QSR1871/3/5/10

Depositions - Hezekiah Betts charged with stealing screws from William Edwin Taylor at Chapham

17 June 1871

From: 1871 To: 1871

Robert King Stearn, police constable – he searched the house of Hezekiah Betts at Clapham on 12 June and found the screws produced including 4 long ones. Betts was not at home when he found them. When Betts came in he showed him the screws and asked him who they belonged to. Betts said they belonged to him. He said he suspected they were stolen and would take them away. Two days later he showed Betts the 4 long screws and asked how he accounted for them. Betts said he found them 2 years ago when he was cleaning Mr Rose’s shop out, and the screws were bright then as they are now. He showed the screws to Mr Taylor and his carpenter. Ebenezer Cain, police constable – he was present when Stearn asked Betts how he accounted for the screws. William Edwin Taylor of Bedford, builder – he knows Betts, who was working on his premises about 9 days or a fortnight ago. He had some screws like the 4 long ones produced. He put them in a box and took them up to the house in the Grove where Betts was at work. He left them in the carpenters’ shop there about 2 months ago. H believes the long screws to be his. He bought the screws he lost from Mr Crawley’s and had not used any of them. Joseph Crawley of Bedford, ironmonger – he lives in Well Street, Bedford. He has had scres of the sort produced. He sold 6 to Mr Bridcut about 2 months ago and 4 to Mr Taylor about 6 months ago. He has sold no others. They are not a common sort and are called lathe screws. He has not seen any in the town like them. He has tried to get them but could not do so. Edward Bridcut of Bedford – he lives in Brereton Road Bedford. He purchased 6 screws from Mr Crawley like the long ones produced. They are fixed up in his premises. Robert King Stearn recalled – the screws he showed to Mr Taylor and his carpenter were the same long screws produced today. Joseph Nichols of Bedford, carpenter – he has been working on premises for Mr Taylor. Betts was working there about 3 weeks ago. He had a box of mixed screws and in them were 4 of the exact size and pattern of the long screws produced. He recollects them bringing some screws like those produced. He reached the box down and examined it. He did not find any of that type of screw in the box then. He knows they were safe about 3 weeks before. He let Betts have some screws to do some work but not to take away. He did not give Newman any of the long screws.

item

Betts, Hezekiah,
Taylor, William Edwin,
Stearn, Robert King,
Cain, Ebenezer,
Crawley, Joseph,
Bridcut, Edward,
Nichols, Joseph

CLAPHAM, BEDFORD, Bedford Well Street, Bedford Brereton Road, stealing, police constable, builder, ironmonger, carpenter