QSR1859/2/5/6

Depositions of George Armstrong, police constable of Barton. Thomas Deacon Smith, farmer of Streatley. Richard Lambert, police constable of Luton. David Stratton, beer shop keeper of Luton and John Rodell, labourer of Luton. In the case of Thomas Davis accused of stealing 28 fowls.

21 March 1859

From: 1859 To: 1859

George Armstrong: on 18 February he visited Mr Smith’s farm yard at Streatley about 2am. He saw a man named George Watson against the barn door adjoining the henhouse. Watson ran away but he caught him. He went into the barn and when he had been the 2 or 3 minutes 2 other people ran out. He had since seen the prisoner in the police station at Luton and believed him to be one of the men who ran out of the barn. He found some boards had been broken off between the barn and the henhouse and he found 9 dead fowls lying against the hole. Thomas Deacon Smith: PC Armstrong called him up a little after 2am. He went downstairs and found some boards had been broken between the barn and the henhouse. 9 fowls were lying dead against the hole. PC Richard Lambert: he resided at the Police Station and had charge of the prisoners. On 21 February George Watson was in custody at the station and had since been convicted at the last assizes of that offence. Watson wanted to make a statement which implicated the prisoner Davis. Watson said that on 17 February he had left Luton in the company of the prisoner Thomas Davis and 2 others. They all went into Mr Smith’s farm yard. They got in and killed some fowls. The prisoner Davis was standing close by at the time. Davis and 2 of the others went into a barn adjoining the henhouse and broke down some boards and got into the henhouse again and killed some more fowls. They had all been at Stratton’s that night and afterwards at John Riddles or Rodells. They all went up a cartway to Mr Smith’s farm at Streatley. They went into the farm yard together and went straight to the hen house. David Stratton: keeper of the Lord Nelson beer house in Luton. He recalled on the 17 February that George Watson and the prisoner Thomas Davis were at the house. They left his house together. John Rodell: on 17 February the prisoner Thomas Davis, George Watson and 2 others were at his house together. They were all there together. Watson left about 11.30pm and David and another left about midnight. Statement of the accused: nothing to say.

item

Armstrong, George,
Smith, Thomas Deacon,
Lambert, Richard,
Stratton, David,
Rodell, John,
Davis, Thomas

Barton, STREATLEY, stealing, fowls, farmer, beer shop keeper