QSR1876/4/5/13

Depositions and examination - Charles Pack charged with stealing one iron crowbar value 5s from William Walter Welshman at Morhanger on 16 September 1876

4 October 1876

From: 1876 To: 1876

Charles Pollicott of Morhanger, coachman’s son – on 16 September he was at Mr Welshman’s stables about 6.30am. William Cobb was there. Charles Pack, blacksmith, went into the stable yard with him and shoed a horse. When Pack had finished he went behind the stable door and brought out a crowbar, put it across his box and went away with it. [Cross-examined] He did not say anything to Pack or see where he took it. He told his father at breakfast. He heard his brother say he met Pack with the bar. He has talked 2 or 3 times to his father about it. It was broad daylight. His father has not told him what to say. He is nearly 12. Henry Pollicott of Morhanger, stable boy – he is the brother of Charles Pollicott. He saw Charles Pack in Morhanger village with a crowbar across his box at about 7.30am. Pack spoke to him – it was some ordinary conversation, he forgets what. [Cross-examined] He does not know what Pack wanted with the crowbar. He knew it was Mr Welchman’s. He does not work for Mr Welchman. He never said he had not seen the crowbar. He knows Samuel Cox and Joseph Sims. He has not spoken to them with Pack. The three did not speak to him and he has not spoken to any of them about the crowbar, nor to anyone else in their hearing, nor to anyone except his father and brother. He has spoken to Cox and Sims, but not about the crowbar. Mr Welchman has not asked him about it. He has no policeman in Morhanger. He went before Colonel Stuart when he laid the information and then said he saw the crowbar. He has not talked to friends about it. He never told Cox and Sims he would swear he did not see Pack with the crowbar. William Cobb of Morhanger, stable boy – he is stable boy for William Walter Welshman. About 6am on 16 September he went into a stable to fetch a fork and saw a crowbar leaning in the corner of the wall behind the door. He was in the stables until breakfast time, but not all the time in the one where the crowbar was. About 6.30 Charles pack came to shoe a cob in the next stable. A harness room parts the two stables. About 8am he went to breakfast. When he came back about 9am the crowbar was gone. On Monday 18th September he went to Pack’s shop and asked him to come up and see the coachman about the crowbar. Pack said “I did not have it and can’t go nigh just now”. [Cross-examined] He was in a stable with one horse. He finished dressing him about 7. He was in the stable until 7.40. He cleaned the stables out before 7am then went to dress the cob. The crowbar was in the stable where the cob was which had been shod by Pack. After he had finished the horse at 7.40 he went into the stable where the cob was but did not look behind the door. He looked after breakfast, from what the coachman said. He has not spoken to anyone about this to anyone. He has heard people talk about it but said nothing. Charles Pack – he is not guilty. Defence -------------- William Larkins of Bedford, blacksmith – he works for Charles Pack and remembers him going to Mr Welchman’s on Saturday 16th. He was in Pack’s shop when he came back. Pack had his box and a few old horse shoes and his tools. Pack had no iron bar and he has not seen one on the premises since. He saw Pack come into the shed and shop. He saw him coming across the road through the window. If Pack had a crowbar he would have seen it. Samuel Cox of Morhanger, labourer – he knows Charles Pack, Henry Pollicott and Joseph Sims. He saw the three of them together a week ago last Thursday night. He heard Henry Pollicott say that he could say that Charles Pack had not had the crowbar. He was not with them. He was a little way off and has not spoken to Pollicott himself. [Cross-examined] Henry Pollicott has not said anything to him about the crowbar. Joseph Simms of Morhanger, labourer – he remembers seeing Henry Pollicott one evening with Pack on the Bedford Road. He heard him say he could say Charles Pack did not have the crowbar. He was going home about 7 o’clock.He caught Charles Pack and Pollicott talking about the crowbar. He did not hear Pack ask Pollicott any questions, nor did he hear Pollicott say anything more. [Cross-examined] He has only told Charles Pack that he has not mentioned to anyone else that he heard Pollicott say so. Samuel Cox was not with them that night. He thinks Cox was about 2 chains off. Edward Henry Frederick Dawkins Esquire of Morhanger – he has known Charles Pack for 9 years. Pack is his blacksmith. He considers Pack thoroughly honest.

item

Pack, Charles,
Welshman, William Walter,
Pollicott, Charles,
Pollicott, Henry,
Cobb, William,
Larkins, William,
Cox, Samuel,
Simms, Joseph,
Dawkins, Edward Henry Frederick

MOGERHANGER, Moggerhanger, BEDFORD, stealing, tools, coachman, blacksmith, stables, horses