QSR1894/2/5/1

Depositions of John William Nicholson, Maria Cooper, Harry Cole, George Arnold and Annie Bunker. In the case of William Spencer, accused of breaking and entering the dwelling house of Maria Cooper and therein stealing the sum of £3 and a purse.

February - March 1894

From: 1894 To: 1894

John William Nicholson: police constable stationed at Bedford. At about 10.15pm on Saturday 24th February in consequence of information received he went to the ‘Book’ publican house in Bedford with police constable Bliss. He there saw the two prisoners and asked the male prisoner if he had lodged in Shefford on Thursday night. The prisoner replied that he had. He then asked the prisoner when he arrived in Bedford and the prisoner replied that he had arrived on Friday at about 1pm. He took both prisoners to the police station and charged the male prisoner with breaking and entering the dwelling house of Maria Cooper of Wilstead and stealing a purse and the sum of £3. The prisoner replied that he had not broken into any houses. He then charged the female prisoner with being an accomplice and she replied that she knew nothing. The male prisoner asked to speak with the superintendent Quenby. The prisoner told him that he and his wife were in Shefford on Friday morning and that he had left his wife in the public house while he went up the village to beg. He came across a farm house and found no one home. He walked around the house and saw the shadow of a man through a window. A minute later the man inside of the house came through the window. The prisoner asked the man what he had been up to in the house and that he knew the man had stolen something. The man agreed to give the prisoner half of what he had taken from the house if the prisoner did not tell the police. The prisoner received a sovereign from the man. Later on the Saturday he gave the prisoners their dinners. The female prisoner pleaded with the male prisoner to tall the police if he had any money. The male prisoner said that he did steal 2 sovereigns out of a box upstairs but that he left the purse and a watch in the box and returned to his wife in the public house. The female prisoner said that the male prisoner gave her 11d when he returned and at the next public house they visited he changed the sovereign. He searched the prisoners on arrival at the station and found 7d and a half penny, 2 letters, a knife, a ring and a new pair of boots on the male prisoner. On the female prisoner he found 8s and 5d and a half penny, 2 rings and a new pair of boots. On Monday 26th February the female prisoner asked the male prisoner how he had gotten into the house and the male prisoner replied that he had broken a pane of glass and cut his hand. The female prisoner asked the male prisoner if that was the reason why he had been rubbing his hand when they were walking up the road and the male prisoner replied that he had not wanted her to find out what he had done. Maria Cooper: widow of Wilstead. On Friday 23rd February she left home just after 10am. She left no one in the house and all of the doors and windows were fastened either with bolts or locks. She returned about 12.15pm and found that a pane of glass had been broken in the kitchen window. She went upstairs and found £3 10s and a purse were missing from a box. Some days after she found the purse, with half a sovereign inside, at the bottom of the box under some clothing. When she left the purse in the box it was wrapped in a pocket, however when she returned the pocket was empty. Harry Cole: a labourer of Wilstead. On Friday 23rd February at about 10.45am he was coming down the road past Mrs. Cooper’s house. He saw the male prisoner come out of the farm gateway. As he got over a stile and went into a field on the opposite side of the road from the house he saw the male prisoner turn and walk back through the gate. George Arnold: an innkeeper of the ‘Rose’ public house at Wilstead. On Friday 23rd February the 2 prisoners came into his public house at about 10.30am. The male prisoner left about 5 minutes after and went up the road towards Mrs. Cooper’s house. About 30 minutes later the male prisoner retuned to his wife, whom he had left in the public house. Both prisoners left directly after. Mrs Cooper’s house is about a quarter of a mile from his public house. Annie Bunker: living with her mother at the ‘Bell’ public house at cotton End. Her house is about a mile and a quarter from Mrs. Cooper’s house. On Friday 23rd February the male prisoner came into her public house at about 11.45am. The prisoner ordered a half pint of ale and gave her a sovereign to pay for it. She gave the prisoner 19s and 11d in change. The female prisoner walked past the public house before the male prisoner came in. William Spencer: Nothing to say.

item

Nicholson, John William,
Cooper, Maria,
Cole, Harry,
Arnold, George,
Bunker, Annie,
Spencer, William

breaking & entering, stealing, purse, money