QSR1859/2/5/1

Depositions of John Price, yeoman of Linslade. John Loke, innkeeper of Leighton Buzzard. Thomas Smith, labourer of Leighton Buzzard. Hannah, wife of Charles Swabey, a labourer resident at Chamberlain's barn of Leighton Buzzard. Eliza Samuels, single woman of Chamberlain's barn. Ann Stone, single woman of Leighton Buzzard. William Field, farmer of Leighton Buzzard. George Mardlin, police constable of Leighton Buzzard and William Clough, superintendent of police. In the case of Joseph Cook (and James Dymmock) accused of shooting at John Price with intent to do him grievous bodily harm.

1 February 1859

From: 1859 To: 1859

John Price: he was a retired grocer of Linslade and he knew nothing of the prisoners Joseph Cook or James Dymmock. On the evening of 28 January he had been returning home from Little Brickhill in a gig and was accompanied by John Loke. When they got to Chamberlain’s Barn, which was in Bedfordshire, a gun was fired from about 20 or 30 yards behind the gig. He told his companion he had been shot in 6 or 7 places. He felt the shot strike his back. The gig was stopped immediately by Mr Loke, who was driving and he got out. He saw Dymmock driving a donkey cart and he passed them before the gun was fired. He asked Dymmock if he had seen the man who had fired the gun. Dymmock said he had not. Chamberlains Barn consisted of a few houses on both sides. The gun appeared to have been fired from the road side. He made inquiries at the houses and there saw 2 women who informed him it had been a man by the name of Cook who had fired the gun. He ascertained Cook lived in Heath and Reach. He overtook the 2 prisoners as they walked by the side of the donkey cart together. He asked Cook for his name and Cook told him. He told Cook he must return with him and he charged him with firing the gun. Cook said he had not shot the gun off and would not return unless carried. Cook had no gun with him. Price and Loke took Cook back to Chamberlain’s Barn and he was identified by the 2 women as the man they had seen fire the gun. He sent for the police and Cook was taken into custody. When Price got home he examined his clothing and found that several shots had gone through his coat and his back was smarted but no blood had been drawn. He had not spoken to either of the prisoners before. John Loke: an innkeeper at Leighton Buzzard. On the evening of 28 January he was returning towards Leighton Buzzard in a gig with John Price. When they got to Chamberlain’s Barn a gun was fired from behind. Mr Price called out that he had been shot in 6 or 7 places. He had been driving the gig and stopped it. Price got out and went down the road for a few minutes. Price went into one of the houses in Chamberlain’s Barn and inquired of 2 women if they knew who had shot him. The women said it was Cook. He accompanied Price towards Heath and Reach and overtook 2 men walking by the side of a donkey cart. He asked one of them if his name was Cook and when he said it was he told the man he would take him into custody for shooting at them. Cook said he did not have a gun and did not shoot at them. Cook was taken back to Chamberlain’s barn and both the women identified him. Cook was delivered into the custody of the police. When charged with the offence, Cook said he supposed they would give him more than 3 months for this one. On examining the back of his gig he found 12 distinct marks of shot and some of the shot was buried in the wood. He knew nothing of the prisoner Cook. He would say the gun was fired from about 20 to 30 yards away. The shot produced by PC Mardlin was no.4 shot and similar to those in the back of the gig. He had seen the prisoner Dymmock before but not to speak to. Thomas Smith: he had been in a beer house kept by William Brown in Leighton Buzzard and saw the prisoner Cook there. There was a young man with him but he could not swear to it being Dymmock. He knew Cook but not Dymmock. There was a candle in the room. There had been no one else there besides Cook, Dymmock and his master John Webster. Cook and the man left the house together whilst he was there. Cook had a gun with him but he saw no donkey cart outside. Hannah Swabey: wife of Charles and living at Chamberlain’s Barn in the parish of Leighton Buzzard. On 28 January she had been in her house and heard someone pass her door. It sounded to be more than one person. She heard one person say “I will so help me God” and there was no reply made. Immediately afterwards she heard a gun go off and the noise of a cart going by. The cart was going slowly. She looked out and saw Mr Price and Mr Loke who said they had been shot at. The gun appeared to have been fired just past her house which was close to the road. Eliza Daniels: a single woman living in one of the houses in Chamberlain’s Barn. She knew both of the prisoners by sight. On 28 January she had been crossing the road and saw 2 men in a gig going towards Leighton. She saw a donkey cart in the road and Joseph Cook was behind the cart. She saw him fire off a gun as soon as the gig had passed. There was another man with the donkey cart called James Dymmock. As soon as he had fired the gun, Cook ran down the road towards Heath and Reach as quickly as he could. The man and the donkey cart went in the same direction. After this 2 men came to make inquiries whether she had seen anyone and she told them she had seen Cook. The 2 men said they had been fired at. Ann Stone: on 28 January she had been at Chamberlain’s Barn. She was crossing the road with Eliza Daniels to go to work. She saw a gig go by in the direction of Leighton. As soon as the gig had passed she heard a gun go off and saw Joseph Cook in the road. She knew him well. There was also a donkey cart going towards Heath. Cook fired the gun and was about 5 yards from Dymmock at the time. Cook ran down the road toward Heath as fast as he could. Dymmock followed in the same direction. 2 persons came to her and asked if she had seen anyone. She told them she had seen Cook shot the gun. At the time he gun went off she had felt something fall upon her as if it was shot. She had been only 3 yards from Cook when he fired off the gun. The gig had been about 30 yards off. She was frightened at the time and fainted away and was carried into a house. William Field: on 29 January he found a shot bag near Chamberlain’s Barn. It was lying in the road. He gave it to PC Mardlin. PC George Mardlin: he went to Heath and Reach and took James Dymmock into his custody. Dymmock made not reply to the charge. He handcuffed Dymmock and put him in a cart. As he was carrying him to Leighton he asked Dymmock how he had known who was coming on that day. Dymmock said he knew before they had come some distance by the rattle of the gig as he had passed it several times. He mentioned no names. Superintendent William Clough: on 28 January he received information that 2 persons had been fired at whilst coming to Leighton from Heath and Reach. He went to Chamberlain’s Barn to the house of a man named Samuels. Cook was there in Loke’s custody. He told Cook the charge and that it was a serious one. Cook replied he supposed he had to go to the lock up and Clough took him there and searched him. He found a powder flask in his pocket and asked Cook what he had done with the gun. Cook said he would not tell. The prisoner Dymmock was brought to the police station by PC Mardlin and told he was implicated with Cook. Dymmock said he knew nothing about it and he had not seen a gun. Statement of the accused: Joseph Cook – he did not wish to say anything. James Dymmock – he did not wish to say anything.

item

Cook, Joseph,
Dymmock, James,
Price, John,
Loke, John,
Smith, Thomas,
Swabey, Hannah,
Swabey, Charles,
Samuels, Eliza,
Stone, Ann,
Field, William,
Mardlin, George,
Clough, William

LINSLADE, LEIGHTON BUZZARD, Chamberlain's Barn, grievous bodily harm, guns, shooting, yeoman, innkeeper, farmer