QSR1855/3/5/6

Depositions of Thomas Saunders, labourer of Sharnbrook, William Byers Graham, superintendent of police of Sharnbrook and Susan Wells, wife of William Wells, innkeeper of Bedford. In the case of Daniel Hagger, railway labourer of Littlebury, Essex, accused of stealing 1 sovereign and 1 clasp knife. A letter certifying that Ann Saunders was unable to leave her room due to confinement.

24 April 1855

From: 1855 To: 1855

Thomas Saunders: he lived in Sharnbrook and had 2 men working on the railways living with him. One of which was the prisoner who had lodged with him for a fortnight. On 10 April he had his clasp knife in the house. The prisoner was left in the house alone that morning and on returning from work Saunders discovered the knife gone. He saw the box in his room had been disturbed. He heard the lodgers had gone off and had taken some of his property. The next day he saw the knife in the possession of Mr Graham. He had also lost a sovereign which he had to pay the rent. He asked his wife to go for it and she found it stolen from the box in which she kept it. Ann Saunders: when told the lodgers had gone off with some property she went upstairs and check in the box in her room. The large box contained a smaller one which was locked. On looking at it she found the lock had been forced and the sovereign, which had been wrapped in a bit of rag, was gone. She had left home early in the morning and did not return until 9pm. Susan Wells: her husband kept the Star Inn at Bedford. On 11 April the prisoner came into the house and asked for 3 pennyworth of rum. He gave her a sovereign and she changed it for him. She knew the prisoner to be that man. William Byers Graham: went after the prisoner to Bedford on 11 April. When he was near a lodging house in Bedford, he saw the prisoner come out, see him and go back in again. He went in the house after him and found that the prisoner had left and got out the premises over a 9ft wall and into a passage belonging to another house. He went to the adjoining premises and found the prisoner hiding under the staircase. The prisoner said he had nothing about him but his own. He searched and found 2s 6d on the prisoner and a pocket knife. Thomas Saunders identified the knife as his property. The prisoner acknowledged to Saunders that he had taken the knife. He had since ascertained the prisoner had spent 16 or 17 shillings that day and the previous night. He heard the prisoner say that he had spent all his money and the public house keeper had turned him out of the house. Statement of the accused: he had nothing to say except he had worked hard for the money which he had spent at Bedford.

item

Hagger, Daniel,
Saunders, Thomas,
Saunders, Ann,
Graham, William Byers,
Wells, Susan,
Wells, William

SHARNBROOK, BEDFORD, innkeeper, stealing, coins, knife, Bedford Star Inn, lodging houses, railway employee, Littlebury, pregnancy