QSR1863/4/5/1

Depositions of William George, butcher and mealman of Ampthill. Thomas Worsley, victualler of Clophill. William Hillyard, police constable of Ampthill. In the case of Amos Allen accused of stealing 3 bushels of peas and beans and a sack.

1 August 1863

From: 1863 To: 1863

William George: in November 1857 the prisoner was in his employment as a weekly servant. Allen had been in his service for 3 or 4 years. On 30 November he sent the prisoner with a load of corn and meal to Flitton and Greenfield. Allen did not have orders to take any oats or beans. Allen loaded the cart from the granary in which the oats and beans were lying. He was not there when the cart was loaded. He recalled the prisoner coming back in the evening and directly after PC Worsley gave him some information. He went to Mr Bates, the superintendent, and before he returned the prisoner had put the horse up and gone away. He obtained a warrant against Allen but did not see him again. Worsley produced a sack with oats and beans the following morning. The sack was his and he had no doubt the oats and beans were also as they corresponded with a sample from the granary. The value of the sack, oats and beans was 12 shillings. Thomas Worsley: he was a licensed victualler at Clophill and on 30 November 1857 he was a constable in the Bedfordshire Police. About 7pm on that day he was on a road in Ampthill, a short distance from the town. He saw a horse and cart and the prisoner was by the cart on foot. He knew the horse and cart to be the prosecutors and knew the prisoner was in his employment. When the opposite to a field, in the occupation of James Stokes, the prisoner stopped the horse and cart. Allen undid the tail board and took out a sack and put it over the hedge of Stokes’s field. He saw the sack contained something. The prisoner went on. He went to the sack and found it containing oats and beans mixed. He followed the prisoner and saw him of to Mr George’s yard and he told Mr George what he had seen. He then went to Superintendent Bates. By Bates direction he went back to Stokes field and watched the sack for 13 hours. Nobody came to fetch it and he took it to the police station. He went in search of the prisoner but he had absconded. He heard nothing more of him until he heard of him being in custody for a felony in Leighton Buzzard. The sack had the prosecutor’s name upon it. PC William Hillyard: immediately after the information was given to the prosecutor he made a search for the prisoner. He never met with Allen until 29 October 1862 when he apprehended the prisoner on this charge as he left the gaol in Bedford. The prisoner said “I had the corn but I did not take it. I won’t say who did take it. I won’t get nobody else into trouble about it”. He lodged Allen in the lock-up at Ampthill and on the same day he made his escape. He later received the prisoner into custody at Northampton. Statement of the accused: he asked if it could be settled now as it was a long time ago and he did not think it to be as much corn as they said. He knew he had done wrong.

item

Allen, Amos,
George, William,
Worlsey, Thomas,
Hillyard, William,
Stokes, James,
Bates, James

AMPTHILL, CLOPHILL, stealing, beans, sack, butcher, mealman, victualler