QSR1862/3/5/4-5

Depositions of Henry Garner, drover. Charlotte Swain, singlewoman. James Joseph Wood, confectioner. Levi Pheasant and Thomas Claridge both labourers. Emma Claridge, wife of William Claridge, butcher. Mary Ann Sanders, wife of Thomas, innkeeper. Joseph Collins, innkeeper. William Champkins and John Stuart, police constables. William Clough, superintendent of police. Charles Page, silversmith. All of Leighton Buzzard. In the case of Henry Phillips and Thomas Saunders accused of uttering counterfeit coins.

5 April 1862

From: 1862 To: 1862

Henry Garner: the prisoners were both known to him. On the afternoon 5 April he saw the prisoner Phillips at Chelsea and again at the Greyhound, Leighton about 8pm. They had some beer together and Phillip said he was hungry. Phillips asked him to go and get 2 pork pies and gave him half a sovereign to pay for them. He went to Mr Woods, the confectioner, and tendered the half sovereign while Phillips stood outside. The woman said it was a bad one and he called Phillips in but he did not come. He took the half sovereign to Phillips and asked where he had the half sovereign from. Phillips said he did not know. Mr Woods came up and he pointed out Phillips as the chap who had given him the coin. Mr Woods examined the half sovereign in front of Phillips and bit it. Woods gave it back to Phillips who went up the street. Charlotte Swain: a single woman and shop woman in the employ of Mr Woods a confectioner and lived in his house. On 5 April he saw the last witness came come into the shop and ask for 2 pork pies. He gave her half a sovereign to change and she rang it and found it would not ring. She gave it to her mistress. It was refused as being a bad one. She gave it to the man and he left the shop. James Joseph Wood: on the night of 5 April he was informed that a man had bought a bad half sovereign to the shop. He followed the man out of the shop. He knew prisoner Phillips by sight and asked him to let him look at the half sovereign. He bent the coin with his teeth and returned it to Phillips who said it was all the money he had with exception of 2 pence and had the coin from his uncle that day. Levi Pheasant: 16 years old and lived with her parents in Leighton Buzzard. On 5 April about 7pm he saw both prisoners up Sanders Lane. They were standing together. He knew the prisoner Sanders who asked him to go into Claridges the butchers and get a pound of suet. The shop was opposite where they were standing. Phillips gave him a sovereign and a plate. He went into the shop and asked for the suet. He gave the shopman the sovereign and he took it to his mother who said she had no change. She returned the sovereign and he went to Mrs Saunders at the Wheatsheaf and asked for change for the sovereign. Mrs Saunders did so and he went back to Claridges. Before he left the shop Mrs Saunders came in and said the coin was bad. She kept the sovereign and he gave the change back to her. He told Phillips it had been a bad sovereign and the prisoner said to go back and fetch the plate and sovereign. He returned to Claridges’ shop and asked for them. He received the plate and gave it to Phillips. He and Sanders went off together. Phillips he knew where he had the sovereign from and would take it back again. After 11pm he saw the prisoners together against the Black Horse. He informed the police. Thomas Claridge: he was 13 years old and lived with his parents in Leighton Buzzard. On the night of 5 April, about 7pm, Levi Pheasant came into his father’s shop and asked for a pound of suet which he let him have and put it on a plate he had brought with him. Pheasant gave him a sovereign to pay for it and asked for change. The suet came to 7 pence. He took it into the house and asked his mother for change. His mother did not have change. He returned the sovereign to Levi Pheasant and told him to go and get change from Mrs Saunders. Emma Claridge: wife of William Claridge a butcher. Levi Pheasant came into the shop and asked for a pound of suet. He wanted change from a sovereign but she had no change and so he went to get it. Pheasant returned with the change and before she could receive the money for the suet, Mrs Saunders brought a sovereign into the shop saying it was a bad one. Mrs Saunders gave her the coin and she subsequently gave it to PC Champkins. Mary Ann Saunders: wife of Thomas an innkeeper. On 5 April Pheasant came and asked for change for a sovereign for Mrs Claridge. She gave him a pounds worth of silver and he placed the sovereign on the bar. When she took it up she found it very light and went to Mrs Claridge’s with the sovereign. She gave it to her and said it was a bad one. She received the change back. Joseph Collins: on 5 April the prisoners came to his house and had some beer. Sanders paid for it and called for a cigar. He received a shilling from Phillips and subsequently found it to be a bad one and he burnt it. It had broken away easily between his thumb and fingers. PC William Champkins: on 5 April he went in search of the prisoners. About 11pm he found the prisoner Phillips and told him he must go with him and was being charged with passing counterfeit coin. Phillips resisted being taken into custody and he was obliged to get assistance before Phillips was taken to the lock up. He same evening he recovered a sovereign from Emma Claridge. Next day he apprehended the prisoner Sanders at his lodgings in Leighton Buzzard. He searched Sanders and found a shilling in silver and 3 pence. On being told the charge Sanders said he did not know what he meant. PC John Stuart: on 5 April about 11pm he went in search of Phillips. He met Sanders near the spot in Black Horse Lane where Phillips was apprehended. Sanders said eh had not seen Phillips since 8pm or 9pm. About 11.30pm he was present when Phillips was searched at the station and half a sovereign was found on him. Phillips was charged. Superintendent William Clough: on 5 April he overtook PC Champkins leading Phillips. A man was assisting him. Phillips was dragging behind and resisted the police constable. He accompanied them to the station and told him the charge. The prisoner said he had never had a bad sovereign. On searching the prisoner they found a half sovereign in his pocket and some good money. Charles Page: a silversmith in Leighton. The 2 pieces of coin intended to represent a sovereign and a half sovereign were both counterfeit and bad. Statement of the accused: Henry Phillips – he did not give him a bad shilling and paid for the beer because Sanders had got no money. Thomas Sanders: he met Henry Phillips about 4.30pm and he asked if he was going anywhere. He told Phillips he wanted to go down town. They did not go down town but went to Collin’s house and went in and sat down. Phillips asked if he would have any tea and Phillips said no. She asked where Phillips was at work. From there they went to Mr Birdsey’s but he was not at home. They came back by Black Horse Lane and went into town. They went to Collins and had a pint of beer and a cigar. On coming from there Phillips said he would like something to eat and he told him he would fetch a plate if he wanted one. He gave him the plate. Phillips said he would go and fetch some steaks but he did not then want to go. Pheasant was coming by and he asked him to fetch the steaks. He did not know what Phillips gave him until the boy came back and said it was a bad one. Phillips said he knew where it had come from and would take it back again. When he got to Hopkins shop he asked for his plate and he said he would go and see about it.

item

Phillips, Henry,
Saunders, Thomas,
Garner, Henry,
Swain, Charlotte,
Wood, James Joseph,
Pheasant, Levi,
Claridge, Thomas,
Claridge, Emma,
Claridge, William,
Sanders, Mary Ann,
Sanders, Thomas,
Collins, Joseph,
Champkins, William,
Clough, William,
Page, Charles

LEIGHTON BUZZARD, passing counterfeit coin, drover, confectioner, butcher, silversmith, innkeeper