QSR1867/3/5/8-9

Depositions of John Cook, coachman of Luton. James Pinnock, painter of Luton. Eli Webb, blocker of Luton. George Smith, inspector of police of Luton. George James, sergeant of police of Luton. In the case of Zachariah Webb and Daniel Chambers accused of stealing 23 live fowls and a quantity of fowls eggs.

27 May 1867

From: 1867 To: 1867

John Cook: he lived at Hart Hill and was coachman to Mr Alfred Phippen Welch. About 6am on 14 May he found the hen house had been broken into. The staple had been drawn out and some of the tiles taken off the roof. He had locked the door about 8pm the previous night. He missed 20 hens and 3 cocks. He also missed 11 eggs. [Description of the fowls]. He told Mr Welch and informed the police. About 9am he was on the Hitchin Road near the lane to Ramridge End. He saw the 2 prisoners go up the lane towards Ramridge End. Chambers had a bag on his back and Webb had something in his pockets. Sergeant James came up afterwards and followed the prisoners. About 11am the same day he was shown a bantam hen which he knew to be Mr Welch’s property. He also saw a white hen and 8 eggs. He had raised the hen and knew the hens were those on which the hen had been sitting as they had his pencil marks. On 17 may Seregant James showed him a cock and a hen at the police station. They were dead and had their combs cut off. He identified them. The fowls and eggs were worth £3. James Pinnock: he was a painter and lived in Duke Street, Luton. He knew the 2 prisoners. About 8am on 14 May, Webb came to his house and asked him to buy a hen. Webb took it from his pocket. It was a white hen. He gave it to Inspector Smith and he marked it. He bought it from Webb for a shilling and Webb asked if he wanted another which was dead. Webb returned about 10 minutes later with Chambers and Webb took the dead fowl from his pocket. It had been freshly killed. He asked both prisoners where it had come from and if it was all right. They said it was and they had bought it at the market the previous day. He had bought the hen for a shilling. It was a sitting hen and he said he must have some eggs to out under her. Webb said he had some rotten ones he could have until he was able to get some more. They brought the eggs when they brought the dead fowl. The eggs were marked with pencil. The same day he gave the white hen, eggs and some feathers to Inspector Smith. The feathers were from the dead hen which they had since eaten. The dog had eaten the head and feet. Webb also showed him a bantam hen which was very much like the one produced. Eli Webb: he was a blocker and lived at 9 Duke Street, Luton. He knew the prisoners and Webb was his brother. On 14 May, Webb and a boy, not Chambers, came to his house with 2 dead fowls and left them there. One was a cock and the other a very dark hen. Between 7am and 8am Webb came in and he told him to take the fowls away. On Tuesday 20 May he went to the police station and saw the cock and large dark hen there. He believed it could be the same hen which was left at his house but he did not think it to be the same cock. He could not say if the fowls left at his house had been freshly killed. Inspector George Smith: on 14 May, from information received, he went to Webb lodging in Duke Street. He lodged with his mother. In a drawer in the back downstairs room he found a bantam hen. The same day he went to James Pinnock’s and he was given the white hen, 8 eggs and some feathers. The feathers were fresh. He searched Webb at the police station and found some fresh feathers in his coat pocket. He searched a bag of Chambers at the police station and that also contained fresh fowl feathers. He showed the bantam, white hen, eggs and feathers to John Cook and he identified the, as the property of his master. Sergeant George James: from information received he went to Mr Welch’s premises at Hart Hill House and sae that some of the tiles had bee removed from the roof of the hen house. The same morning he saw the prisoners at some distance and they went along the lane to Ramridge End. He could see Chambers had a bag on his shoulder and Webb’s left hand pocket had something bulky in it. They made off down the lane towards Ramridge End. He followed them and saw Chambers come into the lane and look back. He caught them in the hollow about half a mile from the Hitchin Road. The lane was crooked and he could not keep sight of them. He searched them and found some fresh fowl feathers in Webb’s pocket and some in the bag Chambers was carrying. The bag was not bulky like when he had first seen it. He told them some fowls had been stolen. Webb said the feathers found in his pocket had been there for a fortnight and came from a hen he had sold to his brother. He said he knew they had hidden things in a hedge somewhere and he would detain them on suspicion. He gave them into the custody of another office and sent them to the station. He searched along the lane but found nothing. The following Tuesday he made anther search and found a cock and a hen in the hedge he had passed. He showed them to john cook who identified them as Mr Welch’s. He charged the prisoners and they both said they knew nothing about it. There were fresh marks of egg yolk on Chambers coat. Statement of the accused: nothing.

item

Webb, Zachariah,
Chambers, Daniel,
Cook, John,
Pinnock, James,
Webb, Eli,
Smith, George,
James, George,
Welch, Alfred Phippen

LUTON, Luton Hart Hill, Luton Duke Street, stealing, fowls, eggs, painter, coachman, blocker