QSR1874/1/5/4

Depositions and examination - Walter Thrower, charged with stealing 4 bushels of oats and 4 bushels of beans from his master Frank Chapman Scargill, at Luton on 17 November 1873, and one truss of hay on 30 November 1873

8 December 1873

From: 1873 To: 1874

Leonard Lousley of Luton, corn merchant’s clerk – he is clerk to Mr William H Brown, a corn merchant in Luton. Mr Frank Chapman Scargill is a customer of Mr Brown’s for corn. He knows Thrower, who has ordered corn for Mr Scargill. On Saturday 15th November Thrower ordered 4 quarters or more of oats and 4 bushels of beans. Thrower asked for the oats to be sent in on the Monday. He sent them on the Monday by Walker. [Copy of the ticket sent with the goods] He booked the oats to Mr Scargill. The entry is shown in the book produced under 17th November 1873. The two quantities of oats produced are in his opinion the same and the same kind as the oats he supplied to Mr Scargill. Thrower ordered 4 or 5 or 6 quarters of oats and said nothing about any oats for himself. Thrower has had flour and barley meal for himself. Samuel Walker of Luton, labourer – he is a labourer employed by Mr William Henry Brown. On Monday 17th November he had 4 quarters of oats and a1/2 a quarter of beans to take to Mr Scargill’s. He had a ticket like the one produced which he delivered Thrower. He took 7 sacks of oats into Mr Scargill’s loft and one sack of oats and the sack of beans down to Mr Funnell’s farm. He put the beans in a barn at Funnell’s. He understood they were there to be ground. He shot the oats into a tub in a shed or barn at Mr Funnell’s. When he delivered the 4 quarters of oats and ½ quarter of beans at Mr Scargill’s it was by Thrower’s directions he took one sack of oats and the sack of beans to Mr Funnell’s. Thrower said they had a horse or two laid up there. Thrower showed him the tub he shot the oats into. [Cross-examined] It was daylight. There were one or two lads about. Thrower said he would crush the beans and take them back as he wanted them. He said nothing about crushing the oats. John Funnell of Luton, farmer – he lives in Old Bedford Road, Luton, not far from Mr Scargill’s. He knows Thrower. About the end of October Thrower said he had got (or bought) a horse for his governor and asked if he had room for it. About 20th October Thrower’s horse was brought and remained there until 30th November or 1st December. Shortly afterwards he saw Thrower. He never supplied Thrower with food for the horse and never saw anyone other than Thrower feed the horse. He has seen oats in a sack and in a tub which was for Thrower’s horse. Thrower might have ground oats or beans without his knowing. He always believed the horse to be Mr Scargill’s. On Sunday 30th November PC Walker came. He showed him the tub where Thrower kept the corn. The policeman measured it and there were 8 or 9 pottles of oats. On Monday 1st December he saw Thrower at Luton Police Station and asked him what was to be done with the horse and who was to pay for his keep. Thrower said he or Mr Bayes would pay for it and Mr Bayes would take it away. Mr Bayes fetched the horse on Wednesday 3rd and showed him a letter which purported to be written by some female and signed “E Thrower” or “C Thrower”. He has had horses belonging to Mr Scargill at his place before. [Cross-examined] He had not had any horses of Mr Scargill’s for 2 months before Thrower brought his horse. The horse was rather poor when brought and in good condition when it was taken away. William Read of Luton, groom – he is groom to Mr Scargill. Thrower was coachman. On Sunday 30th November he was with Thrower when he was carrying a truss of hay on his head and was stopped by PC Walker. The hay came from Mr Scargill’s loft, he believes. He was present when Samuel Walker brought some corn to Mr Scargill’s. He helped shoot the oats on his master’s premises. He does not know what became of the beans – they were taken away but he does not know who took them. He helped to grind some beans at Mr Funnell’s which were brought back to Mr Scargill’s. Thrower asked him to go with him to light him when he carried the hay. He has never seen the horse at Mr Funnell’s. [Cross-examined] He has heard Thrower say he had a horse at Funnell’s. Mr Scargill has had a grey mare at Funnell’s. They ground all the beans in the bag and brought them all home. The bag was not full. The bag was full when they went to grind the beans. William Walker of Stopsley, police constable – under directions he watched close to Mr Scargill’s premises on Sunday 30th November. About 6.30pm he saw Thrower accompanied by Read. They came from Scargill’s towards Funnell’s farm. Thrower had a truss of hay on his head. When he was in the Old Bedford Road about 40 or 50 yards from Funnell’s he stopped Thrower and asked where he got the hay. Thrower said it was from Mr Scargill’s and he was going to take it their mare. He took Thrower into custody and charged him with stealing a truss of hay from his master. Thrower said “I hope not – don’t say anything about it”. On the way to the police station Thrower said he should not have taken the hay if Mr Funnell had had any. Thrower said he had taken three before. That evening Mr Funnell showed him a tub containing 9 pottles of white oats. He produces a sample of them with a sample from Mr Scargill’s stables. They correspond. On Wednesday 3rd December he charged Thrower with stealing half a quarter of oats from Mr Scargill. Thrower said he did not steal them and that he went to Mr Brown’s and ordered ½ a quarter of beans and 5 or 6 quarters of oats, and ½ a quarter for himself. Frank Chapman Scargill of Luton, gentleman – Thrower was his coachman for about 3 years. He had no horse at Mr Funnell’s farm in November. Thrower had no directions or permission to put a horse belonging to him there in his name. Thrower had not permission to take hay or corn from his premises to Funnell’s. Thrower was never directed by him to get a horse for him to purchase. [Cross-examined] He never asked Thrower to look out for a horse for him and had no idea that Thrower had a horse at Mr Funnell’s. Walter Thrower – does not wish to say anything.

item

Thrower, Walter,
Scargill, Frank Chapman,
Lousley, Leonard,
Walker, Samuel,
Funnell, John,
Read, William,
Walker, William,
Brown, William Henry

LUTON, STOPSLEY, stealing, oats, beans, hay, coachman, groom, corn merchant, clerk, farmer, police constable