QSR1859/3/5/8a

Depositions of George Goodman, dealer of Shefford. Reuben Pepper, police constable of Shefford. Thomas Summerfield, labourer of Cardington. In the case of Charles Booth accused of stealing 2 machine brasses.

31 May 1859

From: 1859 To: 1859

George Goodman: he was a marine stores dealer and on Wednesday 24 May, the prisoner came to his shop about 8am and produced some engine brasses.The prisoner asked him to purchase them but, suspecting them to be stolen, he went and gave the information to the police. PC Reuben Pepper: on 25 May he was given 2 engine brasses by Goodman, the marine store dealer. He asked the prisoner where he had got them from and the prisoner refused to tell him. All the prisoner would say was that he had bought them and paid for them. From the nature of the articles and from the prisoner’s refusal to say where he got them from, he suspected them stolen. On apprehension the prisoner gave his name as John Wilkins but he now called himself Charles Booth. Thomas Summerfield: he worked for Mr Samuel Taylor, a machine worker at Cardington. On 23 May, a machine was brought to his master’s yard to be repaired. He took the brasses off the machine and laid them down on the ground. He did not recollect seeing them again until the following day when they were produced by PC Pepper. He had not missed them in the meantime. Statement of the accused: nothing to say.

item

Booth, Charles,
Goodman, George,
Pepper, Reuben,
Summerfield, Thomas,
Taylor, Samuel

SHEFFORD, CARDINGTON, stealing, marine stores dealer, machinery