QSR1846/3/5/23

Depositions - Robert Smith charged with stealing lead from Henry Brown

25 May 1846

From: 1846 To: 1846

Thomas Briden of Luton, sawyer – about 5.30 on Saturday he met Smith going up Henry Brown’s yard. He saw Smith move some mold iron from some lead lying at the upper end of the yard. He was behind Smith and did not see him take the lead. There was more lead rolled up like that produced lying in a heap. Yesterday he examined the heap and there appeared to be a hole in it. He saw Millard fit the lead to the hole that morning. James Briden of Luton, engineer – he looks after the engine at Mr Brown’s saw mill. Last Saturday afternoon he saw Smith looking at the lead under the saw mill. Smith said “Jem, I want a little piece of lead”. Smith moved the iron about. He went to attend to the engine and did not see him take any lead. Henry Brown of Luton, timber merchant – he had a quantity of lead under his saw mill. The piece produced is very much like some of the lead he had. He never sold any of it to Smith, nor to anyone else for some years, and he did not give Smith permission to take any. He remembers having a piece of lead which had the marks of rats’ teeth on it and thinks the piece now produced has been eaten through by rats. James Shrimpton of Luton, rag merchant – last Saturday evening Smith came to his house and offered to sell him a piece of rolled up lead. He told Smith he would not buy it. He believes it was the piece now produced. The value is about 2 shillings. John Millard of Luton, police constable – on Saturday night he saw Smith in the Bedford Road at Luton near James Shrimpton’s house. He saw Smith come from the house with a piece of lead under his arm. He asked where Smith got it from – he said he bought it from a stranger near the market house for 18d. He said if Smith could not find the man he bought it from he would take him into custody on suspicion of stealing it. Smith then said he was very sorry and had never got into any trouble before, and that he had had no work for a month except bonnet sewing at home. That morning he matched the lead he took from Smith to the hole in the heap of lead at Mr Brown’s. The lead he took from Smith has holes in it which appear to have been made by rats, as does a piece of lead he took from Brown’s premises. The pieces of lead are both of the same length and width and both have a streak of white paint down them. He weighed them that morning and there was a very few ounces difference in the weight.

item

Smith, Robert,
Brown, Henry,
Briden, Thomas,
Briden, James,
Shrimpton, James,
Millard, John

LUTON, stealing, lead, sawyer, engineer, saw mill, timber merchant, rag merchant, police constable, bonnet sewer