QSR1883/3/5/7b

Depositions of John Bailey, farmer of Harrold, Ann Dew, housekeeper, Caleb Le Fevre the younger, butcher of Harrold and Thomas Page, police constable of Harrold. In the case of Edward Loakes accused of stealing a piece of beef and a piece of butter.

22 June 1883

From: 1883 To: 1883

John Bailey: on 9 June he purchased some meat from Mr Le Fevre for 3s 11d and saw it taken to his home. On 10 June, from what his housekeeper told him, he went to the dairy and missed the beef and half a pound of butter. He searched outside the house and found footmarks which came from the direction of Odell. He sent for PC Page. With Page he observed a footmark (without a shoe). They followed the other footmarks out of the yard and across the field towards Odell. He knew the prisoner as he had worked for him and the prisoner lived by the side of the road to Odell. Ann Dew: housekeeper to the prosecutor. On the 9 June she placed the beef purchased from Le Fevre in the dairy. Next morning she missed the beef and butter which had already been stored in the there. Caleb Le Ferve: on 9 June the prosecutor purchased 4 pound weight of beef from him. He cut the meat differently to how he would normally cut the meat and believe the meat now produced to be the meat he sold to Mr Bailey. Thomas Page: he examined the premises with the prosecutor and they found footmarks which lead towards Odell. They traced the footmarks from the yard, across the field of Mr Bailey, to the field occupied by Robert Thompson and to about 15 yards from the prisoner back door. He spoke to the prisoner who said he had got home a little after 10pm and not got up that morning until after 7am. He examined the prisoner’s boots and asked if he had any beef. Loakes said his wife he bought the beef from Harrold and it had been cooked in a pudding. He asked the prisoner if he had any butter and the prisoner fetched some butter. The prisoner wife came in and he asked her where she had got the beef from. Before she could answer the prisoner said “you got it from Harrold didn’t you?” She said her husband had brought it home the night before. Asked where she had the butter from, she replied the shop in Harrold. Statement of the accused: nothing to say.

item

Loakes, Edward,
Thompson, Robert,
Le Fevre, Caleb,
Dew, Ann,
Bailey, John,
Page, Thomas

HARROLD, ODELL, stealing, farmer, housekeeper, butcher, beef