QSR1896/2/5/PS2

Depositions and pleas - Michael Jones of Riseley, grocer, and Kaspar Jones of Riseley, charged with stealing one flag basket, a quantity of bread and cooked meat, a cloth and a pair of gloves (value 1s 8d) from Frederick Wells at Bletsoe on 3 March 1896. Dealt with summarily at Sharnbrook Petty Sessions. [Originally filed in QSR Midsummer 1896]

13 March 1896

From: 1896 To: 1896

Frederick Wells of Bletsoe – he is 12 years old and lives with his father William Wells at North End, Bletsoe. On Tuesday March 3rd after his breakfast he went to work in a field of Mr Campion at Bletsoe to scare crows. He took with him a flag basket containing a pair of leather gloves, a piece of bread and bacon and a piece of bread and butter which was tied up in a white calico cloth. He placed the basket in a furrow about 20 yards from the gate and about 10 yards from the hedge. He went to work at the far end of the field. About 9.45am he saw a cart coming on the road from Riseley with Michael and Kasper Jones and another boy. He saw Kaspar Jones go out of the field with the basket and get into the cart. The cart then went on. He does not know whether the prisoners saw him. He was shouting at the pigeons. His basket had gone. He waited by the road until a boy named Alf Saby came along from the doctor. He asked which was the last cart that had passed him and he said it was Jones. He told the boy to tell mother to send him some dinner. He went that same day with Inspector Daniels and PC Matthews to Keysoe and found both the prisoners there. He did not put the basket in the hedge instead of in the field because the mice get at his dinner if he puts it in the hedge. George Daniels of Sharnbrook, police inspector – from information received he went to a field at North End, Bletsoe and saw Frederick Wells. He saw Wells go to a spot in the field about 20 yards from the gate and about 10 yards from the hedge between the field and the Riseley Road. From what Wells said he and PC Matthews and the boy drove on to Keysoe and found the prisoners and another little boy there with a horse and cart. He asked the eldest prisoner about the flag basket. Jones said his boy had picked up the basket on the road side of the hedge. Jones said he had no intention of stealing the basket and thought it was either lost there or blown there. He said “if you thought it was lost why did you not call at the first house you came to and speak about it?” Keysoe is about 6 miles from the field. Kaspar Jones gave him the basket out of the cart. He showed the items inside to Wells who identified them as his property. He said to Jones “I should certainly have locked you up but as you have a horse and cart here I will leg you go and most likely you will be summoned”. William Wells of Bletsoe – he is Frederick Wells’ father. On Tuesday 3 March Michael Jones came to his house about 8.30pm. He was out then, but when he returned Jones said he wanted to come to some arrangement about the basket so they could square it. He refused as it was in the hands of the police. Jones said “I have never been to a Police Court and I don’t want to go as I don’t want it to get in the local papers”. He refused to settle. Jones called at his house again on Friday 6th but he did not see him. [Cross-examined by Michael Jones] He told Jones he would let him know whether he would go on with it when he saw him again. Ebenezer Matthews of Sharnbrook, police constable – on March 3 he drove with Inspector Daniels to the field at Bletsoe and the boy Wells showed him a spot where the basket had been in a furrow. The field was in a very heavy state due to the rain that morning. He saw a number of foot prints from the gate to the spot. One mark went from the gate to where the basket was then up the field, and another went back to the gate. They were all small ones. When they overtook the prisoners at Keysoe Kasper Jones boots were very dirty and he drew his attention to them. Jones said he had not cleaned them that morning. Statement of Michael Jones – he was out on his usual rounds and tehb oy got out of the cart and picked up a basket at Bletsoe. The horse was going along when the boy got out of the cart and brought the basket to him saying he had found it and then put it in the cart. Statement of Kaspar Jones – he is not guilty. He jumped out of the cart as the horse was going along and picked up a basket which was laid by the side of the road and put it on the top of the cart.

item

Jones, Michael,
Jones, Kaspar,
Wells, Frederick,
Daniels, George,
Wells, William,
Matthews, Ebenezer

BLETSOE, RISELEY, SHARNBROOK, stealing, food, bread, gloves, grocer, police inspector, police constable