QSR1856/4/5/18

Depositions of Frederick Smith, a ginger beer manufacturer of Luton and his wife Mary Ann Smith. In the case of George Hill accused of stealing from the person a shilling and a purse.

22 September 1856

From: 1856 To: 1856

Mary Ann Smith: on the night of Saturday 20 September she had been in Park Square, Luton with her husband. There were looking at the performers in front of a theatre. She had a purse in her pocket and there was a shilling in it. She had her hand in her pocket nearly all the time. When she took her hand from her pocket she felt her pocket pulled. She out her hand back in her pocket and told her husband her purse had gone. The prisoner was close to her on the side of her pocket. Her husband was the other side. The prisoner immediately went away and they followed him to the Wheatsheaf public house. Her husband told her to stop there whilst he went for a policeman. The prisoner was taken into custody. The prisoner had been very close to her. The purse was not found. Frederick Smith: he had been with his wife in Park Square. He was standing to her left hand side and the prisoner was close to his wife’s right hand side. His wife told him someone had pulled her pocket and she missed her purse. The prisoner went away directly. He followed him into the Wheatsheaf public house and left his wife there whilst he went to fetch a policeman. When he returned the policeman took he prisoner into custody. Statement of the accused: nothing to say.

item

Smith, Frederick,
Smith, Mary Ann,
Hill, George

LUTON, pickpocket, Luton Wheatsheaf