QSR1855/3/5/1

Depositions of Edward Lockhart, coal merchant of Dunstable, Richard Perry, labourer of Dunstable, George Robins, farmer of Houghton Regis and Charles Dale, police constable of Houhgton Regis. In the case of John Yates, accused of stealing a horse cloth.

9 April 1855

From: 1855 To: 1855

Richard Perry: a labourer living in Dunstable and he had been in Mr Lockhart’s employment in January 1855. The prisoner was at work in the coal yard. On 12 January he was in the coal yard with the horse and cart. He left the horse and cart standing in the yard between 5 and 6pm, with a horse cloth over the horse. He was gone about 10 minutes and when he returned he missed the cloth. He saw a boy with the cloth on his shoulders and informed the police. The cloth produced was the one he lost and he identified it by a hole which he had cut in the strap and by a piece of string which he tied on the corner of the cloth. George Robins: the prisoner came to him a couple of months ago with a cloth for sale. The prisoner said he had found it coming up from Bedford and he agreed to pay 2 shillings for it. PC Charles Dale: he obtained the cloth from Mrs Robins as her husband was not home. The prisoner was taken into custody on 3 April and charged with stealing the horse cloth. The prisoner said he had found the cloth on the road coming from Bedford. Statement of the accused: Perry asked him if he had seen the cloth and he said he had not and had not been out for the past 2 or 3 hours. Perry said nobody else in the yard had seen it. Perry said if Master Thomas he not let the horse be where it was, the loss would not have happened. Master Thomas took the house and set it outside on the road. He and Perry went down the yard and Master Thomas asked if they had found it. Master Thomas said he was sure it was on the horse when he left it.

item

Yates, John,
Lockhart, Edward,
Perry, Richard,
Robins, George,
Dale, Charles

HOUGHTON REGIS, stealing, cloth, coal merchant, farmer, DUNSTABLE