QSR1869/1/5/31

Depositions of Thomas Keen, butcher. Henry Jones, labourer. James Clark, bricklayer. Catherine Elstone, wife of Samuel, labourer. Joseph Wiles, blocker. George Nutting, marine stores dealer. Richard Perry, marine stores dealer. Henry Mumford, labourer. George James, police inspector. William Charles Neville, police constable. All of Luton. In the case of Edward Langley accused of stealing 190 pounds weight of lead.

4 January 1869

From: 1869 To: 1869

Thomas Keen: was a butcher in Burr Street, Luton. He occupied a shed at the bottom of Burr Street which other premises connected. The shed was slated and the ridge covered in 17 foot of lead. On 22 December he missing the lead off the ridge and informed the police. He saw some lead fitted by the police to the ridge and it fitted exactly. It was the property of Mr Arthur Blundell. Henry Jones: he was an assistant in the goods shed of the Midland Railway. He lived at Dove Cottages at the bottom of Burr Street. They belonged to Mr Blundell. There were 2 barns and 2 closets adjoining Mr Keen’s shed. There was a long piece of lead between the end of Mr Keen’s shed and the roof of the barns. He missed it on 22 December. The produced is like it. Some of the cottages and barns were unoccupied. James Clark: he was a bricklayer and on 19 December 1868 he repaired the Dove Cottages, Hitchin Road, Luton. There were 6 cottages and 6 barns. 3 barns adjoined Mr Keen’s shed and 3 on the other side of the yard were next to the Wagon & Horses public house. When he left work on 19 December the lead was safe on the barns next to the Wagon & Horses public house. On 21 December he went to work and the lead had all gone off the barns next to the pubic house except a small piece with the police later fetched. The lead on the barns next to Mr Keen’s was all right till he left work on that night. Catherine Elston: she lived with her husband Samuel at 20 Hitchin Road, Luton. George Shane and his wife had apartments with them. They had a small barn in the back yard and Shane and his wife had use of it. On 22 December Langley came to the back door and asked for Shane. Shane was not there. Langley came to the house sometimes. About a half an hour before the police came, Shane was in her apartment by the fire place. Langley came and whispered something to him and they went out. There was a great ash heap in the barn. The door of the barn did not have a lock. She was present with Inspector James came and found a quantity of lead in the ash heap. Joseph Wiles: he lived in the Hitchin Road near Elstone. Langley came to the house and borrowed a shovel and said he would bring it back in 10 minutes. Langley did not bring it back. He was present the same morning when Inspector James found the lead in the ash heap. He helped dig it out. His shovel was in the barn where they found the lead. George Nutting: he was a Marine store dealer in Burr Street, Luton. About 9am on 21 December he was passing the Wagon & Horses and Langley called after him. Langley told him he had 53 pounds of lead to sell in Cox’s at the Wagon & Horses. He told Langley he did not have the money in his pocket but he would try to come back. Shane was with Langley. He bought the 52lbs of lead for 4s 7d. The lead was in a bag and they took it from that bag and put it in his. He took it to Richard Perry and sent him with it to Saunders in burr Street to sell it. On 23 December, Inspector James showed him some lead which he identified as that he had bought from the prisoner. On 22 December he was sent for to the Wagon and Horse and Langley and Shane were there in the tap room. He called Shane out and Shane said he had 180lbs of lead. He did not but it. Richard Perry: on 21 December Nutting took him 52lbs of lead. He took it to Saunders and sold it for 6s 6d. It was the same lead as produced. William Saunders: on 21 December he bought 52lbs of lead from Perry for 6s 6d. The same afternoon he packed it up and directed it, with other goods, to William Carrington, Marine Store Dealer, 16 Brook Street, Holborn. The same afternoon Henry Mumford called for it with a Great Northern trolley and took it to the railway. The next day Inspector James called and he went with him to London. They found the package, which had not been delivered, at Kings Cross. He opened it and took out the lead and gave it to James. Henry Mumford: he drove one of the Great Northern trolleys for Mr Seymour. He called at Mr Saunders on 21 December and took a quantity of lead from him to the station. There were 2 or 3 bags of metal and he took them all to the station to go to London. Inspector George James: on 22 December he went with PC Neville to some premises at the bottom of Burr Street and saw some lead had been taken from the ridge of a shed. He also saw some lead had been taken from the roof of adjoining barns by the Wagon & Horses. He went to 20 Hitchin Road, Elston’s, and searched a barn there. They found the ridge lead and lead flashing in an ash heap in the barn. A shovel was standing near by. There was about 17 feet of ridge lead and 16 feet of sheet lead. The ridge lead weighed 88 pounds and the flashing 50 pounds. The value was 2d a pound for lead. He compared the lead with marks on Keen’s barn and Dove Cottages and the nail holes corresponded. On 22 December he went with Saunders to the Great Northern goods station at Kings Cross. He saw Saunders open a package there and take out a quantity of lead which he gave to him. The weight of the lead was 52 pounds. There was 190 pounds of lead altogether and the value was £1 11s 8d. PC William Charles Neville: he went with Inspector James to Elston’s on 22 December and there was ridge and sheet lead in an ash heap. He was with James when he fitted the lead to the roof and found it fitted exactly. He took Langley into custody at Elston’s on 22 December and charged him. Langley said he knew nothing about the charge. Statement of the accused: all he got was 52 pounds of lead and he got that on the Sunday night on the left hand side going up Hart Hill. He kept it in bag until the next morning and then sold it to Nutting and was given money for it.

item

Langley, Edward,
Keen, Thomas,
Jones, Henry,
Clark, James,
Elstone, Catherine,
Elstone, Samuel,
Wiles, Joseph,
Nutting, George,
Perry, Richard,
Mumford, Henry,
James, George,
Neville, William Charles

LUTON, Luton Burr Street, Kings Cross, stealing, lead, butchers, marine store dealer, bricklayers, blocker, Great Northern Railway Company