Charles Easden - Saltley Reformatory Inmate
| No. in Admissions Register: | 1209 |
| Age: | 9 years 11 months |
| Whence received: | Chepping Wycombe Petty Sessions |
| Description: | |
| Complexion: | Fresh |
| Hair colour: | Dark brown |
| Eyes colour: | Mottled grey |
| Height: | 4 ft 2¾ ins |
| Particular marks: | Scar left side of head, 4 dots right arm |
| State of health: | Good |
| Able-bodied? | Yes |
| Date of admission: | 21 September 1899 |
| Late residence: | 11 Town Field Terrace, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire |
| Parish he belongs to: | - |
| Customary work and mode of life: | Schoolboy and selling newspapers |
| Whether illegitimate: | - |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Imperfectly |
| Writes: | Imperfectly |
| Offence: | Stealing 2s from a shop till (and 2 other charges) |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | He does not appear to have been well looked after at home. It is remarkable that all his brothers (3) and his sister are thieves. The parents appear powerless to prevent it. The mother is a demure sort of woman with no influence for good over the children. There are 10 children in family |
| Date of sentence, by whom and court: | 16 September 1899; C W Deacon and 2 other Justices; Chepping Wycombe Petty Sessions |
| Where imprisoned: | - |
| Sentence: | 4 years at Saltley |
| Previous committals: | |
| Number: | 3 |
| Length: | 1) (21 May 1898) birched; 2) (1 February 1899) birched; 3) (1 February 1899) birched |
| For what: | 1) Larceny from a shop till; 2) stealing 9d from a till; 3) stealing 3s from a till |
| Father's name: | Frederick Easden |
| Occupation: | Chair maker |
| Mother's name: | Harriet Easden |
| Occupation: | Housewife |
| Parents dead? | - |
| Survivor married again? | - |
| Parents' treatment of child: | Good |
| Character of parents | Fairly respectable |
| Parents' wages: | - |
| Amount parents agree to pay: | - |
| Parents address: | Town Field Terrace, High Wycombe |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | - |
| Person making this return: | Oscar D Sparling, Chief Constable, High Wycombe |
| Notes: | |
| 3 February 1899 Two previous offences were reported in the South Bucks Standard Friday 3 February 1899 p.2 col.8: YOUTHFUL THIEVES BIRCHED. - Charles Easden, eight, of Townfield-terrace, and Robert lng, ten, of 19, Duke-street, schoolboys, were charged with stealing ninepence, the money of George Tillion. - George Tillion said he lived in Easton- street, and was a poulterer. On Monday, January 23rd, he returned home from the country at a quarter to four in the afternoon, and on opening the shop door he saw Easden coming from behind the counter. There was a shelf behind the counter, and on it two small baskets which he used as a till. He asked him how long he had been in the shop, and he said "Oh, not long." He had a penn'orth of peas pudding. Ing was outside looking in at the window. Subsequently when witness went to the basket for change he found there was none there. Witness put a sixpence in one basket before he started the journey, and there were some coppers in the other. He had seen the boys in the shop before. He gave information to the police, and on Tuesday pointed out the boys to P.S. Bentley. - P.S. Bentley said that on Tuesday afternoon he was on duty in Easton-street, when the two boys were pointed out to him by Mr. Tillion, as those for for whom search had been made. He took them into Mr. Tillion's shop, and cautioned them, and charged them with stealing ninepence from the baskets on the shelf in the shop on January 23. Easden said "Yes sir; I had sixpence and lng had three pence." Ing said "Yes; I had threepence in coppers." - The boys pleaded guilty. - Easden was further charged with stealing 3s. from Minnie Evans, draper, on January 28. - Ethel Bristow, assistant to Miss Evans, draper, Crendon-street, said that on Saturday, January 28th, soon after 9 in the evening she saw the boy in the shop, and asked what he wanted. He asked for an empty box. She said they had none, and he must not come there again. He had been in for the same purpose several times. Subsequently she went to the till to reckon up the money, and she found three shillings short of the day's takings. She told Miss Evans. - P.S. Bentley said from information received and having Easden in custody on the other charge he charged him with the theft of the 3s. from Miss Evans from a till in a shop at Crendon-street, and he replied "Yes; I took the three shillings, and spent one shilling and shared the other with Ing on Monday morning. Ing knew where I got it from." - The boys pleaded guilty. - Ing was then charged with receiving a shilling from Easden knowing it to have been stolen. - Minnie Bristow gave formal evidence. - P.S. Bentley said that from a statement made by Easden in respect to a similar charge he charged Ing with receiving one shilling from Easden knowing it to have been stolen. He replied "I had a shilling, but I was at home on Saturday night." - The boy pleaded guilty to receiving the shilling, but said he did not know it was stolen until after it was spent. - The Mayor gave the boys good advice, and said the Bench were determined to stop the system of asking for empty boxes, and robbing tills while the assistant's back was turned. Each boy would receive four stripes with the birch when they got to the police station, and four more before six o'clock. He hoped they would reform after that. - Easden had received six on a previous occasion. | |
