QSR1882/4/5/4

Depositions of John Turney Lack, carrier of Church Walk, Kempston, Caroline Mary Joyce, spinster of Kempston, Alexander Patrick Hall Monro, gentleman of Kempston, John Nottingham, police constable of Kempston and Annie Cotton, daughter of Joseph. In the case of Charles Newman accused of stealing a coat.

5 September 1882

From: 1882 To: 1882

John Turney Lack: a carrier living at Church Walk in Kempston. On 4 September he went to the London & North Western railway station at Bedford and collected a parcel at the booking office addressed to Mr Monro of Kempston Manor. He put the parcel into an empty hamper in his handcart. He then collected several more parcels from Bedford including a beehive. He went back towards Kempston, passing the Kempston Barracks and stopping at Spring Road, where the prisoner approached him and asked if he needed help. He said he did and they went on as far as Mr Felt’s house. He asked the prisoner to watch the cart whilst he delivered the parcel. On his return the prisoner wasn’t there, he called for him and hen the prisoner returned saying he had to do a job of his own. The prisoner helped him as far as Mr Joyce the baker. He went on to Mr Ransom’s and then to Mrs Huckle’s to deliver Mr Monro’s parcel. He could not find it in the barrow. The following morning he went to the prisoner and said he had lost a parcel. The prisoner had also had a box on his barrow the previous day, and he spotted it on a chair. He told the prisoner he could see his lost parcel in the box. The prisoner said it was not his lost parcel but one he had found between some fencing near his wife’s mothers. Newman said he had seen 2 boys running from the barrow and then throw something against the fence. Newman went and found the parcel and took it to his house. Newman had planned to return it to him or Mr Monro. Having got the parcel from Newman he took it to Mr Monro and noticed it had been unwrapped and the paper torn. [cross examination] the prisoner went with him to Mr Monro’s and PC Nottingham accompanied them. The prisoner said he would give him money if he would let him off. He had first seen the prisoner by St Mary’s Street and he had asked him to take a box for him, which he agreed to do. When he told the prisoner he had lost the parcel, the prisoner did not reply that he had found one. On meeting on the 8 September, Newman said he was unwell and asked for help in stopping the charge. He also said his wife was about to go to bed and he was afraid it would kill her. Caroline Mary Joyce: daughter of John Joyce a baker. On 4 September she recalled Lack coming to deliver a parcel to her father. She saw his barrow from the time he arrived to the time he left and no-one went to it. Alexander Patrick Hall Monro: on the morning of 5 September a parcel was delivered to him by the prosecutor. It contained a coat which had been sent away to a tailor at Oxford for alteration. John Nottingham: on 4 September he was advised by lack of his loss. They looked for the parcel that night but could not find it. Next morning he apprehended the prisoner and charged him with stealing the parcel. He said he did not steal it but had found it on the side of the black fence near Rabbit Hutch Row, as he was taking home his box. Newman offered to pay Nottingham and Lack for not proceeding with the charge. Ann Cotton: daughter of Joseph Cotton of Bedford. The prisoner’s wife was her sister. She was at her sisters home when Lack came on the 5 September. Mr Lack asked if the prisoner had found a parcel and Newman said he had. The prisoner gave it to Lack and Lack said he would give him something for his trouble and gave him sixpence. The prisoner took the parcel from the box. The prisoner said he was going to take the parcel to Monro and the box to Mr Ransom, for whom he had bought it. Statement of the accused: he was not guilty and found the parcel where he had stated.

9 pages

item

Newman, Charles,
Monro, Alexander Patrick Hall,
Joyce, Caroline Mary,
Nottingham, John,
Cotton, Ann,
Lack, John Turney

stealing, coat, carrier, KEMPSTON