QSR1855/4/5/4

Depositions of Robert McIntosh, yeoman of Warden, Constantine Collier, yeoman of Warden, Reuben Pepper, police constable of Shefford. In the case of Robert Enever, labourer of Shefford, accused of stealing 1 gold sovereign and 20 half sovereigns.

1 August 1855

From: 1855 To: 1855

Robert McIntosh: a contractor for the making of the Leicester & Hitchin Railway. He would always pay his men on Saturday nights. On 28 July he was paying his men at about 5pm when Robert Enever came to him to be paid. He paid Enever his money and Enever put it in his pocket. Enever then seized the bag contained the gold and drew it towards him. He seized his hand. He had been standing in a room which he used to pay the men. The men would stand in the yard outside and he would pay them through a sort of window in the wall, in which had no glass. There were wooden shutters which slid open. On this occasion they were open 10 or 11 inches. As soon as he grabbed Enever’s hand, he seized a piece of wood which was at hand and threatened to split Enever’s hand if he didn’t let go. He hit Enever once. With the aid of his timekeeper he detained Enever until the police came. There was a sovereign and ten half sovereigns in the purse. Constantien Collier: he was Mr McIntosh’s timekeeper. He was in the office on the Saturday night when McIntosh was paying his men. He saw McIntosh pay the prisoner and as soon as Enever had put the money into his pocket, he saw Enever put both hands through the slit and grab the purse containing the gold. Enever had got the purse in his hands and had lifted it past the bench on which it lay before he was seized. He supposed Enever moved about a foot. McIntosh threatened to break Enever’s head with a piece of wood if he would not let go. Enever would not let go and McIntosh struck him once. McIntosh was in the act of striking him again when he let go. PC Reuben Pepper: he had been sent for by Mr McIntosh. When he got there the prisoner had gone. On the Monday he had a warrant to apprehend Enever and did so. Enever said he had not done anything. Statement of the accused: Mr McIntosh stopped him a day’s work and he went to the window and asked him for it. He told McIntosh he would not go away from the window till he gave it him. McIntosh hit him on the head with a piece of iron. He went away from the window and afterwards McIntosh called him and said he had got no money but if he called on Monday he would pay him.

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Enever, Robert,
Collier, Constantine,
McIntosh, Robert,
Pepper, Reuben

SHEFFORD, OLD WARDEN, stealing, yeoman, railway worker, timekeeper, railway contractor, wages