QSR1894/4/5/1

Depositions of Emma Stonhill, Agnes Perry, Horace Summerley, William Bazley, Thomas James Clarke, William Hewitt, Mary Domm, Annie Harrison and Madeline Jackson. In the case of Eliza Young, accused of obtaining the sum of £1 by false pretences with intent to defraud.

10 August 1894

From: 1894 To: 1894

Emma Stonhill: Landlady of Woburn. On Friday 3rd August at about 3.40pm, the prisoner, a stranger to her, came into her inn. The prisoner asked her for a loan of a sovereign on behalf of Mr. Clarke, who was short on paying a bill. The prisoner said that Mr. Clarke was her uncle. She gave the prisoner a sovereign in gold. She asked the prisoner whether she wanted silver or gold and the prisoner replied that it did not matter. The prisoner thanked her and left, running off towards Woburn Sands. That was also the direction to Longslade. Not receiving her sovereign back and after making enquiries she contacted the police. The prisoner was dressed in a suit of a brown or grey colour with a dark coloured hat and an umbrella. The youths, Mr. Summerley and Mr. Bazley, had called into the inn but had left before the prisoner arrived. Agnes Perry: An infant living with her parents in Woburn. On Friday 3rd August she was playing outside the gate in Woburn Sands between 3pm and 4pm. She saw the prisoner come up the road from the direction of Woburn Sands. She had seen the prisoner several times before. She saw the prisoner walk past the inn, return and then go into the inn. The prisoner came out of the inn soon afterwards and went running towards Woburn Sands. The prisoner was wearing a lightish coloured dress and had an umbrella with her. Horace Summerley: A youth living with his parents in Aspley Heath. He used to live next door to the prisoner and he knew the prisoner well. On Friday 3rd August he went up to the inn with a message. He got there about 3.30pm. The youth, Mr. Bazely was with him. He stayed in the inn about 2 or 3 minutes then left towards Woburn Sands. About 50 yards from the inn he saw the prisoner nearing the inn. He sat down by the side of the road to rest and saw the prisoner heading towards Woburn Sands. The prisoner started to run as soon as she passed him. The prisoner had a light dress on, a black straw hat and was carrying an umbrella. William Bazley: A youth living with his parents in Woburn Sands. On Friday 3rd August he went with the youth, Mr. Summerley to leave a message at the inn in Woburn. They arrived at the inn at about 3.30pm. As they were returning down the road towards Woburn Sands they met the prisoner. He knew the prisoner from before. He sat down to rest on the wayside and while he was resting the prisoner came by on her way back towards Woburn Sands. Thomas James Clarke: A basket maker from Longslade, Aspley Heath. The prisoner was a stranger to him. He did not send the prisoner or anyone else on the 3rd August to borrow money from Miss. Stonhill. He did not receive a sovereign from the prisoner or anyone else. William Hewitt: A police constable stationed at Woburn Sands. He knew the locality well and believed that it would take 20 minutes to walk from the inn to Woburn Sands and about 10-15 minutes if running. Eliza Young: Not Guilty. She left her house on Friday 3rd August in the middle of the afternoon and went to the church in Woburn Sands. When she got to the cottages on the right hand side of the heath she passed Mr. Hugh Jackson, two ladies and another gentleman. She went up the heath and stopped under some trees for shelter when it started to shower. While she was waiting she met some friends who were passing. She waited a while under the trees and then went straight down the heath to her house. She did not leave the house again that day and did not go to the inn. Mary Domm: A youth from Woburn Sands. On Friday 3rd August about 3.55pm she was going up the heath by the church. She saw the prisoner running down the road from the heath. She looked at the church clock as she passed and the time was 3.55pm. She met the prisoner directly afterwards before she got to the cottages on the right. The prisoner was dressed in a black skirt and light coloured body. The prisoner also had an umbrella. Annie Harrison: A youth from Aspley Heath. On Friday 3rd August she was on the heath near the church. She met the prisoner as she was coming round the corner of the church. The prisoner passed her and went on down the footpath towards the prisoner’s house. The time was about 3.55pm. The prisoner was dressed in a black skirt and a drab bodice. She could not say whether the prisoner had an umbrella. [Cross-Examined] The prisoner had not told me the time. The prisoner asked her to make a witness statement yesterday to confirm the times that she saw the prisoner on Friday 3rd August. Madeline Jackson: from Woburn Sands. On Friday 3rd August at about 3pm, she was going up to the woods in the heath with Mr. Hugh Jackson and others. She had no recollection of meeting any woman near the cottages.

item

Stonhill, Emma,
Summerley, Horace,
Bazley, William,
Clarke, Thomas James,
Young, Eliza,
Perry, Agnes,
Domm, Mary,
Harrison, Annie,
Jackson, Madeline,
Jackson, Hugh

WOBURN SANDS, WOBURN, ASPLEY HEATH, basket maker, innkeeper, false pretences, money