Postby dognose » Wed Jul 25, 2018 4:28 am
JOSEPH PYKE
High Street, Chatham
EXTENSIVE ROBBERY AT A JEWELLER'S IN CHATHAM
A burglary of a very extensive character was committed on Tuesday night at the shop of Mr Joseph Pyke, jeweller and silversmith, High-street, Chatham, when upwards of £1,000 worth of property was carried off. The burglars obtained an entrance into the premises by means of scaling a wall at the rear of the premises. They then attempted to break open the kitchen-door, but this being of great strength and lined with iron, defied all their attempts to break it open. They then, by means of a crow-bar, broke away the door-post and the brick- work, which allowed them to prize open the door, and thus gain entrance into the kitchen. The door, however, which conducted to the shop was strongly secured, and the burglars then commenced cutting away the ceiling to get through into the shop by that way. After cutting for some time, they left the ceiling and cut through the panel of the door, by which means the shop was entered. They then made a clean sweep of nearly every article of gold which the shop contained, consisting of several trays of diamond, signet, wedding, and other rings, about forty gold watches, gold charms, pins, chains, bracelets and a bowl of gold and silver coins. Nothing was heard of the burglars, but at about four o'clock in the morning, Police-constable Barker, 21, observed a man leave the side of Mr Pyke's carrying a carpet-bag. On seeing the police-constable he threw down the bag and ran away, but although the officer followed him for some distance, the man got away. On the bag being examined, it was found to contain a large portion of the property stolen, but it is supposed that the other persons engaged in the burglary left by another way, taking with them some part of the property stolen. The police have obtained some clue to the burglars.
Source: Wrexham and Denbighshire Weekly Advertiser - 12th February 1859
Trev.