QSR1854/2/5/2

Depositions of Thomas Odell, baker of Leighton Buzzard and Thomas Worsley, police constable of Leighton Buzzard. In the case of Abraham Pantling accused of stealing 4 half quartern bags of flour.

21 March 1854

From: 1854 To: 1854

Thomas Odell: a baker at Leighton Buzzard and the prisoner was a stranger to him. He had recently missed several bags of flour out of the shops. In consequence he directed PC Worsley to watch. On 21 March about 4pm, Odell put 5 half quatern bags of flour on the shelf in the window of the shop. 4 of them were the same as later produced and were marked with his name and a private mark. 1 of the bags was left I the shop window. About 8pm in the evening the prisoner was brought into the shop in custody. The 4 bags were on the counter. PC Thomas Worsley: On 21 March from information received from the prosecutor he watched the prosecutors shop at Leighton. About 8pm the prisoner had been walking about the street and when it was clear of passengers, he leant over the half door leading into the shop and took 4 bags of flour from a shelf in the window and placed them on the counter. At that moment Worsley heard an inner door open in the shop and the prisoner immediately ran off as fast as he could. Worsley pursued him and took Pantling into custody and took him back to the prosecutor’s shop. There was a half quartern bag of flour remaining on the shelf and 4 other bags on the counter. The prisoners acknowledged that he had taken the 4 bags of flour from the shelf because he had nothing to eat. Statement of the accused: he would not have done it had he not been driven to it by hunger.

item

Cook, Thomas,
Odell, Thomas,
Worsley, Thomas

LEIGHTON BUZZARD, stealing, flour, baker