QSR1838/2/5/7-8

Depositions and examinations - Henry Davis and John Jones, charged with stealing money and goods from John Knight

3 April 1838

From: 1838 To: 1838

Eliza Knight, wife of John Knight of Harrold – she was on the Bedford racecourse yesterday in an open carriage with her sister. She remembers intently watching the horse racing and standing up in the carriage with her back to where her reticule lay. Her reticule was in the head of the carriage. She knows it was there a few minutes earlier as she had taken her pocket handkerchief out. She remembers as she stoop up feeling something touch her shoulder or her shawl. She turned round and the witness Costard told her he had seen someone take a reticule out of the carriage. She then missed hers. The head of the carriage was then partly down, more so than it was before she stood up. The reticule contained a brown silk purse with steel tassels and rings, which contained a sovereign, a half sovereign and 5 or 6 shillings in silver. Also in the reticule was a gold-top smelling bottle, a silver pencil case marked J.L, and a bunch of keys. About half an hour later Coombs brought her the bag, the purse and the pencil case. About half an hour after that Thomas Webster and another person came to her. They brought her a sovereign, a half sovereign and 4 or 5 shillings and told her where they found them. John Costard of Cardington, servantman – he is footboy in the service of Samuel Charles Whitbread. He was at Bedford race course yesterday (April 2) with his master’s carriage. He saw Davis and Jones there. He saw Davis get up the side of an open carriage in which there were three ladies and put his hand behind them while they were watching the horses come in. Davis took out a black silk ladies bag, got off the carriage, put the bag in his hat and ran away. He gave the alarm but Davis escaped at that time. Jones stood about 2 dozen yards away while Davis got up on the carriage. When Davis ran off Jones ran after him. About 20 minutes later he again saw Davis and Jones, together on the road from the course towards Bedford. He told James Desborough where he had seen the prisoners go and directed him to watch them. The carriage drove on until they reached the gate at the entrance of the course nearest to Bedford. Davis and Jones were then close to the carriage. By Mrs Whitbread’s orders he desired a person sitting on the gat to stop them. He thinks they heard Mrs Whibread give the orders as they turned off the road, went through the hedge and ran back towards the course. He saw Desborough and another person apprehend them. Coombs took them in charge. [Cross-examined by Jones] He did not hear Davis call Jones, or see him hand anything over to him. William Coombs, chief constable of Bedford– he was on duty at Bedford race course. Hearing about the robbery he went in pursuit of two men who had been described to him. When he came off the course to the High Road he saw Webster and Desborough with the prisoners. Desborough produced the reticule with the purse, the pencil case, a gold top smelling bottle, a bunch of keys and some paper in it. Desborough said he saw Davis throw the reticule and the purse away. He took Davis and Jones into custody. Mrs Knight identified the reticule and contents as her property. He searched both prisoners and found 20d on Jones but no other money on either of them. Jones declared his innocence and said he knew nothing of it. James Desborough of Elstow, labourer – he was at work yesterday in a field opposite Bedford race course. Costard pointed out the prisoners to him and told him to watch them. He did so. As soon as Mr Samuel Whitbread’s carriage drove by them he heard one of them say to the other that they would not go any further that way and would go back again. When he first saw them they were in the Turnpike Road going towards Bedford. Having said they would go back they made a bolt through the hedge on to the race course. He followed them. He saw Davis take off his hat, take out the bag and throw it into the ditch by the side of the hedge. He hollowed out “stop them”, which some gentlemen did. When they ran away he ran after them and picked up the bag as he did so. He apprehended Davis and delivered him with the bag to the Constable. Webster joined him in the pursuit. About an hour after the prisoners had been taken away by the Constable he and Webster went to the hedge where the prisoners got through. He saw Webster pick up some money by the side of the ditch a little way from where the bag lay. There was a sovereign, a half sovereign and 4 shillings. He and Webster too the money to Mrs Knight. Thomas Webster of St Paul Bedford, blacksmith – he saw the 2 prisoners walking along by the side of the hedge inside the race course with Desborough following them. He saw Davis drop something. Desborough called out “stop them”. They ran a little way. He ran after them and laid hold of the tall one (Jones), who told him to let go of him as he had nothing to do with it. Coombs came and took them into custody. About an hour later he and Desborough searched about the place where he had first seen the prisoners and he found the money lying by the side of the ditch close to the hedge. John Jones – according to the evidence that has been given he hears that he is only accused because he was in company with Davis. He met Davis in the road on Monday evening, between 3 and 4 miles from Bedford. They conversed together for about a mile. Davis saw a cart coming along and begged them to give him a lift. Before getting into the cart Davis told him he was in the greatest distress and asked if he could give him a mite. He told Davis he had “but a very trifle” of money to keep himself with and could not. David got in the cart and he saw no more of him until he came upon the race course. Until he came into the town he was not aware of any races. When he heard there was a race he went to see it and met Davis there who greeted him. He fetched a pint of beer from one of the booths and asked Davis to take a drink. The race bell rang and Davis asked him to go and see the race, which he did. He lost sight of Davis until after the race was over. He told Davis he was going to Bedford to get a lodging. Davis said he would accompany him as he was going to Bedford. Coming along the road Davis suddenly ran. He saw a carriage drawing rather slow and looking back. Davis suddenly ran from him. He thought something had fallen from the carriage which Davis ran to get. He followed Davis, and that is how he came to be taken. Henry Davis – “it is useless to say anything. These men have heard what one another has to say”.

item

Davis, Henry,
Jones, John,
Knight, John,
Knight, Eliza,
Costard, John,
Coombs, William,
Desborough, James,
Webster, Thomas,
Whitbread, Samuel Charles

HARROLD, CARDINGTON, BEDFORD, Bedford St.Paul, ELSTOW, stealing, money, servant, Chief Constable, blacksmith, horse racing, footboy