QSR1844/3/5/4

Depositions and examination - James Waller charged with stealing money from the person of William Strange at Toddington on 25 April 1844

29 April 1844

From: 1844 To: 1844

William Strange of Toddington, farmer – on Thursday April 25 he went into the Angel public house in Toddington. He was quite sober then. He remained there until late in the evening drinking beer. He became the worse for liquor. Before he became so Waller and some of his companions came into the Angel. When he went into the Angel he had over £4 in his pocket – 2 sovereigns, 2 half sovereigns and more than a pound’s worth of silver in half crowns, shillings and sixpences. He paid a man for a hat while in the angle. He does not know if he paid for the beer or not. He is sure he did not pay or give away any money while he was in the Angel except for the hat and perhaps some beer. He went out 2 or 3 times to make water and recollects Waller following him into the yard, but does not recollect if Waller did anything about him. About 8 or 9pm he went out to go home. Waller came out with him and asked him to go into Brewer’s house which is opposite the Angel. He did so. Some more ale was fetched in there from the Angle by his order. He does not think Brewer was at home. Brewer’s wife and Sarah Hyde were there. He slept at that house that night. Brewer put him to bed. Before Brewer did so he had missed his money. He mentioned it. His money was in his left hand breeches’ pocket when he went to the Angel and he had not moved it. He had not taken it out except to pay for the hat. The main part of the money was in a purse, which was also missing. He did not lend any money to Waller or anyone else that day. John Roberts of Toddington, labourer – he went into the Angel on Thursday afternoon. William Strange was there and Jem Waller and many others. Waller was there all afternoon, backwards & forwards. Mr Strange was quite drunk in the evening. He was pretty much the same. He remembers Strange taking out his purse to pay a man for a hat. He did not see him pay for any beer. It was about 7pm when Strange was quite “fresh” that Strange stood up to dance and Waller held him up. It was only for 2 or 3 minutes. After this he was out at the back door making water and Strange was in another corner of the yard doing the same. Jem Waller came out and said to him “Damn you, go into the house and I’ll have his money”. At this time Waller had hold of strange as if holding him up. He saw Waller’s hand on Strange’s left hand breeches pocket – outside the pocket not inside. He went into the house. Strange and Waller came in together soon afterwards. He went home and was in bed by 9pm. He saw Strange and Waller go out before he went home. Sarah Hide, wife of William Hide of Toddington, labourer – she was in Brewer’s house between 8 and 9pm on Thursday. Strange and Waller came in. Strange was intoxicated, though not as drunk as she has seen him. Strange seemed to know pretty well what he was about when he came in. Waller was leading him in – Waller forced him in and made him sit down and said “we must have a little beer and a pipe of tobacco together”. Waller persisted and said he would fetch some from the Angel, which he did. They drank the beer and smoked. Brewer was out. His wife went to fetch him. Brewer returned and they left the room where Strange and Waller were. While they were in the back room she heard some money rattle on the bricks. She opened the door and said to Waller “what are you at, you have been at Mr Strange’s money. Waller said he had only dropped a sixpence and a halfpenny. She saw Waller picking up a shilling then with one hand and he was putting his other hand in his pocket. She heard several pieces drop and said so. Strange was very intoxicated and helpless but she saw his hand moving about his left breeches pocket as if trying to do something to it. She heard a scuffle before she heard the money drop. They were alone in the room. Mary Brewer, wife of Joseph Brewer of Toddington, labourer – they live nearly opposite the Angel. On Thursday evening Strange and Waller came into their house. Strange appeared to resist Waller who was forcing him in. Strange was very tipsy. Waller fetched some beer – they drank together and smoked. She went to look for her husband as she did not like them being there while he was not at home. After she came back she and Sarah Hide went out of the room. They heard a scuffle and some money rattle on the floor, which sounded like at least 2 or 3 pieces. Sarah Hide opened the door and spoke. She saw Waller stooping and picking up something. Strange put his hand to his lef breeches pocket and rubbed it up and down. Strange seemed half asleep. Her husband came home and Strange asked to lay down in their house. Her husband wanted him to go home but later laid Strange on their bed. Strange did not say anything about losing his money until the morning. She did not tell her husband about the money and the scuffle until after Waller was gone and strange was laid on the bed. Edmund Wildman of Toddington, victualler – he is landlord of the Queen’s Head public house. On Saturday morning William Strange came into his house and presently James Waller came in. Strange asked Waller how much money he had got. Waller took 2 shillings and a half crown out of his pocket and said that was all he had got. Strange said he had more and Waller said with an oath he had not. Waller said “I had 42 shillings of your money Mr Strange”. Strange made no answer except that he had got more. Strange then asked Waller for some money and Waller gave him half a crown. Strange charged Waller with picking his pocket. Waller denied it. [Cross-examined] “I did not hear you say you picked up 2 shillings in the room at Brewers”. William Fox of Toddington, butcher – he went to Waller on Saturday morning at Strange’s request and desired him to go to Strange at Wildman’s. He was present when Strange charged Waller with picking his pocket on Thursday night. Waller swore very much and denied it. Waller later said he had 42 shillings of his money which Strange had lent him – Strange denied this. Waller later gave Strange 2s 6d an then a sixpence, and said he would give Strange the rest of the 42 shillings that day. Strange accused him of having taken a good deal more. Samuel Hornal, police constable of Toddington – he heard of the robbery on Saturday. He spoke to Strange who hesitated about prosecuting as he said he was ashamed of his own conduct. He later too Waller into custody in the taproom of the Griffin Inn. A man named Charles Atthews was with Waller. Waller followed him out of the tap room but turned back and tried to give the packet he now produces to Atthews. He took it and found it to be a handkerchief tied up and containing 9 half crowns and one shilling. He told Waller the charge. Waller said Strange gave him 8 half crowns and 2 half sovereigns to take care of and at Joseph Brewer’s house Strange dropped some money and he picked up 2 shillings and kept it. Waller said he had returned 3 shillings to Strange. James Waller – they got fresh together at the Angel. When Strange wanted to go out he asked Waller to lead him and he did so. When they were out he said he asked Strange to lend him 5 shillings. Strange lent him two half crowns. They had some more beer and a pipe together at Brewer’s. As they were going out of the Angel Mother Hyde took hold of Strange and said he hadn’t given her a fairing. She asked Strange to stand treat. He [Waller] fetched two quarts of beer, pipes and tobacco. Mrs Hyde asked him to go out of doors as she wanted to talk to Strange. Brewer was gone after her husband then. He went out for 10 minutes and left them by themselves. After that Brewer came home and sat down by the side of Strange and had some beer. After that Strange went out again and he went with him. He asked Strange to lend him £2 which he did. Strange gave him 2 half sovereigns and 8 half crowns. After they were in the house again Strange put his hand in his pocket and some money [sic] and the women began scrambling for it. He thinks a sovereign dropped. He picked up 2 shillings. That is all he has got to say. The women took away some gingerbread from him.

item

Waller, James,
Strange, William,
Roberts, John,
Hide, William,
Hide, Sarah,
Brewer, Mary,
Brewer, Joseph,
Wildman, Edmund,
Fox, William,
Hornal, Samuel,
Atthews, Charles

TODDINGTON, pickpocket, farmer, victualler, butcher, Toddington Angel, beer, drunkenness, hats, smoking, Toddington Queens Head, Toddington Griffin