Cambridge Chronicle 17 Apr 1869: John Kefford burgled

ALLEGED BURGLARY AT TRUMPINGTON. — George Murray, 17 (but who looked much older), a tramp, described as of no residence, who said his parents were Irish and he was brought up in London; and John Godfrey, 16, of Maidenhead, Berks., were charged with burglariously entered the dwelling-house of John Kefford, laborer at Trumpington, on 1st April. — It will be seen from the evidence below that the first-named prisoner goes about the country singing Irish ballads in public-houses, and the latter acted as collector for him. They were both taken before T.J. Ficklin, Esq., on Monday, the 4th, and remanded to this Court to-day, when the following was deposed to: John Kefford, the prosecutor, residing at Trumpington, said that at about nine in the evening of the 31st March he closed his house. His wife heard a noise in the house in the night and awoke him. He struck a light, and looked out of his bedroom window. He came across the room and heard a noise, when he called his brother-in-law, who was in the next room. They both went down and found the window open, the table upside down, and the whole place in confusion. A pair of shoes were found, but no one could be seen. He gave information to the police at five in the morning. He had not seen the prisoners before. He did not miss anything out of the house; and no stick or bludgeon was lying outside when he fastened the shutters. — William Marshall, groom to Mr. Toller, Trumpington, brother-in-law to last witness, said he occupied part of the house with Kefford. He corroborated last witness, and said further he noticed that the pane of glass just beneath the catch of the window was broken. He also found a bludgeon outside of the house, close to the window, a small garden being in front of the house. — Ann Kefford, wife of prosecutor, said she was awoke on the night in question by the breaking of glass. She heard the garden gate bang to, and hearing a noise in the room below, woke her husband. She looked out of the window and saw two persons making off over the wall from the direction of the window below. The two previous witnesses had just then gone down. The prisoners were of the same description in point of height and apparel as those she saw running away, after whom she called “rogues.” — Charles Wilson, groom to Mr. Foster, Trumpington, was in his stables about half-past twelve o’clock on the night in question. One of the dogs growled, and he went out and made off towards the stable yard gate. He then saw two lads lurking about, and asked them what their “little game” was. He went towards them, and they ran away; he followed them, saying he would see who they were, and caught them within three yards. Seeing they were strangers to him he pursued no farther. The tallest one had dark clothes on; the shortest one had a dark jacket and light trousers. The two prisoners he would swear were the same. Both had shoes on, and apparently one pair heavier than the other. It was in the direction of Kefford’s house that the two persons ran, but he followed them beyond the house about fifty yards. — Thomas Bontall, of the Black Swan, Great Shelford, said the prisoners came to his house at about nine in the evening of March 31st. Thinking they required lodgings, he told his wife not to let them have any, as he did not like the look of them. He went out, and on going to the “Compases,” found them singing Irish songs, the tallest one twisting the bludgeon (produced) in the manner of a shillelah. He noticed the stick being fresh cut, with the bark off one end. — Susan Annie Wright, the landlady of the “Compasses,” Great Shelford, proved that the prisoners visited her house on 31st March. They sang there, and the tallest one used a stick like the one produced, and had on light cricket shoes, which she observed from his striking his foot with the stick during the song. — James Kirby, in the employ of Mr. P. Grain, stated that on the 1st April he went to a straw stack on the Linton-road about half-past seven in the morning. He found the prisoners there, and noticed that the shortest of the two had no shoes on, and the other a pair of light ones like those worn by cricketers. — Superintendent Long, of Linton, said he received information on the Friday that a burglary had been committed at Kefford’s house, and received a description of the parties. He made inquiries, and eventually found them at a lodging-house at Bury St. Edmund’s. Upon the prisoner Murray he found a kind of table knife, a knife blade, some ballads, and a few half-pence; and upon Godfrey, some matches and a piece of candle. On being asked what they had done with the canvas shoes, they said they had none but what they had on. He told them he believed they were the parties he was looking for, and took them into custody. — P.c. Longstaff, Trumpington, proved the state of the house after the burglary, and produced the stick and boots given him by Mrs. Kefford. The elder prisoner said to him that the reason they did not go on to Cambridge on the night in question was because it was too large a town for his profession. — This concluded the case, and the prisoners were committed for trial at the Assizes in the usual manner. — Murray was very shrewd in his cross-examining, and after being told that the case was to go for trial, said he through it very slight evidence to convict them upon.