QSR1882/1/5/2

Depositions of Joseph Lansberry, police constable stationed at Ampthill, James Manton, gardener of Ampthill, Eli Dix, gardener of Ampthill, Edward Clark, ostler of Ampthill, Leonard Garner, labourer of Maulden, George Sharp, market gardener of Maulden and Joseph Cross, police constable of Houghton Conquest. In the case of David Odell accused of stealing 5 live hens.

14 December 1881

From: 1881 To: 1882

James Manton: a gardener employed by Samuel Biscoe, who poultry he also looked after. On the evening of 14 December, he locked Mr Biscoe’s fowls up in the henhouse and shut the door. The he house was situated in a pightle at the back of the White Hart Hotel. There was a public footpath running through the pightle from the Kings Arms yard. On returning in the morning the fowl bridge had been moved and only 41 of the 57 hens came out. On unlocking the door he discovered 3 rows f tiles missing, and the hens roosting lace was below these missing tiles. The hens could have been reached from outside through the hole in the roof. He informed his master and the police. On searching the premises he found a dead fowl close to the henhouse and another dead on the adjoining field of Mrs Eagles. On counting them hens again, he accounted for 52 including the dead hens. Eli Dix: a gardener at Ampthill and servant to Mrs Eagles. On the evening of 14 December, he went into the garden to make a greenhouse fire. The premises were close to Biscoe’s. He heard the noise of fowls crying out. It was from the direction of Biscoe’s hen house. It was dark but he had a lantern. Edward Clark: an ostler at the Kings Arms in Ampthill. On 14 December he was in the tap room and David Odell and Garner were there having beer together. They had been there in the afternoon and left a little before 6. Garner came back and Odell came in some time afterwards and asked Garner if he was ready as he was going to Maulden. They left together. Leonard Garner: a labourer living at Maulden and on 14 December he went to the Kings Arms in Ampthill. He found David Odell there and Odell asked if he could do with any fowls. He said he could do with a few. Both left. He asked Odell where he was going and Odell said down this way and pointed to Biscoe’s henhouse. Odell said he would not be long. Garner returned to the tap room. Odell was gone about half and hour until he rejoined Garner in the tap room and asked if he was ready to go. They left together and outside Odell gave him 3 fowls in a sack. A price was not settled but Garner said if they went to Maulden he would pay him. He saw Odell later that evening and paid him 2 shillings for the 3 fowls. He took them home and plucked them. Next day he took them to George Sharp of Maulden and asked him to sell them for him at Bedford market. On his return, Sharp gave Garner 3 shillings 9 pence and he gave Sharp 6 pence back. He saw Odell the same night and gave him a further 2 pence, and paid for 3 or 4 pints of beer. [cross examination] he did not buy Odell the bag and ask him to get some fowls and he did not say to bring no more than 7 or 8. He had not said to Odell he wished he had brought him more. George Sharp: on 15 December Garner came to him with 3 fowls and asked him to take them to Bedford and get the best he could. He took them to Bedford and sold them for a shilling and 3 pence each. They were damaged in the picking. He later gave Garner the money and received 6 pence back. The next evening, Garner brought him the feather, which he left in his house. Joseph Lansberry: a police constable stationed at Ampthill. On 15 he was advised of the robbery and went to the henhouse. He found 20 tiles taken off and on the ground near the henhouse was a dead fowl. Another was found in an adjoining field. The Kings Arms tap room was about 200 yards from the henhouse. He found the prisoner at the Kings Arms, apprehended and charged him. At the station, Garner said in the presence of Odell that he was the man he had bought 3 fowls from. Joseph Cross: a police constable stationed at Houghton Conquest. He wa sin the company of Lansberry when Odell was apprehended and heard what passed between them. He went to the house of George Sharp and obtained a bag of feathers from his wife. Statement of the accused: nothing to say.

item

Odell, David (d),
Lansberry, Joseph,
Manton, James,
Dix, Eli,
Garner, Leonard,
Sharp, George,
Cross, Joseph,
Biscoe, Samuel

AMPTHILL, MAULDEN, HOUGHTON CONQUEST, gardener, ostler, stealing, hens, Ampthill Kings Arms, Ampthill White Hart Hotel, Bedford Market