QSR1877/1/5/10

Depositions and examination - Albert Mobley charged with breaking and entering the shop of Robert Nicholls at Dunstable on 22 November 1876 and stealing a glazier's diamond

29 November 1876

From: 1876 To: 1877

Robert Nicholls of Dunstable, painter – his shop is in Britain Street, Dunstable. He had two glazier’s diamonds in his shop. He missed the one produced on Wednesday morning 22 November. He identifies it by its short handle and by its having a piece of lead at the end which is unusual. One day when Mobley was in his shop he asked the value of that diamond. On Wednesday morning he found the door of his shop had been forced out in the night. He would say it was about 5 days earlier when Mobley asked about the diamond. Charles Shorthouse of Dunstable, labourer – he lives in lodgings in Union Street. He was talking to Mobley in the market when he said he had a diamond to dispose of. Mobley said he had given 5s for it 2 years ago and asked if he would go to the pawnbrokers to pawn it for him. He agreed. The pawnbroker refused to take it unless Mobley came in with it himself. He returned and told Mobley this. Mobley then asked if he would go to Luton with him to pawn it and he agreed. At Luton Mobley took the diamond into Mr Butcher’s the pawnbroker’s shop. When Mobley came out he said the pawnbroker would not take it as it was not a good one. Mobley then asked if he would try to sell it for him. He took it to several shops and at last sold it to Mr Dean Almond of Luton for 5s. He gave Mobley 3s and kept the other 2s for selling it for him. When he got back to Dunstable he heard the diamond was a stolen one. Dean Almond of Luton, brazier – he is a tinman and brazier. Shorthouse came to his shop last Wednesday. He bought the diamond now produced for 5s. Henry Tofield of Dunstable, police constable – on Wednesday he examined the door of Mr Nicholl’s shop. He found 2 freshly made places on the door post showing marks of violence, one near the lock. He followed Mobley home to his father’s house. He asked Mobley if he had employed Charles Shorthouse to sell a diamond for him. Mobley said he had and that the diamond was his property. He later charged Mobley with entering the shop and stealing the diamond. He went to Luton with Shorthouse to Mr Almond’s. Mr Almond gave him the diamond. William Addington of Dunstable, police constable – he accompanied PC Tofield to Mobley’s house and found the front and back doors fastened. They asked for admittance and while waiting Mobley’s brother entered by the window and came out again. Tofield then entered by the window and let him in at the back door. Mobley said Nicholls gave him the diamond and 5 shillings. They found 2 marks on the door as if the door had been forced with a blunt instrument. Robert Nicholls – Mobley stayed in his shop until he went to tea at about 4.05pm on Tuesday. He locked the shop then and went back to it about 5.45 and stayed until 5.55. He then went away and locked the shop for the night. The last he saw of the diamonds was when he put them in the drawer about 3.45. He left 2 boxes in front of the drawer. It would be necessary to move them to get at the drawer. Mobley could not have got to the drawer on the Tuesday afternoon without him noticing. On the Wednesday he found the boxes in the position he left them and the other diamond was in the drawer. Albert Mobley – he has nothing to say.

item

Mobley, Albert,
Nicholls, Robert,
Shorthouse, Charles,
Almond, Dean,
Tofield, Henry,
Addington, William,
Butcher

DUNSTABLE, LUTON, Dunstable Britain Street, Dunstable Union Street, breaking & entering, painter, brazier, police constable, pawnbroker