QSR1877/4/5/3

Depositions and examination - Richard Reader, charged wtih stealing 22 live tame fowls value £2 10s belonging to George Oakley from a henhouse at Luton on 15 September 1876

1 October 1877

From: 1876 To: 1877

William French of Chiltern Green, Luton, labourer – he works for Mr Oakley. On 15 September he had charge of the fowls at Chiltern Green Farm. On that night he had 49. The next morning he found the place had been broken open and he missed 22 fowls, worth about £2 10s. He sent word to the police at once. The bricks of the house had been knocked out behind under the boards. They were similar fowls to the one produced. Thomas Spacey of New Town, Luton, labourer – he knows Reader and was with him in Mr Oakley’s meadow sometime in September last year. He went for mushrooms and Reader went with him. Reader asked whether there was a henhouse nearby and suggested some fowls would be better than mushrooms. He said to Reader “you don’t touch one in my company”. He parted from Reader and saw him the next Monday. William Conquest of 132 New Town Street, Luton, blocker – last September he had a pony and cart. Reader came to him at about 5.45am on 16 September 1876 and had the pony and cart, saying he wanted to take his brother’s things to the station. He lent Reader the pony and cart for that purpose. As Reader did not come back he went to the station but could not find him. He next saw the pony and cart at home when he returned from the station. He has not seen Reader since. James Everett of Queens Square, Luton, blocker – he saw Reader standing outside his house on Saturday morning in September last year. Reader beckoned him over and offered to sell him 2 fowls at 1s each. He refused to buy them. He had known Reader for some time. He gave Reader sixpence and they parted. James Facer of New Town Street, Luton – he is a school boy living with his parents. Last September he saw Mr Conquest’s pony and cart with Reader in the box. He asked Reader for the horse and cart and said Mr Conquest wanted it. He fetches coals with it sometimes. Reader took a sack out and took it into Mrs Barton’s yard at the back. He took the pony and cart back to Mr Conquest’s and waited until he came. He felt the sack. They felt like potatoes. Sophia Deighton of New Town, Luton – she is the wife of George Deighton and lives in Brache Street, Park Town, Luton. She knows Reader. He came in August last year to lodge at their house and lived with them for about 5 weeks. He went out on a Wednesday evening and did not return until the 12 o’clock the next day. He had some dinner and went out on Thursday night. She does not think he returned until Saturday morning between 8 and 9am. He then went to bed and got up after dinner. He said he had been to his brother’s all night. She knew his brother lived in Lea Road. In the evening Reader came home with some new clothes which he said he had bought at Mr Cunningham’s. He stayed over Sunday and on Monday went out with a blue serge suit, then later came back and changed again. He went away in his best suit and she has not seen him since. He said she was to call him “Harry”. She went after him but did not find him. Denby Dellingham of Chase Street, Luton – he is a manufacturer. He knew Reader the later part of last year about 13 months ago. Reader came to his house, took up a poker about 2 feet long which was against the grate, said “this is the thing that will suit” and asked to borrow it. He refused. Reader offered to buy it. He refused and went to take it away. Reader threw sixpence down and went away with it, saying “the first man as comes in contact with me will have the effects of this poker”. On the following Saturday morning Reader came into his block house an asked if he “could do with a widder or two”. He thought Reader meant fowls and said “no”. Reader asked if he would let him leave them anywhere. He refused. Reader went across to Mrs Emma Biggs’ house. Emma Biggs of Luton – she is the wife of John Biggs. She remembers Reader coming to her house one Saturday morning and asking if she had a barn. She said she did. He asked if he could put some fowls in a sack in there for half and hour. She refused. He said she had a “d---d good cellar” and he would put them there. She told him he should not. Hannah Jane Biggs of Luton – she is the wife of Charles Biggs. She met Reader one Saturday morning as he was coming back from Mrs Barton’s back way with a bag of something on his shoulder. Reader asked if she would buy an old “widder” off him. She refused. Reader put the sack down and she saw several fowls. Edmund Tydeman of Luton, superintendent of police – Reader was delivered to him on 26 September by PC Allen. On Thursday 27th he was present when Reader made a statement. The statement is produced and marked “A”. John Garner of Luton, police constable – he was present on 27th and heard the statement made by Reader to Mr Tydeman. John Allen, police constable at Chiltern Green, Luton – he went to St Albans Gaol on 26 September, took Reader into custody on his discharge from the Gaol and charged him with stealing 22 fowls from Chiltern Green. Reader said he knew nothing about it and said “if I go to the Quarter Sessions they can’t give me more than 7 years and they will not give me less than 2 years but I shall not do a month I shall snuff it”. Richard Reader – “On confessing what I have now been charged with I hope gentlemen you will take into consideration I have been a guilty fellow but will swear if you will only give me one chance and not send me back where I came from that I swear upon my knee that I will never commit another offence against the laws of the country. This is the first time that ever I asked a favour and one act of sympathy shewn in behalf of the prisoner would go home to his heart and cause him to reform. I hope you will not send me for trial as I am sincerely sorry and “confess my guilt” and promise to you and to the Almighty that if you will only give me one more chance I swear on my knees to reform.”

item

Reader, Richard,
Oakley, George,
French, William,
Spacey, Thomas,
Conquest, William,
Everett, James,
Facer, James,
Deighton, Sophia,
Dillingham, Denbigh,
Biggs, Emma,
Biggs, Hannah Jane,
Tydeman, Edmund,
Garner, John,
Allen, John,
Deighton, George,
Biggs, John,
Biggs, Charles,
Cunningham

LUTON, Chiltern Green, Luton New Town, Luton New Town Street, Luton Chase Street, Luton Brache Street, Luton Lea Road, stealing animals, fowls, Hyde Chiltern Green Farm, agricultural labourer, blocker, manufacturer, police superintendent, police constable, mushrooms