QSR1855/4/5/13

Depositions of Jeremiah Cuttriss, police constable of Dunstable and Bridget Painter of Dunstable. In the case of William Murdock Stimpson, accused of stealing a purse, a gold sovereign and a gold half sovereign.

24 September 1855

From: 1855 To: 1855

Bridget Painter: the prisoner was in her house on Tuesday 18 September, sitting on a box at the back of the kitchen. The box was locked. There was a purse in the box containing a sovereign and a half sovereign. She left the prisoner in the room by himself and went into the parlour. Whilst in the parlour she heard a noise at the back of the kitchen. She opened the door and saw the purse in the prisoners had. She took it from him and told him to get off the box but he would not. When she took the purse from him there was only half a sovereign in it. The box was open. The prisoner struck her and cut her in the mouth. He did not say anything but ran outdoors. She went for a policeman. PC Jeremiah Cuttriss: in consequence of what he was told he went in search of the prisoner and charged him with robbing the purse and sovereign and a half. The prisoner denied the charge. He searched the prisoner and found 7 shillings in silver and 11 half pennies in copper. He took the prisoner into custody. Statement of the accused: it had been 8 weeks to the day since he first got acquainted with the woman at the Waggon & Horses at Dunstable. She had been in the company of a sergeant and corporal of the 19th regiment. He had been in the house about 2 hours before she spoke to him. She came up to him after the soldiers had gone and asked if was going to stand her a gin. He said he was and he was not particular. He called for a quart. They drank the gin and then she asked him to go for a walk. They went for a walk for an hour and a half and then she told him she had a nice little house she could take him to. They went to the house and had supper. She then took him to bed. He had been living and sleeping with her up to the Tuesday. She had told him on Monday that she had not got a shilling to help herself and she asked him to take down the bedstead, which he did. She told him she would borrow a shilling and they would both go to the Victoria public house. He never saw her purse. He never touched the box other than sitting on it. He asked her for his things to go away and she told him if he went away she would fix him for it.

item

Stimpson, William Murdock,
Cuttriss, Jeremiah,
Painter, Bridget

DUNSTABLE, stealing, money, Dunstable Waggon & Horses