PRISONER'S SURPRISE.

Northern Advocate, 13 January 1912, Page 3

PRISONER'S SURPRISE.

■*\ DID NOT EXPECT A HEAVY SENTENCE.

A remarkable struggle with a burglar was described by witnesses at the Middlesex Sessions, London recently. Two prisoners were in the dock— one a sturdily-built, well dressed man, described as John Parker, a painter, twenty-nine /ears of age, and the oth- «&•, a good looking young woman, Emjmj Clarke, twenty-one years of age, a servant.

They were indicted, the man for committing a series of burglaries in the Acton district, and the woman for receiving a large quantity of stolen property. There was also a charge against the male prisoner of inflictng grievous bodily harm upon a caretaker named Wiffen. FIGHT WITH CARETAKER. Mr Purcell, counsel for the prosecution, told a remarkable story. The charge, he said, was a very extraordinary one,'ami the charge against the male prisoner was aggravated, by a very violent af sault which he made upon the caretaker of one of the houses which he broke into. The caretaker, a man named Fred Wiffen, had been in charge of the residence of a Mrs Emily Mary Addleman for about six weeks prior to the burglary. Mrs Addleman was away on a holiday when on the night of October 19, Wiffen securely locked up the house, and went to bc-d on the second floor, leaving his door open from which there was a clear view of the staircase.

in the middle of the night Wiffen heard a noise, and on going out on the landing was confronted by a man with a mask and a handkerchief over his face, and holding a revolver in his hand. The intruder cried out - "Stand back; let me go, or I will shoot you.'' Wiffen, however, threw down a candle he was carrying, and seined the intruder around the neck. He heard a click from the revolver, but seized the weapon with one hand and there was no explosion. DESPERATE STRUGGLES. I*hen commenced a series of dcs-

jjerate struggles. The burglar—who afterwards turned out to be the' male prisoner—kicked Wiffen several time 3 v/renched the revolver from him, and battered him with it about the head, inflicting very serious injuries. * Wiffen fell half stunned to the floor, but as he did so caught the prisoner b:- the one lyg. There was another tussle, and the burglar got away and rushed down the stairs, Wiffen still holding his leg, being dragged head first after him. On the landing beneath another fierce struggle began. Wiffe.i seized a heavy blow on the head. They struggled again on the stairs. Wiffen clinging tenaciously to his man. By this time, both men were thoroughly exhausted, and they remained for over a quarter of an hour, almost breathless and unable to speak. The prisoner, gasping, asked for water, and Wiffen told him that he should have some if he would surrender. The prisoner refused, and another struggle then commenced, durin which the prisoner said:—"l ought to have put a couple of bullets into you from that old gun, but I have a knife I couM put through you now." Again there was a sort o f : truce through exhaustion, and the prisoner remarked: "I know what you want, you will be a hero if you can hold me.' Wiffen replied: "I will stop here a week but I will hold you." The two men after another struggle became still more exhausted, and at length the prisoner said he was faint and mu?t He down. This was a ruse, however. Directly Wiffen had left the room prisoner leapt through a plate-glass window and escaped. INTENDED TO MARRY. Mr Montagu Sharpe discharged the female prisoner, who was kissed by prisoner while leaving the dock. Prisoner sad he had! intended to marry the young woman but lost his work, and getting very hard up he took to burglary to raise something to live by. He asserted emphatically tbjjk, he never intended to use a re-

, volvcr, and he added: "I used no more violence than I could help in the struggle with Wiffen." The sentence was one of seven years' penal servitude, on hearing which Parker, becoming very agitated, shouted: "I never expected to get this; it's not right." He then threw himself on the floor of the dock, and ii; took half a dozen officers after a struggle to remove him from the court.