QSR1865/3/5/26-27

Depositions of James Terry, carpenter of Caddington. Francis Bottom, bricklayer of Caddington. Thomas Prescott, clerk of Caddington. Thomas Bradshaw, police constable of Leagrave. Emma Flint, wife of Lewis, marine store dealer of Luton. George James, police constable of Luton. George Smith, police sergeant of Luton. In the case of Owen Hull and Israel Hull accused of stealing 60 pounds weight in lead which was fixed to a certain person.

12 June 1865

From: 1865 To: 1865

James Terry: a carpenter and was working at the New Vicarage at Caddington. There was a cottage near the works the property of the Reverend Thomas Prescott. From information received he went with Francis Bottom on Sunday 4 June to the cottage. He missed a gutter which had run between 2 small roofs. He examined the place where the lead had gone and found the boards broken and dry. It had been very wet the previous Thursday. He found a piece of lead pipe left in the boards. He gave it to Bottom. He advised the police and had since seen some lead at the police station. He measured the gutter at the house and cut a rod off the length of the gutter and gave it to Sergeant Smith. It was about 8 feet long and 2 feet 2 inches wide. He measured the length at the station with the rod and it corresponded. The pieces of lead measure the same as that which was missed. Francis Bottom: he was foreman of the bricklayers at the vicarage at Caddington. On 4 June he went with James Terry to the cottage near the parsonage house and saw a gutter had been taken away. There was a boarded gutter and a piece of lead pipe left in it. The boards appeared to gave been stripped quite recently and the tiles thrown about and newly broken. Terry gave him the piece of lead pipe and he kept it until Monday morning and then gave it to PC Bradshaw. On the Sunday he saw a quantity of lead at the police station at Luton. The pieces put together were the same length and breath as the gutter stolen. Thomas Prescott: a clerk in holy orders. Near the vicarage there was an unoccupied cottage. It was his property. On Sunday 4 June from information received he went with James Terry to the cottage. He examined the roof afterwards and there was no lead in the gutter when he examined it. There was a piece of lead pipe hanging down in it. He saw Terry take the pipe out of the gutter. PC Thomas Bradshaw: he received a piece of lead from Francis Bottom. On Monday 5 June he fitted it to the 2 piece of lead and found it corresponded with the hole in the pieces. Emma Flint: wife of Lewis of 26 Back Street, New Town, Luton. On the morning of Saturday 3 June the prisoner Owen Hull came to their house and asked if her husband was home. She said no and asked what he had. He told her some lead. She told him he could leave it until her husband came home if he wanted. He did not leave it but came back soon after with the other prisoner. They had a sack a piece. Owen Hull said they had brought the lead and put the sacks in the washhouse. PC James came soon after and took charge of the lead the prisoners had left. About 1pm Owen Hull came back and PC James and Sergeant Smith took him into custody and took away the lead and sacks. The lead was cut into small pieces and was all dirty and wet. So were the sacks. PC George James: on 3 June he went to Flint’s house at the back of New Town Street and saw Mrs Flint about some lead. He saw some lead in 2 sacks in the wash house. Sergeant Smith came soon after and they both stayed until 1pm when Owen Hull came. They asked Mrs Flint if he was one of the men who had brought the lead and she said it was. He asked Owen Hull how he came by the lead and he replied that he had bought it on Caddington Green that morning. He asked who he had bought it off and Hull replied he did not know. Asked how much he paid, Hull said 10 shillings. Afterwards Hull said he had not bought it on Caddington Green but from a man a little way down the Chaul End Lane. He took Owen Hull into custody and charged him. Hull said he had not stolen the lead. The lead was chopped into 22 pieces and was very wet. It was double up. It had since been beaten out and straightened. Sergeant George Smith: on 3 June he went to Flint’s house and stayed until 1pm when Owen Hull came in. He heard James asked whose lead it was and Hull said it was his and he had bought it from a man on Caddington Green for 10 shillings. They took Owen Hull into custody. Hull then said he had bought it from a man down Chaul End Lane. They took the sacks and lead to the police station. There were 22 pieces of lead, all double up and dirty. From information he received he went to Caddington in search of Israel Hull. He took Israel Hull into custody on suspicion of having stolen the lead alongside his brother. Israel Hull said he knew nothing about it but had gone to Flints in Luton that morning with his brother and they had taken 2 sacks with something in them. Hull said he did not know it was lead. Next day he went to Caddington in the company of Superintendent Pope and seach and found where some lead had been taken from an unoccupied house near the vicarage. The board were dry where the lead had been taken off and the boards were broken in several places. The same night he received information that lead had been taken from the roof of the same house. He measured the gutter and found it to be 8 feet long and 2 feet 2 inches wide. The lengths and breadths corresponded with the pieces of lead when put together. The lead weighed about 60 pounds. Statement of the accused: Owen Hull – not guilty Israel Hull – nothing.

item

Hull, Owen,
Hull, Israel,
Terry, James,
Bottom, Francis,
Prescott, Thomas,
Bradshaw, Thomas,
Flint, Emma,
Flint, Lewis,
James, George,
Smith, George

LUTON, Luton Back Street, CADDINGTON, stealing, lead, vicarages, carpenter, bricklayer, Clerk in Holy Orders, marine store dealer