QSR1870/2/5/9

Depositions and examination - Francis Saunders charged with stealing a quantity of timber value 8s from Henry Webb

4 April 1870

From: 1870 To: 1870

Henry Webb of Houghton Regis, carpenter and builder – on Saturday 26 March he had some deals sawed. He laid them on some more wood in his timber yard. On Friday 1 April he missed one 12 foot deal board worth 3s. He gave information to the police. About 8pm that night PC Daniels showed him a piece of deal board which is the piece he lost. It had been cut in two since he lost it. Mr Daniels and Saunders came to his shop that evening about 9pm. Saunders said “you are not going to have me locked up for that little bit of board are you Henry”. He said “yes I am”. On the Saturday morning he looked round his yard and found he had lost 5 pieces of elm board, 6 feet 6 inches each. He gave information to Mr Daniels and they went to Saunders’ shop. They found one elm board and 2 bits there, where the deal board was also found. The elm board matches with a piece from his yard. There was also some elm boarding made up into a cart which was his. The 5 pieces of elm he lost are worth 8s. [Cross examined by Mr Shepherd for the prisoner] His yard is about 80 feet from the high road. The elm timber was 10 yards from the road and the deal further off. In going from his yard to the prisoner’s you can pass his house or not as you choose. There was no one in the shop. The deal boards were about 80 feet from his house and the elm a little nearer. You cannot see into the yard from his house. The nearest way to Saunders yard from his is about 50 yards. George Daniels of Houghton Regis, police constable – on Friday 1 April about 7pm from information received he went to the White Horse public house. He saw Saunders there and asked if had bought any deal boards lately. Saunders said he had not bought any for 6 or 7 months, and had not had any brought to his shop for sale. He said he wanted to look in Saunders’ shop. He went there with Saunders and found the short piece now produced, which looks very much like the part Mr Webb showed him. Saunders said he had better take it. He took the piece of board to Mr Webb’s shop and Saunders went with him. He saw Mr Webb match the short piece of deal with another board – they corresponded. He charged Saunders with stealing 12 feet of deal board. Saunders said he hoped Webb was not going to have him locked up. Webb said “Yes I shall I cannot put up with it any longer”. He took Saunders to Luton Police Station. Then next day about 11am he received information from Mr Webb that he had lost some elm boards. He went with Webb to Saunders’ shop. They found pieces of elm. All the boards correspond with those from Webb’s premises. There was also part of a new cart in the shop which used elm boards. He charged Saunders. [Cross examined by Mr Shepherd for the prisoner] The prisoner’s shop is bout 30 yards from the road. The long piece of deal was up in a loft above. The shop is not open to the road. There are rails but no gates. He saw the pieces of elm the first night he went. [Cross examined by the Bench] He has seen Saunders go to his shop to sleep on one or two occasions. Francis Saunders – “not guilty”

10 pages

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Saunders, Francis,
Webb, Henry,
Daniels, George

HOUGHTON REGIS, stealing, timber, carpenter, builder, police constable