QSR1887/2/5/2c

Depositions of Susannah Hall, widow of Harlington, John Hall of Harlington, Edwin Fox, clerk to Messrs Phillips & Co, Surrey, Henry Croll Strafford, clerk at the Bank of England, Henry Owen Williams, clerk of the office of Director of Amy Contracts War Office, Pall Mall, Edward Richard Clark, clerk in the National Provinical Bank of England, 53 Baker Street and John Webb, Williams Street, Manchester Square, shoemaker. In case of Joseph Thomas Turner accused of obtaining by false pretences 25 tons of hay and 2 loads of straw, the value of £84 12s

20 January 1887

From: 1887 To: 1887

Susannah Hall: a widow and farmer living in Harlington. In the middle of October 1885 the prisoner and a man named Underwood called upon him. They were strangers to him. The prisoner said he had come from Barton and was looking for some hay. He told Turner he had some hay but would not sell it until he had seen his son. The prisoner tested the ricks. The prisoner said he would want the money for the hay and the prisoner asked whether he though he would rob him and his children. The prisoner gave the address of 58 Paddington Street and said he would come again. The prisoner called again a few days later and asked if his son was home. Turner came again on 28 October, with Halls’ son and asked what they would do with the rick. They agreed a price of £82 10s and Turner wrote out a document. Hall said she must have the money for the hay and Turner said that if she didn’t believe him she could send to the Bank of England. Turner also said he was paying £200 a year for a place in London. Afterwards Turner sent men to cut the hay and she carted it to Harlington station. He also had 2 loads of straw form her at a guinea a load. Turner asked her when rent day was and she told him the next day. He told her he was very sorry but he had forgotten his cheque book and said he would send it by post to arrive the next morning. The cheque never came. She brought an action against him and got judgement but received nothing from that judgement. She had been induced to part with the hay by his statement that he had buildings built to put hay in and as he appeared a gentleman. He told her he was buying for the government. She wrote to him 2 or 3 times. He also said the Bank of England would back him for any amount to £2000 if required. John Hall: a publican at Harlington. On 26 October the prisoner called and told him he had seen his mother about a rick of hay and Turner wanted to know when he would go with him to his mother. Turner came again on 28 October and they went together to his mother’s farm. They negotiated on price and settled on £82 10s. The bargain was put into writing. He told the prisoner he would want on 22 November as it was rent day. Turner said the hay was to go to the government. He considered a man buying for the government was safe. Turner said he had large premises in Portman Square, where he was paying £200 a year. Turner also said the Bank of England would back him up to £2000. The same day they drove to Eversholt to look at another rick of Hay. They passed the recently let Tingrith House and Turner said he wished he had known about it as he could conduct his business from there as well as he could London. He saw the prisoner again the next week when he sold him some hay of his own and was paid by cheque. He went to see the prisoner the Saturday before Christmas at 58 Paddington Street but found it to be a shoe shop. He was directed to 141 Marylebone Street and saw the prisoner’s wife there. He went again next day but the prisoner was not in. On the Monday he met the prisoner on the door step and told him he wanted the money. The prisoner said he was sorry but he could not pay but he would be down the next week. Turner said he was meeting someone at Kings Cross or he would have taken Hall to Kensington to see his buildings there. The prisoner owed him £1 17s 0d. He received a cheque from the prisoner for £24 18s which he cashed without issue. He did not know a man named Dumpleton and was not aware if he had a government contract for hay. He had gone to London for his mother’s money but did mention the balance owing to him. Edwin Fox: clerk to Messrs Phillips Mortlake Brewery, owners of the lease of 65 George Street, Portman Square. In November 1884 the premises were let by Messrs Phillips to the defendant. He introduced the defendant to Mess Phillips. An agreement was made in writing but he could not find it. The rent was £150 for the first year and £200 thereafter. The defendant left in June 1885 having paid no rent but having supplied a load of hay in April 1885 which was placed as a credit on the rent account. He gave a cheque for £30 on account of March rent which was returned marked ‘refer to drawer’. After June 1885 he discovered he had moved to 141 Marylebone Street. He put a distress upon the goods there for rent but got nothing. The lease had been for 3 years. He did not recall if the defendant had paid for fixtures by cheque or whether they received any other cheque from the defendant. He was a bookkeeper of Messrs Phillips at the Grosvenor Road offices. Henry Croll Strafford: clerk in the Bank of England. No trace could be found in the books of the Bank for the defendant. They had searched for 10 years, so he believed him to have never had an account there. The Bank would not have backed him or stood by him for £2000. Henry Owen Williams: clerk in the office of the Director of Army Contracts, War Office, Pall Mall. That is where Contracts for forage and hay for the War department would pass. Turner had not had a contract with them for the supply of hay during the past 10 years. He believed Messrs Dumpleton had tendered for hay to the War Office but he could not say if they were accepted. Edward Richard Clark: clerk in the National Provincial Bank of England at 53 Baker Street. The defendant had an account at the bank which was closed in December 1885 at the request of the bank. On 5 May 1885 the manager wrote to the defendant as the defendants balance at the bank was seven pence. It remained so until 30 June 1885. From March to December 1885 he never had a balance larger than £22 10s 0d. Sidney Herbert Jarrett: a clerk at the London & South Western Bank, Camden Town. The defendant had an account with the bank which was opened on 12 November 1885. The last cheque paid out was 4 March 1886, leaving a balance of 10s 9d. Jarrett supplied a list of balances for the account, with the highest balance being £58. On 18 November the defendant had £53 15s 11d. £45 was paid in during the day and a cheque for £50 was paid out. John Webb: a shoemaker of Williams Street, Manchester Square. In 1885 he resided at 58 Paddington Street and left there on 30 August 1886 and had been there for 2 years. The defendant had no office or place of business at Paddington Street but for sometime had his letters addressed there. He found the defendants address to be 141 Marylebone Road. The reason Turner gave for having his letters sent there was that it was central. Turner was a hay and straw dealer. Statement of the accused: not guilty.

16 pages

item

Turner, Joseph Thomas,
Hall, Susannah,
Hall, John,
Fox, Edwin,
Strafford, Henry Croll,
Williams, Henry Owen,
Clark, Edward Richard,
Webb, John

HARLINGTON, false pretences, hay, Bank of England, War Office, National Provincial Bank of England Limited, clerk, farmer, shoemaker, Messrs. Phillips & Co., London, publican, St Marylebone Portman Square