QSR1870/3/5/4

Depositions and examination - Alfred Impey charged with receiving from Henry Mooring 30 scores fo straw plait value 30s, knowing it had been stolen from Abraham Barford

23 May 1870

From: 1870 To: 1870

Abraham Barford of Luton, manufacturer - he is a manufacturer at John Street, Luton. He had a lad named Henry Mooring in his employ. Mooring came to him on 21 March and remained there until 14 May. Since Mooring has been in his service he has several times lost plait from a kitchen where he keeps it. He first missed some about 3 weeks after Mooring came. He can’t say how much, but thinks about 30 to 40 score altogether. After a conversation he had with Mooring on 14 May he dismissed him. On Thursday 19 May he went with Sergeant Smith to Impey’s house. They found the plait now produced. It is china pearl, not dyed. It is his property. There are 2 scores of it, worth 1s 5d a score. He has lost more of that make besides. He has also missed some split plait at 8d a score. The piece now produced is some he bought from Samuel Ebbs in Bute Street. There is a score of it. The grey dyed plait now produced is like some he lost. There are 2 qualities – the best quality is his. He bought it from William Swain of Breachwood Green. It is worth 1s 3d a score and there is a score of it. He cannot swear to the lower quality. He has lost plaits similar to all these qualities. He has missed plait 2 or 3 times a week. [Cross examined by the Bench] He had not lost any before Moorhen came into his employment. [Cross examined by Mr Scargill for defendant] He discharge Mooring on account of this plait. He knows he lost at least 30 scores, part of bunches, bits taken out. His china pearl is not milled, what Impey produces is. All the plait he saw at Impey’s was in bundles, in a heap altogether. He did not say the milled plait was his because he won’t swear to any that has been milled and cut in pieces. If there were 50 bundles he would know it. He knows it by the tying up and the make of the plait. The piece of wire was not on when he saw it at Impey’s. The milled plait was tied up with the other. He saw Impey and his wife and Mrs Impey said in his presence she had bought the plait from Mrs Matthews. Mrs Impey gave the police constable the grey plait. Henry Mooring of Luton, shoemaker - he is 15, son of Charles Mooren of Luton, boot and shoe maker. He was in Mr Abraham Barford’s service as errand boy for about 9 weeks. When he had been there about a fortnight he met a boy in Park Street and from what he said he went soon after to Alfred Impey’s house to take some plait. He got it from Mr Barford’s front kitchen. He does not know what sort it was. Both Impey and his wife were there, he thinks. He took it into the house and gave it to Mrs Impey. They gave him 5d a score. He has been there since then about once or twice a week, sometimes 3 times. He never went without taking some plait. On every occasion he took it from Barford’s front kitchen. Barford did not know of it so far as he knew. Mrs Impey paid him the most times and sometimes Mr Impey. He was always paid 4d a score, and 2d for some odd pieces. He tool plait like the pearl plait now produced. He does not remember taking any milled plait. The most he took at any one time was 3 score. He spent the money himself. He never told Impey or his wife where he was at work. He continued to take it 2 or 3 times a week all the while he was at Mr Barford’s. He never sold them any plait before he went to Barford’s to work. [Cross examined by Mr Scargill for defendant] He told his master when he asked him about it. Master said he would not hurt him and he then told him all he knew. He has seen Impey more than just the first time he went. Impey’s wife has paid him more times. Impey has taken it out of his hands and given it to his wife. Sometimes Impey was stiffening or blocking in the place where he took the plait to sell. He never said he bought it from any other. He never told Mrs Impey his mother had sent him and he was to have the money to get new clothes. He spent it on suckers, cakes and tarts and things. Frederick Smith of Luton, sergeant of police - about 11.20am on Thursday 19 May he went to Impey’s house to serve the summons in this case. He read the summons over to him. Impey said he had had some straw plait from a boy named Mooring but not so much as that. He said Impey must give him all the straw plait he had that belonged to Abraham Barford. Impey told his wife to give him any she had. His wife then searched among a quantity of plait and gave him one of the 2 pieces of grey and the split plait now produced and said that was all they had from the boy. He went away and came back with Barford in about ¾ hour. Barford searched among some plait and picked out the piece of pearl plait as his. Impey’s wife said she bought it from Mrs Matthews with some more pieces. [Cross examined by Mr Scargill for the defendant] Mrs Impey said Mooring’s father came on Monday and told her to destroy all the plait they had belonging to Mr Barford. [Re-examined] He went to Mrs Matthews’ and saw a Mrs Weston. He then went back to Mrs Impey who said in Impey’s presence she bought it from Mrs Merton’s little girl about 5 years old. Charles Mooring of Luton, shoemaker - he does not know Impey but found out where he lived. He went to Impey’s house last Monday about his lad. He did not see Impey, only his wife. Amelia Matthews, wife of John Matthews of Luton, carpenter - she does not know anything about the 4 pieces of plait now produced. She knows the piece of milled pearl now produced by the defendant. She sold that to Mrs Impey with some more. There is 2 score in the unmilled piece now produced. She bought it some time in February or March but did not use it and sold it to Mrs Impey for 1s.

14 pages

item

Impey, Alfred,
Barford, Abraham,
Mooring, Henry,
Smith, Frederick,
Mooring, Charles,
Matthews, Amelia,
Matthews, John,
Ebbs, Samuel,
Swain, William

LUTON, Luton John Street, Luton Bute Street, Luton Breachwood Green, receiving stolen goods, Straw Plait, manufacturer, shoemaker, police sergeant, carpenter