QSR1840/1/5/13-14

Depositions and examination - John Harpur and James Baccus

19 November 1839

From: 1839 To: 1839

James Salisbury of Cranfield, publican - he keeps the Old George Public House in Cranfield. Last night about 10.30pm Harpur, Baccus and some other men came. The asked for beer and he refused. They remained in the tap room, where he had 8 sacks of malt standing on one corner. One sack was not in sight of four men sitting inside the screen. He was moving backwards and forwards betweent the tap room and the bar. He heard an unusual noise in the tap room which caused him to hurry to the passage leading from the tap room, where he saw Baccus and Harpur. A sack of malt was between them, with the mouth of the sack on the threshhold of the door. He collared Baccus and called for assistance. Hugh White who was in the bar came, and Harpur surrendered himself to him. No one else was near the sack that was moved. He accused them of stealing the sack of malt - they said they did not. When White came Baccus said they were only moving it out of the way. The sack had been on a chair about 4 yards from the door where it was moved to. He was suspicious when the men came in as he has several times before lost things from the taproom when they were in the House. Hugh White of Cranfield, carpenter - heard Salisbury call out and went to him. He saw Baccus inside the passage and Harpur just outside the door with a sack of malt lying between them. Both harpur and Baccus said they had not moved it. He did not see Brooks. Jane Millard, singlewoman, servant to Mr Salisbury - she saw one sack of malt on a chair about 5 minutes before Harpur, Baccus and others came in. John Harpur - when he went to the house he saw the sack lying near the screen near the doorway. He pushed it out of the way and asked for a pint of beer. He would not give him any, and he and Baccus were leaving when Salisbury caught them and accused them of stealing the malt. James Baccus - the sack of malt stood against the doorway when he went in. They could not get any beer and went away after a time. As he was leaving he straddled across the sack of malt - as he was doing so Salisbury caught him and accused him of stealing it.

item

Salisbury, James,
Harpur, John,
Baccus, James,
White, Hugh,
Millard, Jane

CRANFIELD, Cranfield Old George, stealing, malt, publican, carpenter