QSR1895/1/5/3

Depositions: Lewis Whitworth, Mary Jane Whitworth, Catherine Ellen Page, William Tatman and John William Nicholson. In the case of George John Paleman, accused of breaking and entering and therin stealing a gold watch and chain, 7 brooches, 2 gold lockets, a gold chain, 4 silver trinkets, 2 solitaires, a pair of silver sleeve links, a watch key and 5 rings.

29 December 1894

From: 1894 To: 1895

Lewis Whitworth: a farmer living at March Leys, Kempston. On Tuesday 25 December his sister left home at about 9am. When he left the house everything was in order. He left his servant, Catherine Ellen Page, in charge. There was a French window the sitting room with four panes of glass which were intact on Christmas day. He returned to the house on Wednesday 26 December about 3.30pm to find sergeant Tatman there. He found a pane of glass from the French window had been broken. On the outside of the window he found a pool of blood and two tiles and some broken glass which formed part of the pane of glass. He saw spots of blood and broken glass on the inside. He couldn’t remember whether the window shutters were closed when he left the house, but they were not usually kept closed. He describes how the French window is fastened with two bolts and a drop catch linking the two wings together. On inspection with sergeant Tatman, he found the house completely ransacked. Mary Jane Whitworth: sister of Lewis Whitworth and living with him at Marsh Leys, Kempston. She left the house with her brother on 25 December, leaving Catherine Ellen Page in charge of the house. She returned on the morning of 27 December and inspected the house. She found that a gold watch, 10 silver Indian bangles, a gold bracelet with a stone, 7 or 8 brooches, 2 gold lockets and a chain, 4 silver trinkets, 2 silver solitaires, a pair of silver links, a watch key and 5 rings were missing from her jewel case in her bedroom within her brother’s house. She indentified a ring shown to her by sergeant Tatman as one which had been stolen. She estimated that the value of the items stolen as £14 - £15. Catherine Ellen Page: a domestic servant in the service of Lewis Whitworth. She was left in charge of Whitworth’s house on 25 December. Lewis Whitworth and his sister left about 9am. She locked and left the house at 12pm to spend the night in the cottages. She fastened the window from the sitting room to the garden and went over the house to check that all of the windows were fastened. She noted that all of the panes of glass in the French window were sound when she left. She returned to the house on 26 December at about 10am. She noticed that the French window had a broken pane of glass and that there were broken pieces of glass, blood and garden tiles outside. She didn’t enter the house then but went to find the groom, William Prior. She returned with Prior and contacted the police. She then went over the house with sergeant Tatman and found it in great disorder. William Tatman: police sergeant stationed in Kempston. On Wednesday 26 December he received information to attend the house of Lewis Whitworth. He arrived at 12pm and noticed the broken window of the sitting room. The broken pane of glass was large enough for any ordinary man to enter. He noticed blood on the stone at the bottom of the window outside and on the pane of glass. There was also broken glass and garden edging tiles outside. He looked inside and found blood and broken glass. He inspected the house and discovered that every room had been ransacked. He made enquiries and about 6pm the prisoner was brought to Tatman’s house. He observed that the prisoner’s right hand was cut on the knuckle. He asked the prisoner how he cut his hand and the prisoner replied, “With a glass bottle last night”. He asked the prisoner to turn out his pockets which revealed some money. He then searched the prisoner and uncovered a ring in his top waist-coat pocket. He asked the prisoner how he acquired the ring and the prisoner replied, “I bought it in the Black House a month ago and gave a pint of beer for it”. He asked the prisoner who he bought the ring from and the prisoner did not know. He brought the prisoner to Bedford and charged him with breaking into Whitworth’s house and stealing a watch and chain and jewellery. On 27 December he showed the ring to Mary Jane Whitworth. John William Nicholson: police constable stationed in Bedford. On Friday 28 December about 10am he was on duty in the police station. He permitted the prisoner’s mother to visit in his presence. She tried to persuade the prisoner to tell the truth about stealing Whitworth’s property and the whereabouts of the jewellery. The prisoner would not tell his mother where the stolen items were but asked Nicholson to go with him to where he had hidden the items. He went with the prisoner to a spot in the corner of John Cocking’s field between Kempston village and Kempston Hardwick. The prisoner pointed out the place in the field, removed some soil and produced the stolen items in a handkerchief. The prisoner admitted burying 2 rings further along and unearthed these. He took possession of the jewellery and took the prisoner back to the police station. George John Paleman: Nothing to say.

item

Whitworth, Lewis,
Whitworth, Mary Jane,
Page, Catherine Ellen,
Prior, William,
Tatman, William,
Nicholson, William,
Paleman, George John

KEMPSTON, BEDFORD, farmer, domestic servant, breaking & entering, stealing, JEWELLERY, police sergeant, police constable, glass