BURGLAR SENTENCED.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 401, 23 June 1908, Page 4

BURGLAR SENTENCED.

Twelve Years’ Penal Servitude. London, June 15. John F. Spencer, a Leicester draper, has been sentenced to 12 years’ penal servitude for committing five burglaries. Spencer’s life story is an interesting one. Born at Woodhouse Eaves, in Leicestershire, 28 years ago, he was brought up 011 the fringe of Charnwood Forest, the most picturesque and fashionable part of the country. His parents were of the Yeoman class, living on the estate of Beaumanor, and none were more respected for their sterling character than they. From his earliest infancy Spencer had been attached to the village Baptist chapel. As a youth he bore an exemplary character—he was a teetotaler, and looked upon by all his friends as “a real good fellow.” When he left his native village for Leicester, his prospects were most promising. He was apprenticed to Mr Smith, a draper in the west end of Leicester, He joined a well-known chapel, and became a Sunday school teacher, and an earnest worker in social and religious movements. Spencer alsq took a prominent part in football and cricket. He was connected with what is known as the Thursday half-holiday cricket and football leagues. He became known to thousands of people, and everybody had a good word for him.

On Spencer completing his apprenticeship his old master sold him a branch drapery business in Tudor Road. The lifelong respect held for Spencer’s family and for himself brought about the friendly help of Mr Humphries, the agent to the Beaumador estates, who lives at Woodhouse. Mr Humphries bought the freehold of the Tudor Road shop, let it to Spencer at a very moderate rent, and to give him a good start bacame surety for which he was to have free of of interest.

Spencer married a bright and most industrious young woman, and the couple settled down to what promised to be a happy and successful career. After six years the wife is left with two young children, and every stick of their comfortable home is gone. Of the proceeds of the daring burglaries carried out by the gang to which Spencer belonged, it is certain that he himself received extremely little. The captain brought the spoils to London, where precious stones were removed Irom jewellery, and gold and silver put into the melting pot. One of the most sensational burglaries of the series was that at Brooksby Hall near Leicester, the hunting residence of Captain Beattie, where a haul of ,£SOOO worth of jewels was made. Spencer says that he himself took no part in this robbery. He, however, told the police that he got a jemmy from “ the one who broke into Brooksby Hall.” In a remarkable confession published in Lloyd’s Weekly News, Spencer related how he took his first downward step. Being in financial difficulty, he says, he was befriended by a man who proved to be the captain of a company of burglars, and he was at length induced to join them. The arrest of Spencer on April 9th was a dramatic climax to a series of burglaries in Leicester and district, which, up to then, had completely baffled the police. He was captured in the early hours of .that day after a desperate struggle. The police apparently had learned that a house in Henton Road was to be broken into. So a detective secreted himself inside and waited for the burglar’s entry. Very soon he heard someone commencing to force the scullery window. He lay quite still and listened intently. It was an exciting vigil. For two hours on end Spencer worked unceasingly, only stopping now and then to listen for any sign that the inmates had been disturbed.

At length the fastenings gave way. Spencer paused and satisfied himself that all was well. Then he raised the window and crawled through. The detective sprang upon him, and they wrestled fiercely in the darkness until, with the aid of the other policemen, the burglar was overpowered. The prisoner was equipped with ordinary housebreaking implements. Upon him was found a piece of meat, which, on analysis, proved to contain strychnine. This, it is suggested, was intended tor any watch-dog, which he might encounter. Spencer’s confession, with its explanation of his tall, is as follows :

“A few years ago I took over a small drapery business in Tudor Road, Leicester, but owing to bad trade and other unforseen circumstances, the business did not pay its way. As the business gradually declined, I became more and more pressed for money* The business was disposed of as I was not getting a living for myself, wife and children. I then tried another business, but owing to the keenness of competition and want of capital, I could not make that pay either. “ Just at the very time when I was in the greatest financial difficulties a man named came to me and expressed great sympathy with me in my trouble. I was naturally glad to have his sympathy under the circumstances, and he became more and more friendly towards me. At least he made a great pretence of doing so, and when he had, to a very large extent, secured my confidence by his apparently friendly attitude, he began to talk to me confidentially to this effect—that I was very

foolish to bear all my troubles and to be in such distress with scarcely enough food for my wife and children while I could get money, and plenty of it, without any trouble at all. He also stated that he got money in that way, ami he took great care not to work for it, and that if I had any “go” in me at all I would do the same thing as he did. “ He led me on in this way from one stage to another, till at length he said he was at the head of a gang of burglars. Before he had made this disclosure he had to a large extent got me into his hands, so that I was not a free agent. He used this influence over me in a coercive way, until I was gradually drawn more and more within his power.

“It was under these circumstances that, when he proposed that I should join a company of burglars, I was not in a position to resist the temptation held out before me. I was practically forced to become one of them and to join their secrets. Even at this time I was completely in their power by reason of the influence which this man had acquired over me, and the fear of the consequences if I refused to become one of them. Unfortunately, I consented to join them, and from that moment of yielding to temptation I was entirely at their mercy. I can truly say that until last September I was perfectly innocent of burglary of any kind. “ When Ithey had a thorough hold of me they said they would train me to become an expert burglar, and this man boasted that he was so clever himself that he had never been caught, and that he would make me equal with himself. Almost immediately afterwards they began to tell me bow burglaries were committed, and to show me their implements and how they were used.

“ The next step was to take me to a house where a burglary had been planned in Kent Street, Leicester. I took no part myself in the burglary, but was told off to keep watch, while the man I have mentioned and others of his gang entered the premises and carried off the valuables.

“ I was now informed by them that I could not draw back, and that I had equally taken part in the robbery with them. “The same thing occurred on a good many occasions, until I became hardened and desperate, and had not sufficient courage to draw back, although I often longed to do so, especially as my wife was becoming anxious over my freqent and mysterious absences from home during the night, and as I never found the least pleasure in what I was doing. “ I was continually being compelled to go on, and the result was that I was present, at and took part in a large number of burglaries that have been committed in Leicester and the neighbourhood. I was never happy in this awful work, and I was thankful when at last I was captured, although I did my utmost at the time to get away. “ Before my temptation and fall, I was an earnest worker in the Sundayschool and chapel with which I was associated, and I am trully sorry for all the pain and disgrace I have occasioned. “ I was not an active member of the Church nor did I take any part whatsoever in Sundayschool work during thetime I was a burglar. If I had only kept to my chapel I should never have been in my present disgraceful position. “After the expiration of my sentence I am determined once more to lead an honest and uprightful life. ’ ’