QSR1860/1/5/3-4

Depositions of Sarah York, of Odell. William York, labourer of Odell and George Smith, police constable stationed in Harrold. In the case of Charles Stratton and Ezra Foskett accused of breaking and entering a dwelling and therein stealing 5 glass bottles containing sweetmeats.

6 December 1859

From: 1859 To: 1860

Sarah York: her husband kept a small shop at Odell and sold sweetmeats. On the evening of 22 November she saw 5 bottles of sweetmeats standing in the window of the pantry at the house. The window opened onto a public road and was fastened. She locked up the house at a later hour. About 7am on 23 November she went into the pantry and found the window open and the 5 bottles of sweetmeats were gone. She saw a pane of glass had been broken and the inside fastening loosened. She had reason to think Charles Stratton and Ezra Foskett had been together and had stolen the things. She sent for the police constable and told him her suspicions. She left the matter in his hands and later that week both Stratton and Foskett came and said they had taken the sweets. The day before the mother of Stratton came to the house and she had told her what she suspected and said that if the boys confessed and paid for the damage she would forgive them. The boys promised to pay in a fortnight, eighteen pence a piece but she had since been required to start proceedings against them. The lads said they broke the window between 8pm and 9pm on the night of the 22 November. PC George Smith: on 23 November he heard of the housebreaking at the York’s at Odell. He examined the premises and found that a possible entry had been made by a broken pane of glass, the removing of lead and the loosening of the fastening. He spoke to Mrs Stratton about her son and found she had been enquiring for her son on that night and he had not been home until 10pm. He looked for Stratton and Foskett and could not meet with them. That morning Foskett told him that they had broken open the window and taken the bottles of sweetmeats and divided themselves between themselves. Statement of the accused: nothing to say.

item

Stratton, Charles,
Foskett, Ezra,
York, Sarah,
York, William,
Smith, George

ODELL, HARROLD, breaking & entering, bottles, sweetmeats