QSR1863/1/5/4

Depositions of Frederick Hopkins, cabinet maker of Leighton Buzzard. William Shepherd, inspector of police stationed at Linslade. William Champkins, police constable. William Loke, journeyman baker. William Brown, baker. Charles Grace, innkeeper. William Clough, superintendent of police. All of Leighton Buzzard. Philip Geeves, porter of Finsbury Square, Middlesex. In the case of Joseph Stone accused of receiving 5 dead fowls knowing them to be stolen.

25 November 1862

From: 1862 To: 1863

Frederick Hopkins: son of James Hopkins, a butcher at Leighton Buzzard and he resided with his father. On 3 or 4 September he lost 6 fowls, valued at 8 shillings. A man by the name of William Loke was charged with stealing them and was committed at the petty sessions for the offence being sentenced to 2 calendar months. He was present when the fowls were found in a field and he identified them. They were given into the charge of Bucks police. Inspector of Police William Shepherd: On 4 September he received information that some hens and ducks had been stolen and went to Mr Spencer’s fowl house. He traced the birds into Leighton by the feathers. He accompanied another policeman to a close in Leighton and found traces of feathers over a wall and into a paddock and from there into Mr Hopkins yard. On arrival there he was informed they had lost some fowls. He called at the house of Joseph Stone and saw him outside in the street. He asked where Stone had been on the night of 3 September that William Loke and a man by the name of Brown had been there and were still inside the house. He told Stone some ducks and hens had been stolen from Lindslade and some from Leighton. He suspected Brown and Loke of taking them. He asked the prisoner if he had seen fowls in their possession and he replied he had not. He asked Stone to go into the tap room and examine the clothes of Loke and Brown to see if there was any blood or feathers on them. He believed Stone could do it better than him as he didn’t want the men to know they were suspected. PC Champkins would call him and let him know if blood or feathers were found. PC William Champkins: on 4 September he went with the last witness to Parsons Close. Some hen and duck feathers had been found by the side of a wall and across Mr Woodman’s paddock to Mr Hopkins yard. He went to Joseph Stone’s house. Stone said 2 men called Loke and Brown were in his house. Stone was told of the robbery. A quarter of an hour later he asked Stone if he had seen blood or feathers on the men’s clothes. Stone said that as soon as he and Shepherd had left, so had the men and he did not know which way they had gone. Loke was apprehended on 4 September and convicted of robbery. Brown absconded. On 7 September he went with his superintendent to Stone’s house and he heard Stone say that Loke and Brown had brought some fowls and asked if they could put them in the stable. He had told them they may. The Superintendent told Stone he had a good mind to take him into custody for receiving stolen property. Stone said he hoped he would not and Stone was ordered to attend the petty session. In the stable he found some duck and hen feathers on the ground and in the manger. William Loke: he was convicted of the theft of 6 fowls belonging to James Hopkins and sentenced to 2 calendar months imprisonment. A week or 2 before he was convicted he had gone to Stone’s house with Brown. He remembered the night he was accused of stealing the fowls. He went to Stone’s house by himself and whilst there Brown came in and they stopped late. He asked Stone if he could do with a fowl and Stone replied he could and so he and Brown went and stole some fowls from Mr Hopkins. He killed 6 fowls and took 5 to Stone’s house. They got there before Stone was up on 4 September. They put the fowls in the stables and then took them away and plucked them. They took them back and showed them to Stone in the stables. They were covered with a sack. Stone asked what they were going to do with them as there were such a lot. He said he did not know and they all went into the house where they saw the policemen. He did not offer to sell Stone the fowls. Shortly after the policeman came, Brown got up left the house and so did he. Stone told them the policeman had asked if they had brought any fowls there. Stone told them he would go if he was them. They left the fowls behind. They told Stone they had the fowls from Mr Hopkins. [cross examination] he had received half a crown from PC Champkns which he was told was from his grandfather. He had slept at Stones on Saturday 22 November. He had gone there to tell Stone he was sorry over the case. He was there some time before Stone came in and saw Deverill and Richardson there. He asked Stone to read his summons. He never told Stone he could not rest for the lies he had said about him and had come to beg his pardon. He knew nothing of lies or falsehoods. He did not say in Richardson’s or Deverill’s presence that what he had said about Stone was untrue. He spoke to Stone outside. Stone knew about the fowls because he saw them. He had told Stone he was sorry he had opened his mouth. William Brown: he knew Loke and had heard he had been to prisoner about some fowls. His son was called James Brown and he was not at Leighton now. He had seen his son since he left. He had gone to London to see him. He had gone by himself but taken the same carriage as Stone. They got out together. He saw a man by the name of Geeves. Stone was with him at the time. He saw his son at a public house and Stone was there too. He knew of no conversation between Stone and his son. He had not particular business which took him to London. Charles Grace: a few days after the conviction of William Loke, Stone had been at his house. Stone spoke of the robbery saying that when he had heard what was up he would have been a fool not to tell them so they got away. The names of Loke and Brown were mentioned. There were 10 or a dozen in the tap room at the time. Loke was in prisoner. Stone said they fowls were on his premises but Loke must be a Brown man to try to get him into trouble when he knew nothing of it. Superintendent William Clough: on 7 September, Loke had been in custody at the police station. From what he heard he went to Joseph Stone’s house with PC Champkins. He saw Stone in the yard and said he had been told Loke and Brown had brought fowls there and they were in the stable. Stone said “well they did say something about some fowls but I never saw them”. He asked Stone why he had not told Shepherd and Champkins that they had brought some fowls and he had not seen the fowls. He told Stone he ought to take him into custody and that one of the parties to the robbery had escaped through him. Stone said he prayed he would not. He told Stone to attend the magistrate on 9 September. Before he left Stone’s he went into the stable and saw some hen and duck feathers. Stone said something about other people’s fowls going into his yard. Philip Geeves: he lived at Finsbury park and was employed by Messrs Cater and Low[?] as a porter. He knew Joseph Stone. He and William Brown came to his house about 2 months previous and asked if he was home. In consequence of the message, he met them in the course of the day. He saw Mr Brown was asked if he knew where his son was and he replied no but suspected him to be in Camden Town. He was not aware the younger Brown was wanted. Brown said he should like to see his son and did not have much time to stay. He told him he would try to find him. He found Brown’s son in Camden Town and brought him to his father at a public house near Euston Station. Brown and Stone were there and they went aside with the younger brown and left his company. He saw no more of them. Statement of the accused: he did not wish to say anything except what his attorney had said for him.

item

Stone, Joseph,
Hopkins, Frederick,
Shepherd, William,
Champkins, William,
Loke, William,
Brown, William,
Grace, Charles,
Clough, William,
Geeves, Philip,
Brown, James (d)

receiving stolen goods, fowls, cabinet maker, baker, innkeeper, porter, LEIGHTON BUZZARD, LINSLADE, Finsbury Park