QSR1876/4/5/2-3

Depositions and examinations - Charles Henry Juffs and George Roberts of Woburn, chareged with stealing 5cwt of coal from Edward Sanders at Woburn on 15 June 1876

28 July 1876

From: 1876 To: 1876

Edward Sanders of Woburn, coal merchant – he has a coal wharf at Woburn Sands Station. Roberts is employed by him there to book and weigh all goods sold by him. Juffs lives at Woburn and is a carter. On 16 June in consequence of what he heard he spoke to Roberts when posting up his book. It stated that 1 ton of Blackwell Hards had been sold to Juffs. There was no other entry of a sale to Juffs on that day. He asked Roberts which of Juffs carts brought up the coals. Roberts said the big horse and cart brought it up all at once. He told Roberts to be careful and asked whether Juffs had not brought up coal in his mule cart. Roberts said that Juffs did bring up 5cwt of Snibstone Coal from his (Sanders) truck No.11. He asked why Roberts had not weighed it and booked it. Robert said he had weighted it and that he owed Juffs the 5 cwt of coals. He asked Roberts for an explanation which he could not provide. He accused Roberts of lying and threatened him with proceedings. There were previous entries in the book of sales to Juffs. He saw Roberts again on the following Tuesday. Roberts said one portion of the 5cwt was owing to Juffs from one date and the rest from another and that Juffs often had a lower quantity booked than he took away. Robert had no authority to allow this. He referred to Juffs account in his ledger (produced). He showed Roberts that Juffs had had all sorts of weights and there was no reason why he should not have booked the 5cwt in the usual way. Roberts later told him he had weighed the 5cwt on the 15th and had put them back into the truck. The truck contained about 6 tons 6cwt and one load had been sold out of it. His man Garrett took it out. There would have been 5 tons 4cwt left in the truck, and with that quantity it would have been impossible to keep 5cwt separate. From his book sales from the truck were 1 ton 2 cwt (on 15th), 19 tons 2 cwt (16th), 1 ton 3 qtrs (17th), 2 tons (19th). The coal was weighed by Roberts. He has since ascertained that it weighed 1 cwt 3 qtrs more when weighed at the Park Farm. Roberts has since told him that he put 12 cwt to the stock in the yard, making 5 tons 16 cwt accounted for and leaving a deficiency of 12 cwt. The coal produced is Leicester Main and is of the same species as that in question. He asked Roberts whether there was any coal in Juffs cart when Roberts put his (Sanders) in. Roberts said he believed there was but did not know the quantity or the sort. Roberts should weigh all coal sold except that is sold to the Duke of Bedford, and that is weighed on delivery at the Park Farm. [Cross-examined] Roberts has been in his employ about 3 years. Juffs is one of his customers, who carts coal for other people but not for him. The ticket produced is in Roberts’ handwriting. He made notes in his book a day or two after of what Roberts said when he questioned him. Roberts leaves his service tonight. It is very seldom that main coal trucks are deficient in weight. It is more often so with small coal. [2nd cross-examination] When Roberts brought the book to him on Friday after 2 June he said nothing about the 1 ton returned as sold on that day to Juffs being 4 cwt short. Nor did Roberts say anything about the 1 cwt being short on 3 June. He first heard of it after the charge was made. He remembers a ticket being produced in the case against Juffs brought by the Gas Company which did not agree with his book – the word Cobbles had been added. Roberts said it was not his handwriting. Roberts must enter only what the purchaser actually takes in the book. John Worrall, station master of Woburn Sands Railway Station – the coal depot is on the down side of the station. The goods are on the opposite side. On 10th June he saw coal taken out of a truck belonging to the Woburn Gas Company which was standing on the goods side. It was Wigan coal, very different from the specimen produced. The coal was put close to the turntable on the goods side. There was about 3 cwt or so in the heap, which remained there until the following Friday 16th June. There was no other coal on that side of the line at that time. On 16th the heap was taken over the line in Juffs’ mule cart and backed against a truck belonging to Mr Sanders. He saw Roberts hand coal out of the truck belonging to Sanders into Juffs’ cart. Sanders’ coal is a large sort. The coal was not weighed before being placed in the cart. He went within a few yards of them and has no doubt as to their identity. The truck was nearly full. The cart was filled as much as the mule could draw. The cart holds about 14 cwt. When filled the cart was again brought across the line and went towards Woburn in charge of Juffs’ boy Smith. [Cross-examined] He has known Juffs about 8 or 9 years. He is a carter who also purchases coal. Coals are either weighed in a machine brought up to the truck or at Mr Goodall’s weighing machine. The mule cart was not weighed on Mr Goodall’s machine that day. Fred Syrett of Wavendon (Bucks), railway porter – he is employed at the goods department of the Woburn Sands Station. On 16 June he was on the goods side. There was a heap of coals lying near the turntable with about 2 or 3 cwt. He saw Juffs’ mule cart go out. It had the coal that was lying in the goods yard in it. The coal was taken across the line towards the coal yard. He followed the cart when it came back to Woburn. The cart was not weighed anywhere. There was some gas coal and some large coal in the cart. The cart was taken to Juffs’ house. The boy Smith backed the cart against the gate and wheeled the small coal onto Juffs’ premises and carried the large pieces. The large coal at the top of the cart did not entirely cover the small coal. George Garrett of Woburn, carter – he is employed by Mr Sanders. He took a load of coal from Mr Sanders’ truck at Woburn Sands Sation to the Landry a the Park Farm. He took a ticket for it. The coal was weighed at the farm and weighed a little over a ton. Charles Henry Juffs – “I am not guilty” George Roberts – “I am not guilty”

item

Sanders, Edward,
Roberts, George,
Sanders, Edward,
Worrall, John,
Syrett, Fred,
Garrett, George

WOBURN, WOBURN SANDS, Wavendon, stealing, coal, coal merchant, station master, Woburn Sands station, railway porter, carter, Woburn Park Farm