QSR1897/2/5/6

Depositions of John Smith, shepherd of Sharnbrook, Ebenezer Matthews, police constable of Sharnbrook and Arthur Greenwood, detective sergeant of Bedford. In the case of Thomas Blackwell and William Ernest Hassan, accused of stealing a quantity of sheep food and 2 sacks.

12 March 1897

From: 1897 To: 1897

John Smith: a shepherd living in Sharnbrook. On Thursday 25th February about 5pm he left 3 sacks and 3 half sacks full of chaff he uses for the sheep in Lane’s End field about 100 yards from the Bedford to Rushden road. The following Friday about 7am he saw the sacks had been disturbed and that something had been dragged across the field. He also found a full sack missing and one half sack missing. He then informed his master. Between 12pm and 1pm, he showed a detective inspector and police constable Matthews the tracks. The following Sunday, police constable Matthews measured the footprints and found they corresponded with the boots belonging to the prisoner. Ebenezer Matthews: police constable stationed at Sharnbrook. On Friday 26th about 10am on information received he went to the field where the sacks had been stolen. He examined the ground and found a track made by a sack having been dragged along. The tracks led to a gap in the hedge on the Bedford to Rushden road. He also found some small footprints leading in the same direction as the tracks. Beside the gap in the hedge he found a cartwheel and hoof prints which led off to Bedford. He subsequently went to Bedford along with detective Greenwood. About 8pm they visited some stable at the back of the Bedford Arms beer house. They found the stables occupied by both prisoners. He questioned to whereabouts of the prisoners on the day the sacks went missing. He also found 2 sacks in possession of the prisoners and examined the contents which matched the samples given to him by John Smith. The prisoners explained that they were given the sacks by a labouring man on they journey home. He then charged the prisoners with stealing the sacks and their contents. He took the prisoner Hassan’s boots to the field and found that they correlated to the footprints found. Arthur Greenwood: detective inspector operating in Bedford. On Friday 26th February he was informed by police constable Matthews of the theft of the sacks from Sharnbrook. He when with Matthews to the stables at the back of the Bedford Arms beer house and therein found the prisoners. In response to questions asked the prisoner Blackwell explained that he went to Rushden on Thursday morning and returned to Bedford about 9pm with the prisoner Hassan. At the crossroads in Sharnbrook they came across a labouring man in a field who provided them with 2 sacks. The prisoner Hassan explained they he was with the prisoner Blackwell in a field at Sharnbrook Thursday morning. Hassan stated that Blackwell had said they should go and get some chaff. The prisoners went together to fetch the sacks, Blackwell took the full sack and Hassan took the half sack. Blackwell loaded the sacks onto his cart and drove to Bedford. He compared the contents of the sacks with samples provided by police constable Matthews and found they corresponded. [Cross-Examined] The prisoner Blackwell explained that he had attained the sacks from a labourer. Thomas Blackwell: Guilty William Ernest Hassan: Guilty

item

Smith, John,
Matthews, Ebenezer,
Greenwood, Arthur,
Blackwell, Thomas,
Hassan, William Ernest

SHARNBROOK, BEDFORD, stealing, sack, police constable, detective, shepherd, chaff