QSR1847/1/5/4-6/a

Depositions and examinations - John Payne, Thomas Inns and James Scales charged wtih stealing a piece of pork from John Poulton senior

4 November 1846

From: 1846 To: 1847

Sarah Poulton of Luton – on Monday evening 2 November she was in the room joining the shop in her husband John Poulton’s house in Luton between 7 and 8pm. She heard a sound in the shop as if something had fallen on a plate. She went in and saw a dish had been moved and half a leg of pork was gone. Henry Stevens of Luton – on Monday evening 2 November he was near John Poulton’s shop. He saw Payne, Inns and Scales standing at the shop window. He saw Inns shove the door open, look abut and then go into the shop. He heard a plate rattle and saw Inns bring something out which looked white. He believes it was a piece of pork. They saw him and Scales said “if you say anything I’ll hammer you”. They then ran up Spring place. Joseph Everett of Luton – on Monday evening he saw Payne near Mr Poulton’s shop running along with a piece of pork in his hand. Payne threw it down by the side of the road. He later went up to the pork, kicked it and said to a little boy, “this is a bit of chalk is it not”. The other boy said “no, this is what we dropped”. Payne then took up the pork and carried it away. John Millard of Luton, police constable – on Monday evening he apprehended Inns. Inns said he and Payne stood against Mr Poulton’s shop window and Payne told him to go in and get some butter. Inns said he went into the shop and took half a leg of pork, brought it out and gave it to Payne. They ran up the street. On seeing some boys Payne dropped the meat in the dirt. Payne later picked it up and they put it in some nettles in a ditch. He later apprehended Payne who said he and Inns were standing against the window of Poulton’s shop, Inns went in and too the pork and gave it to him. They ran up the street with it and hid it in a ditch. When he took Scales into custody Scales said he knew where the pork was hidden. He had asked Scales the night before and he denied any knowledge of it.

item

Payne, John,
Inns, Thomas,
Scales, James,
Poulton, John,
Poulton, Sarah,
Stevens, Henry,
Everett, Joseph

LUTON, stealing, pork, meat