QSR1882/2/5/1

Depositions of Willam Kempster, labourer of Leighton Buzzard, Charles Plowman, Police constable of Leighton Buzzard and Thomas White, labourer of Leighton Buzzard. In the case of Thomas Kempster accused of stealing a spade and a foot iron.

24 January 1882

From: 1882 To: 1882

Thomas White: a labourer of Leighton Buzzard. On 10 November he put his spade and foot iron in his back kitchen. On 15November, he saw them when he started work in the morning, but the next day he missed them. On 13 January he went to Mr Harris’ brick yard and saw his foot iron there. From what he was told he went to Kempster and asked where he had got it from. Kempster said he had found it and he did not know where the spade was. He claimed his foot iron and gave it over to PC Plowman. Later that day he was shown a spade which he identified as his own. [cross examination] in November, the prisoner had lived about 100 yards from him. Kempster occasionally came to his house, as dud his children. Charles Plowman: on 13 January he received a foot iron and afterwards searched the prisoner’s house. He there found a spade in the back kitchen. The prisoner was charged and said he had not stolen the item, his boy had found them. Statement of the accused – Thomas Kempster: he did not steal it, his boy picked it up. William Kempster (as a witness for the defence): he lived with his father, the defendant. He had found the spade down Garden Hedge in Leighton Buzzard on 1 December. The foot iron was on it, strapped round the handle. He had been coming home from work at the time. He worked at Harris’s Brick yard. The articles were in the road and he took them home. He did not see his father alter the marks on them. On 1 December, they were living near Garden Hedge, and he would pass along the road twice a day.

item

Kempster, Thomas,
Kempster, William,
Plowman, Charles,
White, Thomas

LEIGHTON BUZZARD, stealing, spade