QSR1870/2/5/4

Depositions and examination - Thomas Lewis the younger, charged with stealing one glazier's diamond, one gig lamp, one dress and other articles from Thomas Lewis the elder

28 March 1870

From: 1870 To: 1870

Ann Lewis of Luton – she is 12 years old and the daughter of Thomas Lewis who lives at 95, Burr Street, Luton. The prisoner is her brother. He came to their house on Wednesday 3 March between 11am and 12pm. He said her sister Amy had sent him for her dress and cape. She said she thought not and he had better not take them. He went upstairs into the bedroom and she followed him. He did not see the cape so he took a dress from the bedroom door and a skirt that lay on a bed in another room. She took the cape and put it under the bed. He came back again later and gave her a pawn ticket. She gave it to her father. Her sister Amy left home on 28 February and did not come back until Saturday 5th. [Cross-examined by prisoner] She did not fetch the dress down to him. He did say he went to Amy and asked if he might have them. He did not ask her if he could have them and pawn them and take them out again on Friday. Amy Lewis of Luton – she is 14 years old, daughter of Thomas Lewis and sister of the prisoner. She left home and went to 9 Spring Place serving on 28 February and did not come back until Saturday 5 March. On Sunday 27 she left the dress and cape at her father’s house. She missed them when she came back on 5th March. She never gave the prisoner leave to fetch any object of hers. They are worth 9s. Thomas Lewis the elder of Luton, dealer – he is father of the prisoner and lives at 95 Burr Street. He had a gig lamp and a glazier’s diamond in his house. He missed them on 15 or 16 March. The diamond produced is the one he lost. It is worth 8s and the lamp was worth 3s. He bought the diamond at a pawn shop in London. On 20 March he went to the prisoner in Chase Street where he lives with a woman. He asked who he sold the ticket and the diamond to. The prisoner denied having it. He told the prisoner he had been to the broker in Park Street and the prisoner had pledged it for 3s and sold the ticket for 2s 9d. He asked who had got the diamond. The prisoner took him to a house at the top of King Street where a young man’s mother said her son had the diamond. The prisoner said he would find the money and get it back in a week. He did not do it. He asked the prisoner what he did with the lamp. The prisoner said he pledged it in Bute Street at the same time he did the dress for a shilling. He produces a pawn ticket he had from his daughter Ann for a gown and skirt. John Seymour of Luton, pawnbroker’s assistant – he is assistant to Butcher and Frazer of Bute Street Luton, pawnbrokers. He produces a gown and a skirt which the prisoner pledged on 2 March for 4s. He produces the duplicate ticket. William Mead of Luton, pawnbroker – he is a pawnbroker in Park Street, Luton. The prisoner pledged a glazier’s diamond at his shop on 2 March for 3s. On 4 March James Mayes came with the prisoner. The prisoner produced the ticket and Mayes paid the money for the diamond. He gave the diamond to Mr Mayes. James Mayes of Luton, coachbuilder – he lives with his father George Mayes of Luton, coachbuilder. He bought a pawn ticket for a glaziers diamond from the prisoner on 4 March and gave 5s 9d for it. He went with the prisoner to Mr Mead’s and paid him 3s for it and the other 2s 9d he gave the prisoner. He gave the diamond up to Sergeant Jaquest on 26 March. David Jaquest of Luton, police sergeant – he apprehended the prisoner on a warrant on Monday 21st on a charge of stealing a glaziers diamond, a dress, a skirt and a gig lamp from his father’s on 2 March. The prisoner said the diamond belonged to him and he pledged it at a pawn shop down Park Street. He pledged the lamp, dress and skirt at a pawn shop in Bute Street. He produces the diamond. Thomas Lewis the younger – the diamond belongs to him. He paid for it. He bought it at Carters, 307 Caledonian Road. His father was with him and he lent it to him. The lamp belongs to him. His mother gave it to him about 3 years ago. He went home on 2 March and told his youngest sister he wanted 4s and asked her to let him pawn his sister’s dress and skirt. He said he would get it out on Friday and she did so. She asked him to go upstairs to look at a room they had got to let and that’s when he saw the dress. She said he might take them if he would be sure to get them out by Friday. He pawned them for 4s and brought her the ticket back. He never said anything about asking Amy about them.

11 pages

item

Lewis, Thomas,
Lewis, Ann,
Lewis, Amy,
Seymour, John,
Mead, William,
Mayes, James,
Mayes, George,
Jaquest, David

LUTON, Luton Burr Street, Luton Spring Place, Luton Chase Street, Luton Park Street, Luton King Street, Luton Bute Street, stealing, clothing, dealer, pawnbroker, coachbuilder, police sergeant