QSR1843/3/5/25

Depositions and examination - Ann Cain wife of James Cain of Westoning, blacksmith, charged with stealing a pair of shoes from John Luck

29 May 1843

From: 1843 To: 1843

Sarah Luck of Leagrave Marsh, Luton - she is the daughter of John Luck, a shoemaker. She was with her mother at Toddington on 27 May keeping a stall in the market there selling shoes. Ann Cain came to the stall and wanted to exchange a pair of shoes which had been bought on Tuesday last and they had none that would suit. She later came and bought another pair of shoes. About an hour afterwards Ann Cain came again to the stall with 3 more women (she thinks they came together but is not sure) and while they were engaged in buying shoes from her mother and she was attending to two other customers she saw Ann Cain drawing with her hands a pair of little shoes from the stall. Ann Cain was sitting down on a box sideways to her. Cain drew the shoes under her shawl and while she was taking money from the customer Cain tied them up in a handkerchief. Cain saw she was observing her and then untied the handkerchief and asked the price of the shoes. She said 14d. Cain said they were of no use to her. Cain left the stall. She told her mother what she had seen and she gave information to the policeman. When Cain came to the stall the last time the shoes were a yard and a half from where Cain sat down. She did not see Cain take them from that place. It was nearly 10 minutes after she had last come to the stall. For the first 5 minutes or so she stood and then seated herself. Cain's handkerchief was in her lap and her shawl hung loose. She did not see Cain tie up the handkerchief - at that moment she was in the act of givine a person change. Her eye was not on the prisoner for less than a minute. When she looked again the handkerchief was tied up and she saw the size of the bundle was larger. She kept watching Cain sideways and thinks it was nearly 5 minutes before she opened the bundle. She saw Cain take out the shoes. During that time she had sold 2 pairs of shoes to other persons. She is quite sure she saw her untie the handkerchief and take the shoes out. [Response to questions] She did not ask Cain to sit down. She was more watchful because they have lately had many shoes taken from the stall. She is sure the shoes were tied up and that they were not the shoes she had bought before. She distinctly saw Cain untie the bundle and take the shoes out. Ann Cain - she bought one pair of shoes and paid and went away. She came back with 3 women and stood by one of them while she fitted 2 pairs of shoes, and then Sarah Luck asked her to sit down on the box. The pair of shoes stood on the stall. She reached them with her hand and held them until Sarah Luck turned her head to her. She asked the price and Luck said 14d. She measured them against a pair she bought and they were not so long. She said she would not have them for another fortnight and left them on the stall. She had them in her hand on her lap but never covered them over. The shoes she took out of her handkerchief were the ones she had bought to measure the others against.

item

Cain, Ann,
Cain, James,
Luck, John,
Luck, Sarah

WESTONING, Leagrave Marsh, LUTON, stealing, shoes, blacksmith, shoemaker, markets