QSR1875/1/5/1

Depositions and examination - John Neville of Rushden (Northants) charged wtih stealing one hammer value 1s 6d from Collins Pearson on 21 November 1874 at Yielden

4 December 1874

From: 1874 To: 1875

Collins Pearson of Irthlingborough (Northants), plumber and glazier – on 21 November he was returning from work at Pertenhall through Yielden village at about 3.30pm. He carried a basket containing 2 dead rabbits. George Partridge was working with him and accompanying him on the way home, carrying a basket of his tools including his hammer. When he got about 300 yards from Yielden he saw 6 men coming across the field towards him. Three separated themselves from the others, ran behind him, and one of them snatched a rabbit from his basket and ran away with it down the road. The other two ran with him. He turned round about 20 yards off, held the rabbit up and said “this is mine”. He walked on, thinking it was only a joke, then the prisoner, one of the other three, took him by the collar and tried to get hold of the basket. He called to Partridge to give him the hammer out of his basket so he could protect himself. Partridge did so. He lifted the hammer to strike the prisoner, but did not do so lest he should do him some serious injury. The prisoner then wrested the hammer from him, still holding his collar, and refused to give it back. They struggled together for some distance on the road. The prisoner was saying “I insist upon knowing where you got that rabbit from”. The prisoner then suddenly left and took the hammer with him. The other 2 joined him and they went off together. He informed the police of his loss. He has not seen the hammer since. [Cross-examined] Just before the man ran away with the rabbit they gave a sort of shout of triumph. The man who ran away with the rabbit had a sort of smile on his face. At that time he did not think they were intoxicated. When he asked Partridge for the hammer he said he would knock the prisoner down with it. There is no doubt the prisoner took the hammer because he thought he [Pearson] was going to hit him with it. One of the other two men had a broad grin on his face at the whole affair. After the prisoner went away he did not see him throw the hammer after him or hear the prisoner call out to him. On the same day when the prisoner was in custody he was left alone in the Police Office with him. The prisoner said he was very sorry such a thing had occurred and wished the hunting had been somewhere else. If they had restored his property to him he should never have thought they meant stealing it, he should have “looked upon it as a spree”. He believes he said to the prisoner in the police office that if he wanted to practice a lark, he should have practiced it on someone that he knew. George Partridge of Raunds (Northants), glazier’s apprentice – [as above] [Cross-examined] He heard Mr Pearson ask the prisoner to give him back the hammer. He believes the prisoner said he was not going to give it back to be hit. He thought they were doing it for a spree at first. Thomas Perkins, police sergeant stationed at Irthlingborough – on 21 November between 7 and 8pm Pearson gave him information of his loss. He went with him to Rushden village about 3 miles off. They went into a public house kept by a man named Woods. The prisoner was there and Pearson identified him as the man who had stolen his hammer and had tried to take the rabbit. He called the prisoner out into the street and asked him to account for himself that day. The prisoner said he had been with the hounds at Melchbourne and to Yielden. He charged him with stealing the hammer. The prisoner said “all right”. He then took the prisoner into another house where he said “I am sorry, Mr Perkins, I have got into this mess. I f I had worked hard today I should not have got into this bother”. The prisoner added (alluding to a former case) “£2 will not settle this matter – will it?” On the way to Sharnbrook he said “I would not mind £4 to get out of this”. John Neville – “I reserve by defence by the advice of my attorney”

item

Neville, John,
Pearson, Collins,
Partridge, George,
Perkins, Thomas

Irthlingborough, Rushden, Raunds, YIELDEN, MELCHBOURNE, PERTENHALL, stealing, tools, plumber, glazier, police sergeant, hunting