QSR1867/4/5/8

Depositions of Edmund Swain, gunsmith of Luton. George Hyde, grocer's son of Luton. Benjamin Bowers, publican's son of Luton. Lucy Lines, publican's wife of Luton. Louis Lines, publican of Luton. David Jaquest, police constable of Luton. In the case of Reuben Welch accused of stealing a double barrelled gun, the value of £4.

9 September 1867

From: 1867 To: 1867

Edmund Swain: he lived at no.4 Peel Street, Luton. On 3 September about 3.30pm the prisoner came to his shop and asked for a half penny of gun caps. He told him he did not sell them and then he left the shop and went into the kitchen. He thought the prisoner had left the shop. He heard footsteps in the passage and so he ran into the shop and saw the prisoner going out of the door with a gun in his hand. The prisoner went towards Alma Street and he followed him some distance and then took to running. The prisoner ran away from him. The information was given to the police. On 4 September PC Jaquest showed him the double barrelled gun produced. It was his property and worth £4. He went to the police station and saw the prisoner. The prisoner was the man who took the gun. George Hyde: he was 15 years old and his father was a grocer and he would help him. On 3 September he was going up Peel Street and saw the prisoner go into Mr Swain’s shop. The prisoner was only there a few minutes. Mr Swain came out and asked if he had seen a man with a gun. He told Mr Swain the man was going towards Alma Street and Swain went after him. He went a little way but did not see what had become of the prisoner. He went to the police station and identified the prisoner as the man who had come out of Mr Swain’s shop with the gun. Benjamin Bower: his father kept the Rifle Canteen in Peel Street. He was 13 years old. Mr Swain’s shop was 3 doors from his house. He was in Peel Street on the afternoon of 3 September and saw the prisoner there. He saw the prisoner go into Mr Swain’s shop but he was not there long and came out again. The prisoner had a double barrelled gun in his hand. Mr Swain came out after him. George Hyde was also there. Mr Swain asked if they had seen which way the prisoner had gone and Mr Swain went after him. They went too but lost him. He was sure the prisoner was the man who had the gun. He saw the prisoner at the police station. Lucy Lines: she was the wife of Louis Line’s keeper of the Sportman public house at Stopsley. The prisoner came to the house about 4.30pm on 3 September. She did not see that he had anything with him when he came. The prisoner until he was taken into custody by the police. Louis Lines: he was the keeper of the Sportman public house at Stopsley. The prisoner was at the house on 3 September when he came home from work at about 5pm. The prisoner stayed until he was taken into custody about 8.30pm. The next morning he went into the hay loft and found the double barrelled gun there. He gave it up to the police constable. PC David Jaquest: from information received he went to the Sportsman public house on 4 September. Louis Lines, the landlord, gave him a double barrelled gun. He showed it to Swain who identified it as the gun he had lost. The prisoner was in custody on another charge. He went to the police station and charged him with stealing a double barrel gun, the property of Mr Swain. The prisoner said he knew nothing about it and he had not gone further than Harry Allen’s that day. Statement of the accused: nothing.

item

Welch, Reuben,
Swain, Edmund,
Hyde, George,
Bowers, Benjamin,
Lines, Louis,
Lines, Lucy,
Jaquest, David

LUTON, stealing, guns, grocer, publican, gunsmith, Stopsley Sportsman, Luton Peel Street