QSR1868/1/5/7

Depositions of James Hopkins, butcher of Leighton Buzzard. John Croxford, journeyman butcher of Leighton Buzzard. Robert Gilbert, reporter to a newpaper of Leighton Buzzard. William Knight Clough, superintendent of police for the Leighton Buzzard division. In the case of Emma Stone, wife of William, accused of stealing 2 pieces of beef.

12 November 1867

From: 1867 To: 1868

James Hopkins: a butcher who lived in Leighton as did Emma Stone, who was a married woman and a customer of his. On 25 October between 10am and 11am Emma Stone came to his shop and had some suet. His man served her. Soon after she had gone he missed a piece of beef from the board in his shop. 1 or 2 people had been in the shop after the prisoner and before he missed the beef. There was 2lbs of beef and it was his property. It was a brisket. In the evening he was advised by John Croxford that the prisoner had been at the shop. He had not seen her. He sent for the police. The prisoner was taken into custody and the Superintendent of Police showed him 3 pieces of beef and he identified 2 of them. The meat had been fresh when taken but had since been put in salt. One piece had been very recently salted and the salt on the other had not yet melted. He swore to both pieces. [cross examination] there were 2 assistants in the shop in the morning. Croxford went out when the prisoner was there. The small piece of meat he had seen 2 minutes before the prisoner came in. There may have been 100 pieces of beef in the shop. He had before suspected the prisoner. John Croxford: he was in the employment of the prosecutor and lived in Leighton. He knew the prisoner well and she often came to the shop. On 25 October the prisoner came to the shop. He hid himself in the counting house as he knew the prisoner was a thief. He saw her going out of the shop and he missed a piece of beef from the board in the shop. He had seen the beef when he went into the counting house. There was a space where the beef had been. No one came into the shop between the prisoner leaving and him missing the beef. He informed his master. He later saw some pieces of meat in the possession of the Superintendent. The prisoner had stood close to the board in the shop. He was sure the longer piece of beef was that he missed from his master’s shop. [cross examination] he saw the prisoner come into the shop. He did not see her take the meat. It was dusk. He lost sight of the prisoner for 2 or 3 minutes. He could not see if she had anything in her hand when she left. He did not speak to her. The meat had since been salted. There was no other piece in the shop similar to the large piece and he had cut the small piece from the larger that morning. He had cut up all the brisket and taken the bone out. Not many butchers would take it out. When the prisoner left the shop she went towards her own home. Robert Gilbert: he lived at Leighton and was a reporter on the newspaper. On the evening of 25 October between 5pm and 6pm he passed the prisoner and he entered into conversation with her. He saw her go up towards her house. He did not notice anything under her shawl. Superintendent William Clough: on the 25 October about 6pm he heard Mr Hopkins had lost 2 pieces of the brisket of beef. He went to the prisoner’s house about 10 minutes later and followed her in. He told her Hopkins had lost some meat and she replied she had not been there since the morning. He found nothing about her person and he told her he must look in the cupboard. She said there was some beef in there which she had bought. He went to the cupboard and saw 3 pieces of beef. He took it to Hopkins and he identified 2 of the pieces as his. The meat had recently been salted. He took the prisoner into custody on the charge of stealing the beef. The prisoner said she had bought it from a man in the street but she did not know his name, but she had often seen him in the market and had bought meat from him before. He had not cautioned the prisoner before he said anything to her and did ask her if her niece was home. He did not ask what shops she had been to that day and have never heard Paines name mentioned. He did not ask her what meat she had at home. The prisoner did not say she had bought it from an out of town butcher. There were butcher who came into the market on a Tuesday. Statement of the accused: she bought it from an out of town butcher.

item

Stone, Emma,
Stone, William,
Hopkins, James,
Croxford, John,
Gilbert, Robert,
Clough, William Knight

LEIGHTON BUZZARD, stealing, beef, butcher, reporter