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The Windsor and Eton Express. |
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5th April 1834
Police Court Windsor (Before R.Blunt,Esq,Mayor and C.Snowden,Esq,Justice.)
Monday - Samuel Harbert, William Henry Bristow, Francis Saunders,(better known as Brick Saunders), and Benjamin Cooper, were examined before the above Magistrates on the charge of having (with Edward Christopher, Samuel Gutteridge, and others who have not yet been taken,) assaulted and robbed a person named John Baker, at the Grapes public house, Thames-street, Windsor. John Baker, a hardwareman, sworn. He stated that he went to the Grapes public house, on Thursday the 27th'ult,about half past seven o'clock in the evening in the company of John Edgson, they went to the bar and called for some gin and took it to the tap room, where there were about a dozen persons. They had scarcely got in before he was knocked down by some person, and seven or eight men fell upon him, while he was down he distinctly heard Christopher say "stick to him, he's got some gilt," they then took from his breeches pockets four sovereigns and a half, 11 shillings in silver, and a gold ring, they also removed his watch from his fob, but upon Christopher exclaiming, with an oath, "put it back, that'll lag us", it was returned, and he afterwards found it in the knee of his breeches. He could not call for assistance as they kept their hands on his mouth, when he got up he found the room nearly empty, none of the prisoners were in the room except Cooper, he said if those who had robbed him would give him back the ring and part of the gold they might spend the rest. He then went and gave information to a constable, and the prisoners were taken into custody the same night. The next day he was met by a young man named Cox, who condoled with him on his loss, and said he supposed that if he (Baker) got his ring back he would be satisfied, in the course of the day the ring was returned to him by Cox, who received it from Samuel Gutteridge. He saw Gutteridge in a field near Eton College on Saturday, he came up and shook hands with him, and said he was very sorry for what took place at the Grapes. Gutteridge further stated that they only had two or three shillings each, except Christopher, who had three sovereigns and a half, and that Cooper had nothing to do with the robbery. John Edgson, of Wexham-street, Stoke, sworn. He deposed to his going with Bakerthe Grapes on Thursday evening, and taking some gin from the bar to the tap-room. The four prisoners were there and Christopher and Gutteridge, and several others whom he did know. They had not been in the room two minutes before Baker was "floored" by Saunders, and seven or eight men surrounded him and rifled his pockets, he noticed Christopher, Saunders and Gutteridge as being the most active, and he heard Christopher make use of the expressions as stated by Baker. He got upon the suttle out of the way, as he was afraid to interfere lest he should be served the same, as he had a little money in his pocket. Baker and he were both in liquor but they knew perfectly well what they were about. Henry Hill, the landlord of the Barley-mow, and William Billings, the pot-boy, deposed to Saunders, Harbert, and Bristow coming into the Barley-mow and calling for some beer and paying for it with half a sovereign, and dividing the change between them on the night of the robbery. Two or three other witnesses were examined and the prisoners were remanded.