QSR1888/4/5/1

Depositions of Joseph Stearn of Burton Road, Luton and PC William Chamberlain of Luton. In the case of Frederick Gilbert accused of stealing 2 sacks.

30 August 1888

From: 1888 To: 1888

Joseph Stearn: a cowkeeper of Burton Road, Luton. On 30 August about 7pm he left the sack locked up in the shed on a window sill. He went back to the shed about 5am the next day and found it broken open. He missed 2 empty sacks and saw that someone had got through the window. He went to the adjoining shed and found a sack with a peck of apples in it on some hay. He found the other sack under the hay empty. He could swear to both bags and valued them at 18 pence. William Chamberlain: a detective on the Luton police force. He went to the shed about 9am and saw the lattice work had been broken off the window. He was shown the bag under the hay. He hid himself in the hay until 10.30am when the prisoner came to the shed. The prisoner walked to the spot where the bag was hidden, picked it up, rolled it up and walked away with it. Chamberlain ran after him and Gilbert threw down the bag and ran away. Gilbert said he had seen 2 boys put the bags there the night before, but did not know who they were. He had later played with them. Statement of the accused: he did not take the 2 sacks but fetched the one.

item

Gilbert, Frederick,
Stearn, Joseph,
Chamberlain, William

LUTON, stealing, sack, cow keeper