King's Head

From the Kent Herald, 14 August 1828. Assizes 4.bmp"

The Challock Burglary.

Stephen Cullen, alias Gig Cullen, age 25, labourer, was indicted for a burglary in the house of Thomas Wright, at Challock, and stealing there from £330 in guineas, half guineas, and seven shilling pieces, a shilling, and five calico bags.

Mr. Pollock and Mr. Bodkin appeared for the prosecution.

Margaret Wright, wife of Thomas Wright, deposed that her husband was a small farmer at Challock. On the night of the Eighth of December, she, her husband, and servant girl, went to bed at 9 o'clock, the house having been fastened up;

about half past one in the morning she was awakened, and saw a light in the room, and a man standing on each side of the bed; one of them had a plough coulter in his hand, and other a club, they pulled the bed clothes about, and both witness and her husband halloed out; she jumped out of bed, and the light was immediately extinguished, but it was moon light, and she could still see the men; she went to the chamber door, and one of the men pushed her back; she then ran to the window and called out; the man at the door then stood over her with the club, while the other was plundering in an inner room, in about 5 minutes he came back, and said "I can't find it." Prisoner was the man who went into the inner room; they broke open two chests in the bedroom from one of which prisoner took a small pipkin, in which were bags of money, each containing originally £75 pound 12s. they then ran down stairs, and witness followed them; they went out as they came in, by the back door; the staples and fastenings of the back door were all forced out. In each of the bags of money there was a writing, to show what each daughter had had out.

Cross-examined by Mr. Walsh.

She was not alarmed. Prisoner had on a brown jacket; her husband put the money in the bags; she had seen it and counted it over about a 12-month before; there was something dark on the men's eyebrows. She was positive as to the person of prisoner.

Thomas Wright, an old man, the husband of the last witness, corroborated the testimony of his wife in all the important particulars. The men pulled the bed clothes about, as if playing the rogue; they did not hurt him or his wife; he last saw the money on August 1827; it was in five bags of £75 12s. each; his daughter Anne and Catherine had each had three guineas out of their several portions.

Cross examined by Mr. Clarkson.

Besides prisoner, four men with taking up on suspicion of having committed this burglary; they never swore to them; he never swore that the two men had their faces blackened; he could not swear to the person of prisoner. Mary Mills, the male maid servants, fastened the back door when she went to bed; she had a bed on the landing place, by which persons must go to get into prosecutors room; she was awakened by the men coming upstairs; they had a light with them; they both had clubs; they went into the masters room, and she heard her master and mistress cry out "what do you want?" and then "murder." She ran out of the house, undressed, to a house a short distance off, and Mr. Andrews and his son went back with her, but the men were gone.

Cross examined.

She never said any of the other four men taken were the men; prisoners face looked blacked along his forehead.

John Mancroft deposed that his father kept the "King's Head," Hollingbourne, 10 miles from Challock. About nine in the morning of the 9th December he saw prisoner and a shorter man come to the house, where they remained two hours, ate some bread and cheese, and drank rum and beer; the short man had a bag of guineas, which he took out of his pockets; there appeared to be about 50. Witness's father sold them two players of stockings, which were paid for with a guinea. When they left, witness followed and watched them; he saw one of them take some silver out of the others pocket, Smith came up and joined witness; the two men sat down under a hedge for nearly two hours, and at last one of them got up and tore something to pieces in the road; and they then went on. Witness and Smith picked up the torn pieces, which proved to be fragments of linen bags, a piece of paper, and a duplicate; they lost sight of the men at Allington Hill. Witness produced the pieces.

Cross examined.

He was positive as to the identity of the prisoner, although he never saw him again to April; a piece of paper found had on its the name of "Holden."

Cornelius Minecraft, brother of last witness, about 11 o'clock on the 9th saw two men in his father's tap room, but would not be positive the prisoner was one; one pulled out a purse of gold, consisting of half a guinea and seven pieces; there might be about 30 pieces; the other man said "don't be a b----y fool, but keep it up;" one man was shorter than the other.

Thomas Smith followed the men with John Mancroft; he went forward, and passed them as they sat under the hedge, for the purpose of noticing them; they had a hat turned down, and some silver on the crown; prisoner was one of the men; they were counting the money, and disagreeing a little. He returned and asked if they had seen a black cow; the short one replied "D--n your eyes, you are watching us," and got up; prisoner cried out give it him; witness got over a gate to avoid them.

Cross examined.

He had not seen prisoner again till this day, but was positive as to his identity.

Michael Ellen kept the "Eight Bells," Canterbury. About 9 o'clock on the evening of Sunday the 9th December, prisoner was at his house with another man, George Holden; prisoner wanted to have a bushel of beer, but witness would not draw it; prisoner pulled a piece of gold, and said he was able to pay for it; Holden then called for a pot of beer; they had some beef, for which Holden paid with a guinea; they left about 11 o'clock; before they went witness called Holden out of the tap room, and prevailed on him to leave his money with him; he gave witness a bag containing "102 pounds 10s. 6dD., in guineas, half guineas, and 7s. pieces; Holden them went into a little parlor, and had half a pint of gin with Cullen; the latter asked if Holden had paid for it, because if he had not, he, Callum, could pay for a bushel of gin; prisoner then offered to lay witness a wager of a sovereign that he and Holden had each a hundred pounds in their pockets; and witness wanted to know what money they had threw 20s. on the table, Cullen then went to Holden and felt his pocket; after which he took a big bag out of his own pocket, and put it into Holden's; he then held up a bag and shook it; it was quite full, and did not jingle; a man named Williams then to keep a sovereign and the 20 shillings, and gave them to prisoner, witness was determined to have his silver again or the bag of money, and a scuffle ensued; he got prisoner down, and got upon him, but the other man pulled him away, and prisoner got out of the room, next morning prisoner came again to witness's house for a short time; witness had never seen either of them again till yesterday. He gave Holden's money to Mr. Ridout.

Mr. Ridout, a grocer, produced the bag of money.

Henry Godmark was at Tunbridge Wells in April last, and met prisoner going towards the Wells; he knew him, and with assistance pursued and took him at Southborough.

Prosecutor looked at a crooked half guinea taken from the bag, and also a piece of paper taken from the bag; he knew them both to have been in the pipkin when it was stolen. One piece of the torn bag had on it "Charlotte," and another "Maria," the names of his two daughters; they were also in the stolen bags.

Prisoner made no defence.

His Lordship went through the evidence with great minuteness; and the Jury immediately found the prisoners Guilty.

His Lordship ordered him to be taken away for the present.

From the Kent Herald, 14 August 1828.

Stephen Cullen, yesterday convicted of burglary at Challock, was next put to the bar before sentence.

His Lordship told him that his crime was the most heinous one, but taken into consideration that he and his companion had not ill used the old people, that circumstance and that alone induced his Lordship to spare his life. If, when the old woman got out of bed, or the old man rose, any violence have been used towards them, prisoner most certainly would have been left for execution. It was not the first time he had been arraigned in a Court of Justice; therefore, though his life will be spared, he will be sent out of this country for ever. His Lordship then sentenced him to be transported for life.