QSR1872/1/5/6

Depositions and examination - David Tompkins charged with stealing one purse, one half crown, one shilling, one sixpence, one paper or journal and two letters from the purson of David Janes at Houghton Regis on Sunday 10 December 1871

18 December 1871

From: 1871 To: 1872

David Janes of Houghton Regis, miller – he works for Mr Alfred Smith. On Saturday 9 December about 8pm he went to Dunstable with about 8s in his pocket and 2 letters. He bought 6d worth of drink at Mr Fearns at Dunstable. He then went to the White Hart. He met Tompkins there and they drank together. He paid for some of Tompkin’s drink. He left the White Hart about 11.40pm and went home with Tompkins. They called at the Sugar Loaf tap and had 2 quarterns of gin there. After that they went to Fearn’s The Globe and had 2 quarterns of rum. He had 4s or 4s 6d in his pocket when he was at Fearn’s – half a crown, one shilling, and one sixpence or two, inside his purse in the inside of his great coat pocket. They left the Globe about 12. Tompkins went part of the way home with him. They met PC Daniels at the top of the road as you turn to Houghton Regis. He fell down and Tompkins fell on top of him. They lay there until Mr Daniels came. He then went down to Houghton with Daniels. The next morning he missed his purse and letters and a paper and gave information to Daniels. That morning Daniels showed him the paper “The Christian World” which is the one he lost. The purse produced is the one he lost. His sister brought it to him the next day. He went to Tompkins on the Sunday afternoon and asked him for his money. Tompkins said he had not seen it. He told Tompkins he had lost the money and other things. Tompkins said “don’t you recollect asking me to hold your money”. He said he did not. Later that night he met Tompkins again who said he never saw his money, then said “before there shall be any bother about it I’ll make it up” and offered him 2s to say no more about it. He would not say he would make it up. Tompkins called him back and offered him 4s next Saturday night to say no more about it. [Cross-examination for Tompkins] He does not know that he was jolly drunk when Daniels found him. He asked Daniels where he was. He played two games of dominoes and lost both games. They went to the bar at the Sugar Loaf. He took out his purse every time he paid. What he had to drink made him bad. He knew he was up the road. When he fell with Tompkins on top of him Tompkins got up and left him. Next day when he asked Tompkins for his money he said he had lost it but didn’t know where. Tompkins said “we were both drunk together let’s share the loss”. He did not say “we’re old friends and we will settle it”. [Cross-examination by the Bench] Tompkins said he would give him 2s to make it up and Tompkins’ wife said she would give him 4s and work till she earned it. He threatened to give Tompkins into custody if he did not give it to him. He did not accept Tompkins’ proposal. Frederick Allen of Houghton Regis, labourer – he works for Mr Cooper. On Sunday 10 December he was with Janes. They met Tompkins and his wife. Tompkins said he was sure he did not have the money. His wife offered to pay the money lost before she would have her husband took. She first offered 2s. [Cross-examination] Mrs Tompkins said “Rather that go before a Court lets pay 2s a piece and share the loss as you were both drunk together”. Robert Janes of Houghton Regis, labourer – on Sunday 10 December about 5.30am he picked up two letters. He took them home and David Janes came and received them. David Gosbell of Houghton Regis, labourer – he is 14 years old and works for Mr Cook of Brewers Hill. On Sunday 10 December he picked up a purse up the road as you go to Dunstable. He found a paper in it. He gave it to David Janes’s sister. [Cross-examination] Tompkins lives against the church. Janes would go the same way to Dunstable and pass where the purse was found. George Daniels of Houghton Regis, police constable – on Sunday morning he was on duty about 12.30am. He met Janes and Tompkins arm-in-arm together. They went in the direction of Houghton Regis. About 2.20am he went down the road towards Houghton Regis and found Janes lying in the ditch asleep. He woke Janes and went down the road with him to his sister’s where he said he should lodge. Opposite the Black Lion he saw a paper The Christian World lying in front of them. He picked it up and put it in his pocket. On the Sunday afternoon Janes said he had lost the Christian World and identified the one produced. About 9pm on Sunday he took Tompkins into custody and charged him with stealing a purse containing about 4s. Tompkins said “that’s a lie there was not half a crown in the purse for he changed that at the Sugar Loaf at Dunstable”. At Luton he charged Tompkins with stealing the letters and paper. Tompkins said he knew nothing about them. [Cross-examination] They were both drunk when he saw them together. Joseph Fearn of Dunstable, innkeeper – he keeps the Globe at Dunstable. On Saturday he saw Tompkins and Janes in his house. Janes called for a quartern of rum and paid for it. When he did so, he saw Janes had either a 2s piece or half a crown in his purse and other silver. [Cross-examination] He did not see what Janes gave his wife, it was either 6d or 1s. Janes was not drunk nor sober. During the evening after he had the first quartern of rum he asked the miller if he could stop with him. Tompkins said “you shan’t stop here I’ll see you all right”. David Tompkins – he is not guilty. William Watts of Dunstable, son of a straw dealer [witness for the defence] – on Saturday evening 9 December he was with Janes and Tompkins at the White Hart. Tompkins went in with him and found Janes there.After a while Janes asked him and Tompkins to play dominoes with him. Janes lost near enough 2s. Janes lost 2 games with a Tilsworth chap – it was 2d a game. When Janes was going out he took out 2s 6d and then 2s and said “there, money is no object to me”. Janes took it from his coat pocket not his purse. [Cross-examination] Janes lost every game he played. Janes threw his purse down when he took his money out which was loose in his pocket. Janes was not drunk when he left the White Hart.

item

Tompkins, David,
Janes, David,
Allen, Frederick,
Janes, Robert,
Gosbell, David,
Daniels, George,
Fearn, Joseph,
Watts, William

HOUGHTON REGIS, DUNSTABLE, pickpocket, miller, police constable, innkeeper, straw dealer, Dunstable White Hart, Dunstable Sugar Loaf, Dunstable Globe, Dunstable Black Lion, gin, rum, drunkenness