QSR1867/3/5/17b

Depositions of Hannah Davis, servant of Luton. George Palmer, blocker of Luton. Thomas Bunce, apprentice of Luton. James Haynes, police constable of Luton. In the case of Asher Felks accused of stealing several piece of gold coin to the value of £5 or more.

17 June 1867

From: 1867 To: 1867

Hannah Davis: she was a servant at the Coopers Arms public house in Bute Street, Luton. On Monday 10 June she was going upstairs at the Coopers Arms to make her bed. She met the prisoner coming down the stairs. She noticed he was a stranger. Someone rapped in the Tap Room and she had to go downstairs again. The prisoner followed her down and went into the quoit ground. She did not see him again until the Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning at the police station. She went upstairs again on Monday 10 June between 9pm and 4pm and saw her bedroom door open. She saw some things hanging outside the box. She opened the box and missed her purse containing £6 in gold sovereigns and half sovereigns. It was all as new a money as she could get. The money had been safe between 10am and 11am that morning. She informed the police. She had seen the prisoner in the quoit ground before she had met him on the stairs. Her bedroom adjoined the bagatelle room. On Tuesday 11 June PC Haynes showed her money and there were 2 sovereigns and 5 halves in gold among it. It was new looking money like hers and there were another 2 shillings and 5d in copper. She had the least doubt the man she met on the stairs was the prisoner. He was the only regular customer to go to the bagatelle room. George Palmer: he was a blocker and lived at 49 Windsor Street, Luton. He went to the Coopers Arms in Bute Street on 11 June about 11am. He went into the bagatelle room and left between 12 noon and 1pm. He was only gone a few minutes and when he was going upstairs again he met Felks on the landing coming down. Felks said to him ‘I think I’m wrong’. Palmer made no answer to him and went into the bagatelle room and closed the door. Felks was not there when he had left the room to go downstairs. He stayed in the room until 2pm. Felks was not in the room at all whilst he was there. He saw the prisoner again at the station on Thursday. He was sure he was the man he had met on the landing as he had known him a month or two. He did not see any bedroom doors open when he went down at 2pm. He did see a bedroom door open when he met the prisoner. It was the room adjoining the bagatelle room. Thomas Bunce: he was apprentice to Mr George Strange, a draper at Luton. He was serving in Mr Strange’s shop in Market Hill about 9am on 11 June. The prisoner came in and asked to look at a waistcoat, a scarf and a white pocket handkerchief. He asked the prisoner if he would have some trousers and the prisoner put 2 shillings on them and laid them by. The prisoner paid him 9s 5d for the things and paid with a sovereign and was given change. He did not know whether he gave the prisoner any gold in his change. The prisoner put on the waistcoat and left his old one behind. PC James Haynes: he went in search of the prisoner on Tuesday 11 June and found him in High Town Road. He took the prisoner to the Painters Arms public house and told him he was suspected of stealing £6 in gold form the Coopers Arms. The prisoner said he had £1 or £2 in his pocket. He searched the prisoner and found 2 shillings in his waistcoat pocket and a purse containing 2 sovereigns and 5 half sovereigns in his right hand trouser pocket. There was 5d in the other trouser pocket. The prisoner said it was the money had worked hard for from his brother. He took the prisoner to the police station and charged him. The prisoner denied the charge. The prisoner had been tipsy when he first took him. Hannah Davis saw the prisoner on Wednesday and identified him as the man on the stairs. She said so when he was drunk on Tuesday but said she would rather see him when he was sober. Statement of the accused: he was not guilty.

item

Felks, Asher,
Davis, Hannah,
Palmer, George,
Bunce, Thomas,
Haynes, James,
Strange, George

LUTON, Luton Bute Street, Luton Market Hill, stealing, money, Luton Coopers Arms, Luton Painters Arms, apprenticeship, draper, servant, blocker, quoits, bagatelle