QSR1859/3/5/10

Depositions of John Hudson, packing box maker of Luton. William James Cawdell, warehouseman of Luton. Charles Dobbs of Luton. George King of Luton and Richard Lambert, police constable of Luton. In the case of William Stone accused of stealing a deal packing box and one other deal packing box.

13 June 1859

From: 1859 To: 1859

John Hudson: William Stone was his apprentice and assisted in making and repairing boxes for customers. No part of Stone’s business was to receive cash. When Stone took in work he was to enter it in a book to be signed by the customer when delivered. It is accounted for once a month. From information received he found the prisoner had sold 2 packing boxes which he had not accounted for and belonged to Mr Boutwood and Mr Joseph Hawkes. They were 2 of his customers. No part of his business was to sell second hand boxes. His business was just to make and repair them. William James Cawdell: he was a warehouseman for Mr Charles Trafford at Luton. On 3 June he was sent over to Mr Hudson’s for a single round packing box. Later in the day he was sent for another packing box. The prisoner sent word that he had no new boxes but he had a second hand one if that would do. He replied it would. He saw the prisoner when the second box came. The prisoner said that second hand boxes were ready money. He told the prisoner that if he came in the morning he would pay him for the boxes. The prisoner came and was paid 5 shillings and 9 pence for the 2 boxes. Mr Trafford dealt with Mr Hudson for boxes. Charles Dobbs: he was in the employment of Joseph Hawkes, a straw hat and bonnet manufacturer in Luton. He employed Mr Hudson to make and repair packing boxes. It was part of his work to number the packing boxes when they went out and to send them to be repaired when they came back. He remembered sending a single box to be repaired at Mr Hudson’s but did not know when. He had since seen the box at Mr Trafford’s warehouse. He knew it to be Mr Hawkes by the number on it, 669. George King: he had been in the employment of Mr Thomas Boutwood, a straw hat and bonnet manufacturer at Luton. He would send boxes to Mr Hudson’s to be repaired. Part of this work was to number the boxes as they went out and send them to be repaired when they came back. He remembered sending 4 boxes to Mr Hudson’s to be repaired. The prisoner brought 3 of them back to him. His master’s shop was opposite Mr Trafford’s warehouse. He had seen the prisoner with a box and had told his master. He went to Trafford’s warehouse and saw the box he knew to be his masters. It was numbered 10. PC Richard Lambert: on 10 June he took the prisoner into custody and charged him. He received the 2 boxes from Mr Trafford’s warehouse. Statement of the accused: he had the boxes to men. They were too bad to mend and were all pieces. As Mr Pettit had all the old rope and paper he thought he was entitled to any old box which was given to him to break up. He had nothing more to say.

item

Stone, William,
Hudson, John,
Cawdell, William James,
Dobbs, Charles,
King, George,
Lambert, Richard,
Boutwood, Thomas,
Hawkes, Joseph,
Trafford, Charles,
Petit

LUTON, stealing, box, boxmaker, warehouseman, apprenticeship, straw hat manufacturer