QSR1856/4/5/2,3

Depositions of John Johnson, innkeeper of Dunstable, Eli Sibthorpe, butcher of Dunstable, Joseph Edwards, baker of Houghton Regis, David Jones, tapster of Dunstable, Joseph Pow, Bomberdier in ther Royal Artillery, Deborah Souter, wife of Joseph a victualler of Houghton Regis, Mary Hatham, wife of James a labourer of Houghton Regis and PC Jeremiah Cuttriss of Dunstable. A letter dictated by Major Charles Franklin of the Royal Artillery. In the case of William Kilman & John Crawley accused of stealing a brass tobacco box.

28 July 1856

From: 1856 To: 1856

John Johnson: keeper of the Sugar Loaf at Dunstable. On Saturday 26 July he saw William Kilman in the yard about 3.30pm. He was going to the smoking room. Eli Sibthorpe was in the room and there was a brass tobacco box on the table. It was worth about 3 shillings and had cost 36 shillings some years before. He afterwards saw the other prisoner go into the smoking room. He saw Sibthrope in the yard and then the 2 prisoners go away. Shortly after the prisoners had left he missed the box. Sibthorpe came back in the room. He was positive nobody had been in the room except the 2 prisoners and Sibthorpe. He sent his man, David Jones, in search of the prisoners and Jones bought back the box. Eli Sibthorpe: a butcher at Dunstable. He had seen the 2 prisoners at the Sugar Loaf in Dunstable. He treated them with some beer. They were in a smoking room, a parlour. After they had been there some time he went into the back yard and saw the tobacco box on the table. When he returned the prisoner had gone and Mr Johnson came into the parlour. The tobacco box was missing. Joseph Inwards: he had been in Dusntable and had seen the prisoners come out of the Sugar Loaf. John Crawley had a knife [?] in his right hand and something under a handkerchief in his other. Crawley fell down but kept hold of the handkerchief. He could see a handle under the handkerchief. The other prisoner went up to Crawley and they both went up the passage next to the Sugar Loaf. There was no throughway in the passage. He saw them come out again and they went towards the Wheatsheaf. Crawley still had the parcel under his arm. David Jones: he lived at the Sugar Loaf. On Mr Johnson’s orders he went to the Wheatsheaf in search of the prisoners and saw Kilman there. He asked Kilman what he had done with the tobacco box. Kilman said he knew nothing of it. He told Kilman to ask his comrade and Kilman went across the road to Crawley and they both came back to the Wheatsheaf. They went through the yard in the privy. Crawley went into the privy and he heard Crawley shaking something. He looked and saw the box. He told Crawley to give it up but he would not. They all went back to the house and there was another soldier in the Tap Room. The soldier asked Crawley what he had and Jones said it was his master’s box. The soldier took the box from Crawley and gave it to Jones. Jones returned it to his master. He later took it to PC Cuttriss. Joseph Pow: a bombardier in the No.8 Company 3rd Battalion Royal Artillery. He had been in the Wheatsheaf in Dunstable about 3.45pm. He saw the prisoners and David Jones. He had seen Kilman with a hammer in his hand before he had seen Jones. After he was told of the robbery, Kilman said he borrowed the hammer from the landlady. When Jones came he took the box from Crawley and gave it to Jones. Deborah Souter: wife of Joseph who kept the Wheatsheaf. The 2 prisoners came to the house. Kilman came out of the tap room, shut the other in and went to the back door. He was gone about 5 minutes. When he came back, Kilman asked to borrow a small hammer. She lent him one. She understood he was to do something to his spur. Mary Hatham: she lived next door to the Wheatsheaf. She had been in her yard which looked into the Wheatsheaf yard. She saw the Kilman go down the Wheatsheaf yard towards the privy. Kilman had something in his hand partly covered with a handkerchief. She saw one end of it and it looked like brass. PC Jeremiah Cuttriss: he took the prisoners into custody and charged them. Crawley said very well but Kilman said he had seen nothing of the box and knew nothing about it. He received the hammer from Mrs Souter and the tobacco box from David Jones. He received a statement from Major Franklin at Dunstable and it was dictated by Franklin to be handed to the magistrates. Statements of the accused: Kilman – nothing. Crawley – he had been incapable of knowing anything. He had been the worse for drink that day and for the 2 days before. Letter from Major Franklin: Gunners and drivers William Kilman & John Crawley of the Royal Artillery were handed over by him to Civil Power for having stolen a brass box. Both men were of very bad character and a disgrace to the regiment to which they unfortunately belonged. He hoped they would be committed of the offence and received severe punishment and as such would be expelled from the regiment.

item

Kilman, William,
Crawley, John,
Johnson, John,
Sibthorpe, Eli,
Edwards, Joseph,
Jones, David,
Pow, Joseph,
Souter, Deborah,
Hatham, Mary,
Cuttriss, Jeremiah,
Inwards, Joseph,
Franklin, Charles

DUNSTABLE, HOUGHTON REGIS, soldier, innkeeper, butcher, baker, victualler, Royal Artillery, stealing, Dunstable Sugar Loaf