QSR1894/4/5/4,5,6

Depositions of George Malden, farmer of Cardington, Ernest Keep, labourer of Cardington and Robert Gailer, police constable of Cardington. In the case of James Goddard, James Humphreys and William Hancock, accused of stealing a quantity of potatoes.

6 October 1894

From: 1894 To: 1894

George Malden: a farmer of Cardington. In 1894 he had grown 3-4 acres of potatoes including ‘Snowball’ potatoes on his farm. On 3rd October his employees were harvesting potatoes and carting them to ‘Cople field’. Around midday he went down to the field where he saw the 3 prisoners in a grass field about 150 yards from the private road on which his employees were carting the potatoes. He told the prisoner, Goddard, to leave at once or he would fetch police constable Gailer. The prisoners left at once. He returned to his field about 4pm and found the 3 prisoners again in the same field and saw them head towards the private road. In the morning he had noticed potatoes along the private road which had evidently fallen off the carts. Later he found that these potatoes had disappeared. He informed the police constable Gailer. Later Gailer showed him a sample of potatoes which he identified as the same he had grown on his farm. [Cross-examined by Goddard] There were several sorts of potatoes grown in his field and his employees were only digging one sort that day. Police constable Gailer had shown him a bag which contained 2 sorts of potatoes, one being a variety called ‘White Elephant’ which he also grew on his farm. [Cross-examined by Humphreys] He grew the sort of potatoes which were cut. [Cross-examined by Hancock] He did not see the prisoners take any potatoes away. Ernest Keep: employed by Mr. Malden and living in Cardington. On 3rd October he was carting potatoes. He saw the 3 prisoners about 4pm searching for mushrooms. Some potatoes dropped off the cart about 1pm though they were missing from the road about 4pm. He then informed Mr. Maulden. [Cross-examined by Goddard] He did not see the prisoner pick any potatoes up. He saw that the potatoes were missing and informed his master. [Cross-examined by Humphreys] He did not see the prisoner pick any potatoes up. He did not cart any potatoes like the one produced. [Cross-examined by Hancock] He did not see the prisoner pick any potatoes up. The potatoes which fell of the cart did not lay on the main road but on the cart road. He saw the prisoner on the cart road that day. Robert Gailer: police constable stationed at Cardington. On 3rd October he saw Mr. Maulden. On information received he cycled to Bedford. When he got to Rope Walk he found the 3 prisoners. He asked the prisoner, Goddard, if he had any potatoes in his possession. The prisoner replied that he had. He said to the prisoner that Mr. Maulden had accused them of stealing the potatoes from his farm. The prisoner replied that they had picked the potatoes up on the highroad. He asked the prisoner, Humphries, if he had any potatoes in his possessions. The prisoner replied that he had. He opened the prisoner’s bag and took out the potatoes. The prisoner, Goddard, removed about 10 potatoes from his pockets. He asked the prisoner, Hancock, if he had any potatoes in his possession and the prisoner replied that he didn’t. [Cross-examined by Hancock] He believed that the prisoner said that he would have been willing to carry the potatoes home. James Goddard: Nothing to say. James Humphreys: Nothing to say. William Hancock: Nothing to say.

item

Malden, George,
Keep, Ernest,
Gailer, Robert,
Goddard, James,
Humphreys, James,
Hancock, William

CARDINGTON, BEDFORD, farmer, police constable, stealing, potatoes