Saltley Reformatory Inmates

Frederick Wills

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Notes:

12 October 1864 There is a lengthy report of the crime in the Wolverhampton Chronicle and Staffordshire Advertiser Wednesday 12 October 1865 p.6 cols.3-4: A GANG OF JUVENILE THIEVES.- Five lads, named Robert Thompson [boy 289], 13, Frederick Wills [boy 287] , 14, Samuel Waters [boy 288], 13, Henry Cuppage [boy 286], 16, and Edward Cuppage, 12, were all charged with being concerned in various robberies from shopkeepers. The first case taken was for stealing a waistcoat, the property of a Jew clothier. Simon Aaron, residing in Berry-street. Prosecutor stated that on Monday morning last the prisoner Thompson and Wills came into his shop, and said they wanted to buy a waistcoat. Witness reached them one or two down to look at, but they said they were too high priced, as they wanted one for a shilling. They then left the shop, and seeing that they immediately joined two other lads (the prisoners Wafers and Henry Cuppage), who seemed to have been waiting for them outside, witness had his suspicions excited, and went into the shop and looked over his stock. He then missed the waistcoat produced, worth 3s. 6d., which had been lying on the counter just before the two lads came in. He at once ran up the street to try to find the prisoners, but they had disappeared. It appears that the waistcoat was pledged the same morning it was stolen by the prisoner Thompson the pawnshop of Mr. Griffiths, in Peel-street. He pledged it in the name of " George Jones."- In the second case, Miss Mary Green, assistant to the Misses Bate, milliners and hosiers, North-street, stated that about half-past ten o'clock on Saturday night last the prisoners Thompson and Walters came the shop, and asked to look at some scarves. She showed one or two to them, but after looking at them, Thompson said he had not sufficient money at the time to purchase the scarf he wanted, and they would go home and ask their mothers, and then come again. On the Wednesday morning, the prisoner Thompson came to the shop by himself, and again asked to look at come scarves. She showed some to him, and he then said he wanted a blue one, similar in pattern to one which his brother had. Witness said she had no scarves like the one described, and they then left the shop without purchasing anything. Witness did not miss any of the scarves on either occasion, but she identified the three produced as the property of the Messrs. Bate. They were similar in pattern and colour to the scarves she reached out for Thompson, on the Saturday and Monday, but she would not swear that they were the same.- Police-constable Evans stated that he apprehended the three prisoners, Thompson, Wills, and Walters, and they were each wearing a new woollen scarf, but they said nothing about them. On the following day he apprehended Henry Cuppage on the same charge as he had apprehended the other three. Seeing that he also had a new scarf round his neck, witness asked him where he got it, and in reply, Cuppage said " Thompson, Wills, and Walters got lot of them on Saturday night, at a shop near the Market, and they gave one to me, and another to my brother Edward." In consequence of this, witness then apprehended Edward Cuppage, and also found in his possession a new scarf, similar in appearance and quality to the others, and making five in all. He then took the scarves to the Misses Bates', North Street and three of the articles were identified by the last witness as the property of her mlstresses. He had not been able to find an owner for the other two scarfs, nor could find that any other shopkeeper in the town sold those particular kind of scarves, but the Misses Bates.-The third charge against the prisoners was for stealing three waistcoats from a shop at Bilston. - Mary Ann Neale, wife of Lewis Neale, clothier, of Church- street, Bilston, stated that about ten o'clock on Tuesday morning last Thompson and Waters came to her shop, and Waters said "I want a waistcoat, about 2s." Witness told him that she did not think she could find one for less than 2s. 6d., and she reached one or two down. The prisoner Waters then tried on a waistcoat at 2s. 6d., and, after pulling it off again, he said he would see what his elder brother said about it. He then called in the other prisoner, Henry Cuppage, and the latter, after looking at the waistcoat, said he thought it would do, and he would go to his mother, who was on the Wolverhampton road, and get another 6d. of her. They ail three then left the shop, and she did not see them again. On the following Thursday witness missed two waistcoats, and she identified the two now produced as the same. One of them was the same waistcoat as was tried on by the prisoner Waters. They were both together worth about 7s.-Theophilus Wedge, pawnbroker, Monmore Green, stated that about twelve o'clock on Tuesday last, the prisoner Wills came to his shop and offered one of the two waistcoats produced in pledge. Having a suspicion that the lad had not honestly obtained the article, although he asserted that he had been sent with it by his mother, witness questioned him still further, and ultimately refused to take the waistcoat in. After the lad had left his shop witness watched him. and seeing that as soon as he got a little way up the street, he was joined by the other three prisoners, Thompson, Walters, and Henry Cuppage, witness became convinced that his suspicions were correct, and he therefore followed after them. Shortly afterwards he met with Police-constable Evans, and he at once communicated to the officer what had been taking place. In the meantime the lads themselves had begun to suspect that their movements were being watched, and on seeing witness stop and talk to the policeman they all ran away, but were immediately followed by the officer, and the witness Wedge, and Thompson, Wills, and Waters were apprehended. Cuppage escaped at the time, but waa apprehended as above stated on Thursday. The two waistcoats stolen from Bilston and the scarfs were found in the prisoners possession, and inquiries being set on foot by the police, they ultimately succeeded in ascertaining from where most of the property had been stolen. -The Bench did not consider there was sufficient evidence against Edward Cuppage to implicate him in the robberies, and was therefore discharged. The other four prisoners-who, throughout the inquiry appeared to regard their position with the utmost indifference - were committed to take their trial at the next Borough Quarter Sessions. Thompson was before the Bench only a few weeks ago, on the charge of stealing money from his then employers, but escaped a conviction owing to the want of evidence. When arrested on the present charges, he was wearing one of the pairs of leggings obtained by the prisoner in the former case, George Groom.

20 November 1867 Discharged

December 1868 Doing well

January 1870 Doing well

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