QSR1868/2/5/1a

Depositions of William Henry Cammell, engineer of Luton. George Farren, engine fitter of Luton. John Barrett, blockmaker. William John Taylor, hammerman of Luton. John Frederick Hawkins, ironmonger's assistant of Luton. Emily Barrett, wife of John Barrett of Luton. Frederick Smith, police constable of Luton. In the case of Henry Cripps accused of stealing 9 bowls, 3 chisels, a beer tap and other articles.

23 March 1868

From: 1868 To: 1868

William Henry Cammell: he was an engineer at Luton. He had a workshop in York Street, High Town. The prisoner was in his employment from October 1867 until 5 March 1868. He had some bolts, drill and chisels in his workshops and several dozen brass taps. On 9 March he obtained a search warrant against the prisoner for his apprehension. The prisoner was taken into custody. He went with PC Smith to 9 March to the prisoner’s lodging. They found 9 bolts, 3 chisels, a drill, a beer tap exchanged for one of his, and 3 pieces of copper. The things were all in the shop when the prisoner was in his employment. When they went to the prisoner’s lodging there was a brass tap in the boiler that was his. The taps were made by Messrs Udell of Birmingham to his order. The bolts were forged by a man names Gilpin whilst in his employment. The whole of the articles were worth £1. On 2 March he went to Mr Gibbs and there saw a brass tap. He said to the prisoner that he had suspicion that he had been going to Mr Gibbs shop and exchanging one of his taps for a beer tap. The prisoner said he had not been going to Mr Gibbs and Cammell said he had no proof but would find out what happened. On the following Thursday he said to the prisoner that he was thoroughly convinced he had been the man that took the brass tap and exchanged it at Mr Gibb’s shop. The prisoner turned around and said “you gave me permission to have anything I liked”. He said he had not and discharged the prisoner. The prisoner was at work at Mr Andrew’s at Kings Walden in February. His duty was to return tools and unused goods to the shop. The copper was part of what had been there. The job finished on 15 February. The prisoner had been with him 6 or 7 months and the tools were found in a box in the prisoner’s house. He sold Cripps a wooden tap not a brass one. He had never received nor stopped 4s for the tap. He had not stopped 3 shillings for the smaller tap. He owed the prisoner 10 shillings. If the shop was closed on the Saturday night the scraps and tools were taken to the men’s houses and should be returned on the Monday morning. George Farren: the 9 bolts produced were Mr Cammell’s. The drill, chisels and caulking tool were also Mr Cammell’s he knew them from using them at his shop. The taps were like those in Mr Cammell’s shop. He had used bolts of that make at Mr Cammell’s for the past 15 months. John Barrett: he was a blockmaker at No.1 Church Crescent, Luton. The prisoner had rooms in his house. Sometime in February he complained of a tap in his boiler leaking. He said he would put another in. The small brass tap produced was the tap. He knew it by it being filed off to fit the boiler. The prisoner stopped 2 shillings out of his rent for his share of the expense. William John Taylor: he was a hammerman at Luton. He was in Mr Cammell’s employment and was working with the prisoner at Brachewood Green, Kings Walden repairing a Brewing Copper. The 3 pieces of copper were the pieces he cut off the patch that they put on the copper. The other pieces went back to the shop. There were Mr Cammell’s. The caulking tool was used on the job. He did not now if it was Mr Cammells’. The shop was shut on the Saturday night when they got back and Cripps took the tools and scrap copper to his own home. There was a deal more scrap that produced. The rest of the scrap cooper and the tools were on his master’s premises when he got back on the Monday morning. John Frederick Hawkins: he was the assistant to Mr Gibb’s of Luton, an ironmonger. On Saturday 29 February the prisoner came to the shop and produced a brass tap similar to the larger taps now produced, The taps were totally different to any in the shop. The spanner was of a different make. The prisoner said they had sent a boy in on Monday for a beer tap and had been sent that. He told the prisoner the tap had not come from there and he had better take it to Barrett or Gates as they might exchange it. The prisoner said he did not care to run all over town as they had all their things from there. He asked the mans name and was told Samms of Caddington. He told the prisoner he would change it. He mentioned it to Cammell on the Monday morning and he left the tap in the shop. Emily Barrett: she was the wife of John Barrett. The prisoner had furnished rooms at her house and the box was one the prisoner had brought to the house in January. It was in the back kitchen. The prisoner used the box when at her house. One of Cammell’s men had helped him bring it. PC Smith took the box from her house. The prisoner kept his tools in the box. She had complained of the tools being untidy. PC Frederick Smith: he took the prisoner into custody on a warrant on 9 March, he went to the prisoner’s lodging and found a box in the back kitchen. It was locked. Mr Cammell was with him and he broke it open and found 3 pieces of copper, a drill, 3 chisels, 9 bolts and a punch. He went again on the following Wednesday and found a small tap fixed in a boiler. He produced the large brass tap which eh had from Mr Gibbs. On 9 March the prisoner was charged and said all the items found were his. On 16 March he charged the prisoner with stealing the small tap. Statement of the accused: nothing.

item

Cripps, Henry,
Cammell, William Henry,
Farren, George,
Barrett, John,
Taylor, William John,
Hawkins, John Frederick,
Barrett, Emily,
Barrett, John,
Smith, Frederick

LUTON, Luton York Street, stealing, tools, engineers, blockmaker, ironmongers