QSR1873/3/5/1

Depositions and examination - John Beel Tingey of Hockliffe in the parish of Chalgrave, shoemaker, charged with stealing one piece of soleing leather value 1s on 13 May 1873 and one piece of black upper leather value 9s on 14 May 1873 at Leighton Buzzard from Walter Harris

27 May 1873

From: 1873 To: 1873

Walter Harris of Leighton Buzzard, currier – on 13 May he had an apprentice in his employ, Frederick Samuels. From information received from him and others on 14 May he went to Tingey’s house at Hockliffe. He said he had come because of a transaction Tingey had with his boy the previous day. He went into Tingey’s shop and saw several pieces of leather – a bit of soleing leather, some kip and a Levant seal skin that had his private mark on it. He claimed the skin and took it away. Tingey made no objection. He returned in about ¼ hour. He went into Tingey’s house and saw his wife. Tingey was with him. He did not say what he came for. Tingey asked him whether a sovereign would settle it. He said no. He returned to Leighton and gave information to the police on the following Friday. He missed the apprentice and has not seen him since. There is a warehouse at the back of his house used for receiving skins. His customers are served from the shop. On 13 May he saw Tingey come into the shop where he made a small purchase. He did not serve him. They never deliver goods from the back door. The skin produced is the one found at Tingey’s house. He never sold it. It is worth 9s. [Cross-examined] His wife and daughter and others including his apprentice wait in the shop. He has a front shop and back warehouse. Tingey never came into the warehouse for goods. He saw other leather on Tingey’s premises. He identified one piece. Tingey did not say he had nothing of his but what he bought and paid for. He can’t say when he last saw the piece of leather produced or the piece of sole leather in his shop. He did not know his apprentice was gone. He told the apprentice he could not remain in his service. He did not sell either piece of leather produced. Thomas Warner of Leighton Buzzard, hairdresser – he lives opposite Harris’s warehouse. On 13 May between 1 and 2pm he saw Tingey about for around an hour. He saw Harris’s apprentice open the door of the warehouse and look out. He saw Tingey go to the warehouse door. Tingey only got partly in. He saw the apprentice put out a piece of soleing leather about 18 inches square. Tingey took it and went away. He has often seen Tingey waiting about Harris’s premises. He has never seen any customer go to the warehouse before. [Cross-examined] Tingey had no other parcel at the time. Elizabeth Harris, daughter of Walter Harris – she lives with her father and usually serves in his shop. On 13 May she was serving in the shop. Tingey came in. She saw him served with some nails. She has not sold soleing leather to Tingey recently. She did not sell the leather produced to Tingey on 13 may or a skip of the description produced. [Cross-examined] She never sold Tingey a whole skin in her life. Tingey never bus a skin whole. The bill produced, the goods were not sold on that day, but she things the week before. The apprentice waited on Tingey that morning. Mary Ann Warner, wife of Thomas Warner – on a Tuesday at the beginning of the month she saw Tingey at Harris’s back door and saw him take away a parcel of leather from the apprentice Samuels. It was a black piece of leather similar to the piece produced. Tingey went away directly after. On 13 May she saw the apprentice give a piece of leather from Harris’s warehouse in the same manner. It was a piece of brown soleing leather like the piece produced. Tingey took it away. He did not attempt to hide it. She has seen this sort of thing several times. She never saw any other leather delivered from the warehouse. She has seen Tingey lingering about for 2 or 3 hours at a time. [Cross-examined] She told Miss Harris what she had seen. She is sure it was the apprentice who gave the leather to Tingey on both occasions. She was standing at her upstairs window. It is only 6 yards across. John Rowe of Leighton Buzzard – he is 13 years old and lives with his parents at Leighton. He service in Mr Harris’s shop. On Tuesday 13 May he saw Tingey in the shop. He was in the shop all day. Tingey bought some nails. Another boy served him. John Beel Tingey – “I have had nothing from there only what I paid for that afternoon”. Defence Witness ----------------------- Thomas Eli Watts of Leighton Buzzard, leather seller – on 14 May he sold some leather to Tingey – half a range of soleing leather and a pair of uppers. It was after dinner, about 2pm.

item

Tingey, John Beel,
Harris, Walter,
Harris, Elizabeth,
Warner, Thomas,
Warner, Mary Ann,
Rowe, John,
Samuels, Frederick,
Watts, Thomas Eli

LEIGHTON BUZZARD, HOCKLIFFE, stealing, leather, shoemaker, currier, leather seller