QSR1854/3/5/6

Depositions of Charlotte Hill, wife of Frederick of Luton, Mary French of Luton, Edward Dent, police constable of Luton and Eliza Hill of Luton. In the case of Richard Humphreys accused of stealing 3 shirts, 3 shifts and a handkerchief.

28 April 1854

From: 1854 To: 1854

Charlotte Hill: wife of Frederick and residing at Chiltern Green in Luton. On 24 April she hung out some linen to dry. There were 3 shirts, 3 shifts and a handkerchief. She hung them on a line in the garden. She missed them between 4 and 5pm. In consequence of information received, she and Mrs French went after the prisoner, going different ways. Mrs French brought the linen and the prisoner back to Mrs Hill. She believed the linen to be her husband’s property and the same she had hung out to dry. Mary French: she went after the prisoner with Mrs Hill. They went different ways. She met the prisoner and stopped him. She challenged the prisoner and he brought the linen out of his pocket and threw it down. The prisoner said he hoped she would not do anything with him. Mrs French gave the things to Mrs Hill’s little girl. PC Edward Dent: he received the prisoner into his custody and went to Mrs Hill to take the linen into his possession. When the prisoner was locked up at the station he said that if he had been a little quicker he would not have been caught. Eliza Hill: she saw the prisoner go into the field next to the garden. The clothes were hanging in the garden. Mrs French afterwards gave her the clothes. She took them and laid them on a chair. She told her mother where she had put them and she took them and laid them on the table. There were 3 shirts, 3 shifts and a handkerchief. Statement of the accused: nothing to say.

item

Humphreys, Richard,
Hill, Charlotte,
Hill, Frederick,
Dent, Edward,
French, Mary,
Hill, Eliza

LUTON, stealing, clothing, handkerchief