| The crime that sent him to Saltley was reported in the South Bucks Standard Friday 22 September 1899 p.2 cols.4-5: THEFT FROM THE WYCOMBE INSTITUTE. - A YOUNG INCORRIGIBLE. - Chas. Easden. aged 10, of Townfield-terrace. was brought up on remand charged with stealing from a box in the billiard room at the Wycombe Literary and Scientific Institute on Sept. 12 two shillings. - Mr. Arthur James Thurlow, said that on Tuesday last at 12 o'clock noon at the request of Mr. Warr, the librarian of the Institute, he opened the box on the table containing money paid by members for playing at billiards at the Literary Institute. He produced the box, and the book in which the amounts placed therein were entered. On the day in question there should have been in the box the sum of 2s. 11d. according to the book. The key of the box was kept by the librarian. When the box was opened only eleven pence was found there - two shillings short of what should have been there. There were marks on the box which showed that it had been opened with a file that lay in the billiard-room - the marks corresponded with the file produced. It was the duty of the stewards appointed monthly to open the box daily, and pay the money into the bank. Witness was officiating this week for the duly appointed steward, who was away on his honeymoon. - Mr. Wm. H. Butler, chemist, said he had a business at Queen's-square, to which he wanted soon to get back, as he had left the shop in charge of a boy, and there was a possibility of someone being poisoned in his absence. (Laughter). He played a billiard game with Mr. Fitch and won, and played another and lost, so that he had to pay threepence, which he put into the box. Later on Mr. Thurlow came to him, and said he was getting into arrears, as the money was not in the box. - Sydney Fitch, of Town House, High Wycombe, clerk, said he put twopence in the box on Monday afternoon, September 11. - Percy Gale, of Priory-road, said he placed in the box a penny which was due from him because he had practised at billiards. - Frank Edwards, Wycombe Marsh, managing clerk at Albert Reed and Co.'s mill, said he placed two sixpences in the box also on Monday, September 11. - Harold Bennett, of London-road. said he placed sixpence in the box on Monday, and next day he found he was "labelled up" for arrears.- Deboroh Bowler, of Laura-place, said she went to the Institute on Tuesday morning at 8.25, and after she had swept up the place she saw the defendant standing outside at the corner of the steps. She asked him if he wanted anything, and he asked if Mr. Marshall were there. She said he was not there, and defendant said he wanted to see Mr. Marshall, who told him to go there to meet him. She told him Mr. Marshall would not there until ten o'clock. He then said, "You away before then, don't you?" She replied "That don't make any difference-he won't be here before ten." She left the place at a quarter to ten, when Mr. Warr had arrived. The boy was then still standing at the door. - P.C. Webb said he received information on Wednesday morning of a robbery at the Literary Institute, and having made enquiries he went to the Central Board School, and saw Easden in the playground. He told him he wanted him to go with him to see a lady. He said "Do mean the woman who cleans the place up?" Witness : said "To what place do you refer?" and defendant said "That," pointing to the Institute. Witness had not said anything to the lad about the matter, and told the boy he had better not say anything. Defendant said "If I put the money back in the box they won't summon me, will they?" This was quite unsolicited. Witness then took defendant to the station, and charged him with stealing two shillings from the box in the billiard-room at the Literary Institute He cautioned him in the usual manner, and in reply he said "I took it." - The boy's father, who was in Court, when asked how he would have the boy dealt with, said he would rather have him tried by a jury, as no-one saw him take the money. - The Mayor: It is in your hands; if you do that we shall take the other cases which can be brought against your son. - The father then decided to have the case settled at once. - The boy pleaded guilty. - Mr. Coles, assistant clerk to the Justices, proved a number of previous convictions against the defendant. - The Mayor gave the boy some good advice, and regretted that he was before him for the fourth time. His action in connection with stealing the money, despicable though it was, would have done credit to the smartest burglar. The Bench had decided that he should be sent to Birmingham Reformatory, where he would have to remain for four years, at the end of which period he hoped the lad would be ready to start on a new career. | |
| 22 April 1903 Discharged from Saltley by Order of the Home Secretary on account of enlisting in the Band of the East Kent Regiment, stationed at Dover | |