Some Selected Reports from The Windsor and Eton Express
3rd June 1837
Windsor Police
Pryce Jones was brought before the Mayor and Sir John Chapman, charged with stealing a whip, the property of Mr. Chas. Brumridge, a farmer at Thorpe.
It appeared that on Saturday last, Mr. Brumridge, after transacting some business in the parlour of the Three Tuns, in this town, left the room to go into the market, where he was some time,
when he recollected he had left his whip behind him. On returning to the Three Tuns, he found that it had been taken away by a person whom he had seen there writing a letter, and who resembled the prisoner.
Information of the robbery was given to Guthrie, a policeman, who succeeded in tracing the prisoner to Colnbrook, where he found him in the tap room of the George Inn, with the whip in his possession and brought him back to Windsor.
The prisoner expressed his sorrow for taking away the whip. He said he had been in the employ of Messrs. Pontifex, the coppersmiths, of London, and his object in coming to Windsor was to make
an application to Lord Adolphus Fitzclarence, to allow him to take sketches of some of His Majesty's horses. The letter he had written at the Three Tuns he sent to Lord Adolphus, and intended to return to
Windsor on Monday for an answer.
The prosecutor expressed a disinclination to prosecute, especially as he could not positively identify the whip or the prisoner.
The magistrates expressed their opinion that they had no discretion but to commit the prisoner, as he had admitted his offence. They did not, however he was an experienced thief.
Since the committal, the magistrates have received an excellent character of the prisoner from a Mr. Farr, of Basing-place, Waterloo-road, which they observed might prove of some use to him on his trial.