QSR1871/3/5/5-6/d

Depositions and examinations - Barnard Brooks and George Brooks of Ampthill charged with stealing sundry wooden boards and other wood and one piece of sheet iron value 8s from Henry Bunker at Ampthill on 3 May 1871

8 May 1871

From: 1871 To: 1871

Henry Bunker of Ampthill, labourer – he has lost a great quantity of wood from his premises. At the beginning of February he took down a wooden shed standing in his yard and packed the boards in a heap. On 26 April he missed some of the boards and other wood. On 3 May he went with Sgt Hillyard to the premises of George Brooks and saw the wood now produced in the pigsties there. He can swear to it. The sheet iron was in a hovel on the premises. The boards were on some unfinished pigsties there. The lath produced came off the building he took down. [Cross-examination] He knows the boards by their colour and the piece of iron by a piece cut out of it. Ephraim Brown of Ampthill, tailor – he assisted Henry Bunker in taking down a shed from his premises in February. The wood was put into an adjoining shed. The piece of wood is one of the uprights on which the boards were nailed. Another piece of board produced he believes to be the top board under the eaves. The piece fo sheet iron was standing with the boards. George James, superintendent of police for the Ampthill Division – on 6 May while the prisoners were in custody on another charge he took them into the exercise yard at the police station where the boards and sheet iron were lying. He told them they were charged with stealing them from Henry Bunker’s yard at Ampthill. George Brooks said he knew nothing about them. Barnard Brooks said he fetched the piece of iron from Bunker’s at the time Welch was building his new house. William Hillyard, police sergeant stationed at Ampthill – on 3 May he went to George Brooks’ premises with Supt James. He later fetched Bunker to the premises and showed him the boards nailed to the pigsty. Bunker identified them as his. George Brooks was present and said the boards were not his. He found the sheet iron in a hovel on the premises. Mr Bunker identified it as his. He has since brought the other pieces of wood and a piece of lath from Brooks’ premises. On 6th May he was present when the prisoners were charged with stealing the wood. Bernard Brooks – “I am guilty”. George Brooks – “I am not guilty”

item

Brooks, Barnard,
Brooks, George,
Bunker, Henry,
Brown, Ephraim,
Hillyard, William,
James, George

AMPTHILL, stealing, wood, tailor, police superintendent, police sergeant