QSR1876/3/5/7/a

Depositions and examination - Thomas Janes, charged with stealing 3 bushels of barley meal value 12s from Alfred John Smith at Houghton Regis on 26 April 1876

22 May 1876

From: 1876 To: 1876

Thomas Bradshaw of Houghton Regis, police constable – at about 5 on Wednesday 26 April he was on duty in High Street, Houghton Regis when he saw the cart belonging to Mr Smith go to the mill. I came back to Janes’ house about 5.30. George Bright was driving it. He saw Bright take out a sack which he thought contained either barley meal or toppings. Bright took it into the house and came out without the sack. He spoke to Bright and then went to Mr Smith. He and Mr Smith examined the books. There was no entry to Janes on that or any date for good conveyed from the mill to Janes’ house. He apprehended Janes on a warrant on 18 May. Janes said “All right Bradshaw it is a bad job but I must go with you”. [Cross-examined] He and Smith examined the books the day after this happened. He did not see what was in the sack. He did not know Janes kept a pig. He went to Janes’ house to aske his wife to get bondsmen for him. He asked her where some bran was he saw there in the morning. She said they had none. He also asked her where the stuff was that Bright took on the Wednesday. She said there was nothing. George Bright of Houghton Regis – he is the carter for Mr Smith. On 26 April his cart was loaded about 5.30 at the mill. Janes gives him a ticket for the articles to deliver. He never delivered articles to Janes’ house before 26 April. He believes it was barley flour and the sack was not quite 3 parts full. It was a 4 bushel sack. He had no ticket for that but did for the others. He took the sack into Janes’ house by the front door. [Cross-examined] Janes keeps a pig for breeding he believes. The sack was closed. Some barley flour ran out through a hole. He does not know whether there was anything else in the sack. It weighed more than ½ cwt. Alfred John Smith of Houghton Regis, miller – Janes has been in his employ 2 or 3 years and has the entire management of the mill. Janes ought to enter all that comes in and goes out and has not right to take anything from the mill without entering it. Everything should be entered in the book. He has searched the books and on 26 April there is no entry of a delivery to Janes, but he finds an entry to Bradshaw. Janes has never paid him for any goods. He has no means of knowing whether anything has been stolen. He has placed every confidence in Janes. [Cross-examined] Bradshaw called it to his attention the same night. He has settled with Bradshaw once a week. Janes can take the bran of the grinding by paying him for it and had the right to use his cart. Whoever receives the bran the glist should be booked. The wheat ground would be booked but not the bran. Bran would not hurt a pig kept for breeding, nor barley meal. Thomas Janes – has nothing to say.

item

Janes, Thomas,
Smith, Alfred John,
Bradshaw, Thomas,
Bright, George

HOUGHTON REGIS, stealing, barley, police constable, carter, miller, pigs