QSR1856/1/5/10

Depositions of Thomas Barrett, builder of Luton, Thomas Church, marine store dealer of Luton, Thomas Parrott, marine store dealer of Luton, Samuel Pope, superintendent of police of Luton and George Smith, police constable of Luton. In the case of Jeremiah Warren, accused of stealing a washing copper.

24 December 1855

From: 1855 To: 1856

Thomas Barrett: a builder of Luton and owner of several houses in Union Street. On 25 February, in consequence of information received that a copper than been stolen from one of the houses, he advised the police. The Superintendent of Police brought several pieces of cooper to him. He went with him to his brother, a coppersmith, who beat out the pieces and soldered them together. It formed a copper similar to the one which had been in his house. They went to the house where the copper had been stolen from and placed the copper in the brick work, where it fitted exactly. Thomas Church: a dealer in marine stores at Luton. On 26 February Jeremiah Warren called at his house and asked him to go home with him where he showed him 5 old copper pieces. Warren asked him what he would give for them and he said he would give him sixpence a pound. Warren wanted 7 and said the copper was his own. He weighed it and it was 11 pound weight for which he paid him 6s 5d. He sold it the same day to Parrott at 8 pence a pound. Superintendent Samuel Pope: on 26 February he received several pieces of copper from Thomas Parrott. He went with Thomas Barrett to his brothers and saw him beat out and solder together the copper. The copper fitted exactly into the brickwork in the washhouse in a house in Union Street belonging to Mr Barrett. He had no doubt the copper was stolen from the washhouse. Thomas Parrott: on 26 February he bought some copper from Thomas Church. The pieces were all doubled up together but he could tell it was from a washing copper. He gave Church 8 pence a pound for it. Superintendent Pope came to his house and asked if he had bought any copper. He gave him what he had bought from Church. George Smith: on 19 December he apprehended the prisoner who had absconded. He charged him with stealing a copper. The prisoner admitted he had sold a copper to Church, which he said he had found in a garden the same morning. The prisoner said he knew they had wanted him so he came forward on purpose. Statement of the accused: he found it in a garden. It was doubled up when he found it in an old saltpetre [?] bag.

item

Warren, Jeremiah,
Barrett, Thomas,
Church, Thomas,
Parrott, Thomas,
Pope, Samuel,
Smith, George

LUTON, builder, marine store dealer, stealing, cooper