QSR1872/4/5/8

Depositions and examination - Levi Lancaster of Leighton Buzzard, shoemaker, charged with being the bailee of a pair of shoes belonging to Thomas Hodder and converting them to his own use.

24 September 1872

From: 1872 To: 1872

Thomas Hodder of Leighton Buzzard – he is a merchant’s clerk in lodgings at Leighton Buzzard. On 3 September he came to Leighton on his way to Liverpool in search of a situation and was in want of money. He applied to Levi Lancaster for money and left a pair of shoes with him in return for an advance of 6d. They are the shoes produced, but in a different state to what they were when he left them with Lancaster. He promised to give Lancaster interest and said if he could not get them out on Monday he would send for them from Liverpool, in which case he would give him more for packing them up. His last words to Lancaster were that he would fetch them as soon as the post came in on Monday. On Tuesday morning he went to Lancaster’s shop for the shoes. Lancaster said he had sold them on the Saturday night. That was the night he left the shoes with him. Lancaster offered to give him 6d. He refused it. Lancaster said he would produce the shoes if he would give him 1s 6d. He declined. He offered Lancaster 9d for interest. He then informed the superintendent of police what had taken place. He went to the shop again with PC Ruffhead. Lancaster said he had sold the shoes and that he thought Hodder said he would send for them from Liverpool. He again asked him to produce the shoes. Lancaster said “not on those conditions”. He left the shop and said he would go further into the matter. Lancester said “you can bring who you like”. The shoes are his and are worth 10s. [Cross-examined] He has been clerk to Spiers and Pond for 6 weeks in their central office. He was not discharged. Before that he was in China. He went to Spiers and Pond 5 weeks after he came from China. He only intended to stop here 3 or 4 days. He walked from London to Leighton, starting early on the 5th and arriving on the 6th. He refuses to say what money he had in his pocket when he left London and what he had when he borrowed the sixpence. He told Lancaster he did not have a penny in his pocket and it was true he did not have a penny in his pocket. He did not say he wanted to sell the shoes. He did not offer the shoes to Lancaster for a shilling. It is true he asked for one shilling for them at first. Lancaster said they were not shoes to suit his customers and he would not buy them. He told Lancaster he did not want him to buy them. He does not remember Lancaster saying he was not a pawnbroker and would not lend money on anything. He offered to leave the boots with him for 6d until the Monday or such time as he could take them out. He offered them for 3d until the money and then said he would give double what Lancaster gave him for interest. He denies saying the shoes were of no use to him. He has been in Leighton since. He knows Captain Findley of 64 Low Hill, Liverpool. Findley did not know he was coming. It was not speculation. He refuses to take the shoes now. Thomas Ruffhead, police constable stationed at Leighton Buzzard – on Tuesday 10th Hodder was at the police station. He heard Hodder make a complaint to the Superintendent about some shoes against Lancaster. He went with Hodder to Lancaster’s shop and asked what had become of the man’s shoes. Lancaster said he bought them from Hodder and had sold them. Lancaster later said Hodder promised to call for the shoes on the Monday and if he did not call then he would send for them from Liverpool. Lancaster refused to say who he sold the shoes to or what he made for them. Levi Lancaster – he bought the shoes for 6d. He refused to advance money on them and said he never did so. - called as witnesses for the defence Alfred Sheppard, Thomas Ellingham, Walter Harris, William Keys and William Brown Alfred Sheppard of Leighton Buzzard, marine store dealer – he has known Lancaster for 4 years. He has bought many hundreds of old boots and shoes from him to sell again. He has seen his stocks, about 1000 pairs. He would not give more than 6d for the shoes produced to sell again. Thomas Ellingham of Leighton Buzzard, marine store dealer – he has known Lancaster all his life. He knew him at Eggington. Lancaster buys second hand shoes, mends them and sells them again. Lancaster is a general shoe dealer. He has often dealt with him. Lancaster has about 1000 pairs about his premises. [Cross-examined] He has only sold shoes to Lancaster. The shoes produced are not saleable shoes. They are only worth 6d. Walter Harris of Leighton Buzzard, carrier – he has known Lancaster for 20 years. He sells him leather for making and repairing shoes. Lancaster has been a good customer to him. William Keys of Leighton Buzzard, grocer – he lives next door to Lancaster and has known him for years. Lancaster deals in second hand shoes and has hundreds of pairs on his premises. William Brown of Leighton Buzzard, collector of taxes for the parish. Lancaster is a rate payer and is rated in respect of his premises. Lancaster deals in second hand shoes. The Bench refuses to accept 3 letters as to character of Lancaster.

item

Lancaster, Levi,
Hodder, Thomas,
Ruffhead, Thomas,
Sheppard, Alfred,
Ellingham, Thomas,
Harris, Walter,
Keys, William,
Brown, William

LEIGHTON BUZZARD, EGGINGTON, Liverpool, China, shoes, shoemaker, police constable, merchant clerk, marine store dealer, carrier, grocer, collector of rates and taxes