QSR1842/2/5/4

Depositions and examination - James Hinks

21 March 1842

From: 1842 To: 1842

William Horsepool - he is employed by George Pearse of Harlington. Hinks is a carter in his employ. On Saturday 19 march Hinks went to Leighton for coal. He saw Hinks return with the load and helped to empty it. Hinks gave him the coal ticket. According to the ticket the quantity should have been 43 cwt. He has since weighed the coal Hinks bought. There was a deficiency of 3cwt. He locked up the coal as soon as it was emptied and it was untouched until he weighed it. William Taylor - he is employed by Mr Osborn, coal merchant of Leighton. On Saturday Hinks came to their wharf with a waggon of Mr Pearse's for coal. He loaded it and saw the wagon on the weighbridge. The load was 42 3/4 cwt and he put a bit on to make up 43cst. Hinks left with that quantity. He did not take any more coal on account of any other person. William Bundy, police constable 33 - he received information some time ago that the Pearse's waggoner was in the habit of leaving coal at the house of James Biley on Hockliffe Road so he followed Hinks on the previous Saturday. He followed Hinks to the wharf and saw the waggon loaded and put on the weighbridge. He saw Hinks start off. The waggon did not stop at any other wharf. Nobody put anything on it except a man who put some new empty baskets on it. He followed HInks until he stopped at James Biley's. He saw Hinks get in the waggon and take off a piece of coal from the side which George Biley carried into the house. Hinks then took 2 other pieces off from other parts of the waggon which George Biley also took into the house. He saw James Biley's wife give Hinks money. Hinks went on and he went into the house and asked James Biley's wife if she had bought coal from Hinks. She said she had, and that she had told him to bring one cwt. She gave him the money for it when he went to the wharf. He said he had just seen her give Hinks money - she said it was 3 halfpence for a half pint of beer, and she previously gave him 13d to pay for the coal. He followed the waggon and saw it stop at a beershop kept by Samuel Yerrill. He saw Hinks get on the waggon again and lay hold of a large piece of coal and lift it toward the edge of the waggon. Yerrill was in the act of taking the coal when he turned and (he thinks) saw him as he drew away and Hinks put the coal back to the middle of the waggon. He asked Hinks if his master allowed him to sell coal and he said it was some he bought at the wharf for the woman. He claimed it was from Mr Osborn's wharf. Hinks refused to tell his name. He followed Hinks to Harlington, saw him deliver his load and saw it partly emptied. He later took Hinks into custody. Hinks resisted and was very violent. He has since weighed the coal Hinks left at Biley's and found it to be 1 cwt and 11 lbs including the sack. He never lost sight of Hinks or the waggon from the time he left Osborn's Wharf until he took off the coal at Biley's house. James Hinks - he gave the boy a penny to fetch him the cwt of coals. He forgot it when he was at Mr Osborn's and thought of it after he had passed Grants Wharf. He asked the boy to fetch him the cwt. He does not know the boy. It was just past Grants Wharf he gave the boy the money to pay for it. He [the boy?] had a wheelbarrow. He lay it on the fore part of the waggon.

item

Hinks, James,
Horspool, William,
Taylor, William,
Pearse, George,
Bundy, William,
Biley, James,
Yerrill, Samuel,
Osborn

HARLINGTON, LEIGHTON BUZZARD, coal, coal merchant, carter