QSR1896/4/5/1b

Depositions of Alice Matthews and Ernest Chapman. In the case of Charles Price, indicted for stealing two silver watch chains, one scent bottle and two pocket knives, together valued at eleven shillings, property of Alice Matthews.

20 July 1896

From: 1896 To: 1896

Alice Matthews, of Dovers Walk, Dunstable: The Prisoner left her lodgings on 20th. When he had gone between 8 and 9 she went upstairs into his room and found her workbox had been broken open. It was on the mantelpiece and she missed two silver watch chains, a small penknife and a scent bottle taken from that workbox, also the larger pocket knife taken from another box on the table. She identifies the articles now produced as hers and knows them by certain marks. Altogether she values the articles at 11 shillings. She knows they were in the boxes when the Prisoner took the lodgings and there had been no-one else in the house but her husband and two little children. Ernest Chapman, Sergeant at St. Albans: On Saturday 25th he met the Prisoner and said he wanted him. The Prisoner said, “What for?” The Witness said, “For enquiries.” The Witness took the Prisoner to the station. The Witness searched the Prisoner and found the articles produced on him. On Sunday the Witness read [?] some information received from Dunstable and the Prisoner said, “Yes, those are the two chains I stole from Dunstable” [sic]. Statements of the Defendant Charles Price: "I did not break any box open. The articles were in a box already open." "I have no witnesses to call."

item

Price, Charles,
Matthews, Alice,
Chapman, Ernest

DUNSTABLE, stealing, chain, knife, bottle