 4s 6d costs. 11 May 3 1856 THE LATE ATTEMPTED MURDER AT RUNCORN It will be in the recollection of our readers that a fortnight since we gave an account of the attempted murder and suicide at Runcorn. The party charged with the rash act is a boatman, named Richard Francis; the person on whom the attempt was made is his wife. The prisoner has been several times brought up and remanded, his wife not being sufficiently recovered to give evidence. He was finally brought up yesterday week, before Philip Whiteway, Esq, charged with attempting to murder his wife, Mary Francis, by cutting her throat. The woman was brought to the Town Hall in a car, and she appeared to be in a very weak state from loss of blood. Upon the case being proceeded with, Mary Francis stated that on the day in question she was in Runcorn with the prisoner, who is a boatman. She went with him to a public house to have a glass of ale, where they met with the captain of his boats and his wife. Prisoner wanted them to have a second glass, which they refused. The Captain said to make it equal, his wife should pay for a noggin of rum, which was called for and drunk, after which the prisoner and witness quarrelled; she believed it was because he would not pay for another gill. The prisoner struck her, and the captain's wife pulled him off. All of them went to their boats; the captain and his wife went first into the boat; the prisoner then began to abuse witness, and the captain told him if he did not be quiet, he would force him from the boat, but would not turn witness and child out until they got to Manchester, where witness lives.