QSR1871/1/5/2

Depositions and examination - Albert Denton charged with stealing one turkey value 7s from Charles Tomson on 21 October 1870 at Sundon

31 October 1870

From: 1870 To: 1871

Thomas Eames of Sundon, labourer - He works for Mr Charles Tomson, a farmer at Sundon. His master keeps turkeys and it is part of his work to feed and look after them. He counted them on Wednesday 19th October and they were all right. He shut them up on Friday afternoon and counted them. There ought to have been 24 young ones and one old hen. One young one, a light coloured cock, was missing. On Sunday morning he counted them again and there was one short. On Sunday 23rd about 2pm from something he was told he went with PC Daniels to his house at Houghton Regis where Daniels showed him a dead turkey (now produced) which is the missing one. It is worth 7s. He produced a live one from the same brood which matches the dead one. He has fed the turkeys on black oats for about a fortnight. He saw Daniels open the dead turkey’s crop and it contained black oats with other things. Albert Pratt of Houghton Regis, butcher - On Friday 21 October at about 6pm Denton stopped him against the Kings Arms at Houghton Regis and asked if he would buy a turkey from him for 18d. He asked where Denton got it. Denton said from Mr Tomson at Sundon and that he knocked it down when he was there that morning. He did not see the turkey and did not buy it. Edward Lee of Dunstable, postman - He was going to Sundon with his letters on Friday 21st about 8.30am. He saw Denton and his brother about 200 to 300 yards from Mr Tomson’s house picking up acorns. He is sure Denton was one of them. George Daniels of Houghton Regis, police constable - On Saturday 22nd October from information received he watched the road from Houghton Regis to Bidwell. About 8.30pm he saw Denton go towards Bidwell waling fast. In about half an hour he came back. He stopped Denton and asked what he had got. Denton said nothing. He searched him and found a bag under his coat with a dead turkey in it. There were 3 or 4 acorns in the bag. He asked where Denton got it from. Denton said he found it along the road. He took Denton into custody. He showed the turkey to Eames the next day who identified it as Mr Tomson’s property. He opened the crop and found some black oats in it with other food. Albert Denton - "All I got to say Sir is I found it. I was picking up acorns along the Sundon Road. I found the turkey aside of the hedge partly covered over with leaves and I picked it up. "

item

Denton, Albert,
Tomson, Charles,
Eames, Thomas,
Pratt, Albert,
Lee, Edward,
Daniels, George

SUNDON, HOUGHTON REGIS, DUNSTABLE, stealing animals, turkeys, butcher, postman, police constable, Houghton Regis Kings Arms