An accomplice turned Queen’s evidence to save his own skin. Although, reading between the lines, he might have been, in fact, the mastermind behind this string of robberies.
WEDNESDAY. – before Chief Baron Alexander.
THE KESTEVEN GANG.
Robberies in the Neighbourhood of Bourn & Stamford.
GEORGE COLLINS, aged 24, late of Edenham, laborer, was indicted for stealing a sheep, the property of Mr. Robert Stubley, of Edenham, on the night of the 5th December last. The principal witness was an accomplice, of the name of Wm. Osborn, of Carlby, in whose house the prisoner lodged; they slaughtered the sheep in a field, and hiding the skin in some furze, carried the carcass to an old house which Osborn had at Carlby: on the following Sunday the prisoner was married, and part of this stolen sheep furnished forth the wedding feast. ~When the prisoner was apprehended in February, he said that he ” did not kill the sheep, but only helped to fetch it away; he should not have gone but for Osborn, who had been his ruin.” – Guilty – The Judge said it was not his intention to press judgement against the prisoner to the utmost; but he must be removed from this country, and never expect to see it again.
The prisoner was then arraigned on an indictment charging him with having stolen a gun from Mr. Stubley’s house on the 9th of November; and WILLIAM (alias Corporal) WRIGHT, aged 34, late of Stamford, was charged with having feloniously received the gun. – The principal witness in the case also was Osborn, the accomplice in the theft; whose evidence was conclusive as to the guilt of Collins; but the Judge thought there was not evidence of a guilty knowledge on the part of Wright sufficient to warrant a conviction. – Collins guilty, Wright not guilty.
The Same WM. WRIGHT was indicted for stealing two iron bars, the property of the Trustees of the Bourn turnpike-road, from the stone-pits 6 miles from Stamford, on the 23rd of November last. – He was found guilty on this charge, and sentenced to seven years’ transportation.
JOHN JIBB, aged 40, late of Stamford, was indicted for burglariously breaking into the dwelling house of Mr. Robt. Stubley, at Edenham, in the night of the 24th of January, and stealing a quantity of bacon, lard and other articles. – The principal witness in this case likewise was the accomplice Osborn, who detailed the plan and execution of the robbery: from his statement it appeared that he and Jibb met at the house of Corporal Wright a few days before the robbery, when Jibb asked Osborn where they could go to get any thing, and he suggested Stubley’s. On the evening of the robbery, Jibb went to Osborn’s house at Carlby, and after staying some time in Mr. Bank’s barn at that place, they went about 11 at night to Stubley’s, and broke through the wall into the cellar; they took tow forks out of the stable, to carry away their spoil with. One of these forks, and a pig’s head, were found by Blades, the constable, at Jibb’s house in February. – Jibb protested his innocence, and declared that Osborn had requested him to join in various robberies, which he had refused. – the Jury immediately returned a verdict of guilty, and judgement of death was recorded against Jibb. – The Judge intimated that is was unnecessary to proceed with those charges against Jibb wherein he was indicted alone, for his Lordship was already satisfied that he must be sent abroad for life – the country must be for ever freed from his depredations.
The same prisoner was again arraigned, with JAMES SQUIRES, aged 35, late of Barnack, laborer on a charge of stealing, on the 19th of January last, from the dwelling-house of Thos. Miller , of Barnack, a quantity of wearing apparel. Osborn was an accomplice in this robbery also, and the principal evidence for the prosecution. Jibb and he proceeded together from STamford to the house of the prisoner Squires at Barnack, who, with Wm. Squires, joined them in the robbery, which they effected by taking off the thatch, and making a hole through the ceiling. Jibb entered the shop, and reached the goods through the hole to Jas. Squires, who handed them to Osborn, whilst Wm. Squires kept watch: the goods were conveyed to Osborn’s house at Carlby, which appears to have been the general rendezvous for this daring gang, and on the following Sunday night they met there to divide the spoil: Jibb purchased Jas. Squires’ share for 15s , and Mw. Squires’ was left at Osborn’s house. Some of the goods were found at Jibb’s house on the 7th February, but none at Squires’. – Guilty.
WM. WIRGHT, aged 34, late of ~Edenham, butcher, was charged with breaking into the shop of Mr. Thos. Burrows, at Edenham, on 21st December, and stealing 150lbs. of beef. Jibb was charged with feloniously receiving the same. – For the seventh time in one day, Osborn appeared again as the accomplice and principal witness. He stated that on the Friday before Christmas-day he went to the public house at Thurlby, where he was joined by the prisoner, Wright and Corporal Wright. the former and witness left between 11 and 12 at night, and went to Edenham, where Wright said “Here’s the shop of a butcher, well to do, hs has good friends, and a deal of good beef for this Christmas.” In this instance also they effected an entry by taking off the thatch and breaking a hole through the ceiling. The accomplice was corroborated in some particulars by other witnesses. – There was no evidence to affect Jibb, consequently he was acquitted; but Wright was found guilty.
Thus terminated the trials of as desperate and successful gang of depredators as ever infested the county, and whose apprehension and conviction is a subject of congratulations to all in the neighbourhood to which they have so long been a terror: there is but one circumstance to regret, namely, that the ends of justice could not be accomplished without suffering the ringleader to save his own neck by giving evidence against those who have probably been deluded by his evil example.
The Stamford Mercury, 14th March, 1828.