QSR1853/3/5/14a/a

Depositions of Joseph Howlett, dealer in straw plait of Aston Clinton, Charles Ellis, sadler of Luton, William Augustus Jones, pawnbroker of Wardour Street, London, Alfred Atherton Murfin, police constable of Luton, Edward Godfrey, Superintendent of Police at Luton, and Henry Ison Jebbett, Superintendent of Police at Bedford. In the case of William Langley accused of stealing a great coat.

20 June 1853

From: 1853 To: 1853

Joseph Howlett: a dealer in straw plait living at Aston Clinton. He attended Luton market on 2 May and was at the Bell Inn. He left his top coat in the back parlour about 8 o'clock in the morning and went to fetch it in the afternoon. It was missing. Charles Ellis: went to the Bell Inn on the morning of 2 May and saw William Langley there. He was sitting reading the paper in the back parlour. He left the room and did not return whilst Ellis was there. He did not see a great coat and did not see Langley take a parcel with him when he left. William Augustus Jones: an assistant pawnbroker to Messrs Harrison in Wardour Street, Soho, London. He recalled a person bringing a great coat to pawn. He believed the man to be the prisoner but could not swear it. He was dark with dark whiskers and about the same height as William Langley. He gave the man the ticket. Edward Godfrey: he went with Constable Murfin to make a search of the prisoner’s house. He saw Murfin unlock a box there and found a pawnbrokers ticket. In consequence he went to London the next day and called at Messrs Harrison the pawnbrokers and found the coat. Henry Ison Jebbett: he was conveying the prisoner and his brother, to Bedford on 6 June. William Langley said he had purchased a great coat for a sovereign on the day it was alleged to have been stolen. He bought it from a stranger to him and he knew him by sight, but not by name. He understood his name to be Franklin and on the following day he went to London in the company of his brother Charles, and pledged the coat for a sovereign as he was short of money. Charles said he went up to London with his brother but he did no go into the pawnbrokers shop. He stopped outside whilst his brother went in. Jebbett told them it would be his duty to report the conversation to the magistrates and William said he wished him to do so as it was all true.

item

Langley, William,
Howlett, Joseph,
Ellis, Charles,
Jones, William Augustus,
Murfin, Alfred Atherton,
Godfrey, Edward,
Jebbett, Henry Ison

stealing, LUTON, Aston Clinton, London Wardour Street, Luton Bell, coat, straw plait dealer, sadler, pawnbroker