QSR1861/4/5/3

Depositions of Henry Buckley, labourer of Sandy. David Blunt, labourer of Sandy and his wife Mary Ann Blunt. Thomas Jones, labourer of Sandy. Thomas Vincent, police constable of Sandy. In the case of John Goss accused of stealing money to the sum of £1 10s 0d.

11 September 1861

From: 1861 To: 1861

Henry Buckley: a railway labourer lodging at the house of David Blunt at Sandy. The prisoner, who called himself by the name of John Goss, lodged in the same house and slept in the same bed as him. There was another bed in the room which was occupied by 2 other lodgers. Another bed was occupied by 2 of the landlord’s children. On 7 September he went to bed between 10 and 11pm and left the prisoner downstairs. The other bed was occupied by the 2 lodgers. When he took off his clothes, there was a sovereign and a half sovereign wrapped in a piece of blue paper and he put it into his watch fob. There were 4 shillings and some coppers in the other pocket. The other lodgers in the room appeared asleep. After he had placed him money in his fob he put his trousers between the mattress of the bed and under his head. Next morning he woke about 7.30am and immediately felt for his trousers and found they had had been moved during the night. He found them about a yard from the bed and on examining the pockets he discovered the sovereign and half sovereign had been taken. Mary Ann Blunt: wife of David Blunt, keeper of a lodging house in Sandy. On 1 September the prisoner came to lodge at the house and on the following Thursday he said he had spent all his money but had more coming. Henry Buckley came to see them on Wednesday and occupied the same bed as the prisoner. On Saturday 7 September, Buckley went to bed leaving the prisoner asleep downstairs. Soon after Buckley had gone to bed her husband roused the prisoner and made him go to bed and lighted him upstairs upon which the prisoner said “Take the light, I don’t want the light”. He husband brought the candle back. At the time she heard that conversation she was in her bedroom which adjoined the prisoners and both doors were open. About a quarter of the hour afterwards she heard the prisoner call out to her and said “Old woman bring a light I am dropping my money about the room”. She was in bed and sent her husband and when he got into the room she heard the prisoner said “here landlord take my money”. Her husband said let us se what money you have here. There was a sovereign and a half sovereign, 2 half crowns and a 2 shilling bit. Her husband brought her the money to take care of. Next morning her husband asked her for the money and she gave it to him. David Blunt: after the prosecutor had gone to bed, he roused the prisoner who was asleep downstairs and lighted him up to bed. Once undressed, the prisoner desired him to take the light away. About a quarter of an hour after he heard the prisoner called out for a light and took one into his room to see what the matter was. The prisoner said he had dropped him money and he looked about but only found a half penny and 2 buttons. As he was going out of the room the prisoner said “landlord take care of my money till morning” and he put some money in his hand. There was a sovereign, half sovereign, 2 half crowns and a 2 shilling bit. He gave the money to his wife who gave it back to him in the money and he returned it to the prisoner. Thomas Jones: he lodged in the same house and room as the prisoner and prosecutor. Several times during the week the prisoner had told him that he had spent all of his money and should draw money on account of Saturday. He, Buckley and the prisoner had worked on another line up to the last day of August and came together as far as London. Before they started the prisoner had asked him how he was off for money. He had said he was pretty well and the prisoner produced about £4 in gold and about £1 in silver. PC Thomas Vincent: on Sunday morning he went to David Blunt’s house where the prisoner was in custody on the charge of stealing money. He told the prisoner to produce what money he had and the prisoner pulled out a purse containing a sovereign a half sovereign, 2 half crowns and a 2 shilling bit. Statement of the accused: he had not done it. He had the money by him. He left South Water in Sussex on the last day of August and had £3 3s in his pocket and reached Sandy the next day at dinner time. He had £2 5s when he arrived.

item

Goss, John,
Buckley, Henry,
Blunt, David,
Blunt, Mary Ann,
Jones, Thomas,
Vincent, Thomas

SANDY, stealing, money, railway worker, lodging house keeper