QSR1858/1/5/8a

Depositions of William Hart, general dealer of Toddington and John Thorogood, police sergeant of Toddington. In the case of Thomas King accused of stealing 125 pounds of mangel wurzles.

31 December 1857

From: 1857 To: 1858

William Hart: he occupied some land in Toddington and had some mangel wurzels stacked in one of the fields. He had lost a quantity of the recently and informed Police Sergeant Thorogood. On 30 December he saw a labouring man, Thomas King, go into the field. King had an allotment in the same field and passed his allotment to get to his own. A man by the name of Osborn, was with King and the prisoner had a wheelbarrow. King and Osborn left the field together and about half an hour after the prisoner returned with the barrow and left it by the pile of mangel wurzels. Hart had before marked 5 of the roots so he might know them again. When the prisoner came from the heap he had something bulky under his smock. The prisoner went to the barrow and wheeled it off to his own allotment. The prisoner’s allotment was 200 yards from that of Hart. Police Sergeant Thorogood was watching from another point in the field and he informed Thorogood of what he had seen. He then followed the prisoner home with the barrow. Thorogood afterwards showed him some mangel wurzles which he could swear to as his property. He accompanied Thorogood to the heap and found it had been disturbed and the marked ones had been taken away. The mangel wurzles weighed 125lb and have the value of 14 pence. Sergeant John Thorogood: on 30 December he was at the field and saw Thomas King in his own allotment and watched him talk to Joseph Osborn. Osborne and King left together and the prisoner had a barrow of rough stuff. The prisoner returned after about half an hour and when he got near the prosecutors allotment he lost the sound f his footprints. A few minutes later King arrived at his own land and put some rough stuff in the barrow. He followed King home with the barrow. He saw mangel wurzels in the barrow and asked him how he had come by them. King said they were from his own land. He took the prisoner into custody and charged him. He examined the mangel wurzles and found 4 of them marked. On searching the premises he found more in a rabbit hutch and more concealed under some slabs in the privy. The prosecutor identified them. Statement of the accused: he picked up the mangel wurzels in the road at the bottom of Joseph Bright’s land.

item

King, Thomas,
Hart, William,
Thorogood, John,
Osborn, Joseph,
Bright, Joseph

TODDINGTON, stealing, mangelwurzels, general dealer, allotments