QSR1868/2/5/1b

Depositions of Frederick Smith, police constable of Luton. William Stansfield, engine driver of Luton. John Wren, foreman to railway contractors of Luton. George Farren, engine fitter of Luton. William Henry Cammell, engineer of Luton. William John Taylor, hammerman of Luton. In the case of Henry Cripps accused of stealing 13 spanners, a lamp, a wratchell and other articles, together the value of £3.

23 March 1868

From: 1868 To: 1868

PC Frederick Smith: he went to the prisoner’s lodging on 9 March with Mr Cammell. He there found a locked box. Cammell broke it open and among the things they found 13 spanners, a hammer head, a wratchett and a lamp. He afterwards charged the prisoner with stealing the articles from Brassey and Ballard. The prisoner said they were his and he defied anyone to touch them. He also charged the prisoner with stealing the box. William Stansfield: he was an engine driver at Luton. 12 of the spanners, the wratchett and the hammer head he recognised as the property of Messrs Thomas Brassey and Stephen Ballard. He left some of them on his engine. He did not miss them until he was shown them by the police constable of 9 March. He knew the prisoner Cripps and he had been working with Cammell making repairs to the engine. The tools had been on the box in the engine when he went away in December. John Wren: he was foreman to Brassey and Ballard and lived at Luton. Cammell was employed in repairing the engine of the contractors at the Midland Railway Station from October to the end of December. They had the use of spanner and other tools for the repairs. Cripps the prisoner worked there at the time. The lamp, the box and the lock on it were on the premises at the end of December/beginning of January. When Cammell had done the work the tools should have been given up to him. None of those produced were given up and he did not miss them until he was shown them. They were worth £3. George Farren: he was an engine fitter and worked for Cammell. He had been at work on the contractor’s engine on the Midland line for more than 12 months. He had used Brassey and Ballards spanners in the work. The spanners produced belonged to the 3 engines except for 2. The carpenters at the Midland made the box for Cripps to keep the tools in the shed. The tools had nothing to do with Cripps. He had missed some in November and they belonged to an engine from Birkenhead. The other belonged to an engine called “Stoney Way”. He did not miss the others until shown them. He had tools at Cammell and returned them when he had done with them. William Henry Cammell: he was an engineer at Luton. The prisoner was in his employment from 26 October to 5 March. The prisoner had worked for him at Brassey & Ballards, at the Midland Railway, from October to the end of December. He had the use of all the spanners and tool of the engines for the repairs. The tools were used at the shed and sometimes, when any part of the engines were taken to his shop, the tools would also be taken. Cripps never had any Brassey & Ballard work to do anywhere except for the Railway shed or at his shop. Except for the hammer there was no tool that could be used for putting a bottom to a brewers copper. The prisoner had no right to have any of the tools in his hand once he had left. The prisoner should gave handed over tools on his discharge. He was certain all the tools were Brassey & Ballard’s, as were the box and lock. In the beginning of January the box was brought to his shed to sort his tools from Brassey & Ballards. Taylor and Cripps were there. He told Taylor to take all the tools out of the box and put the tools loose in the barrow and to put any tools belonging to Brassey & Ballard in the box and deliver then to Wren. He thought this was done. He went with Smith to Cripps lodgings on 9 March and there saw the box and broke it open. They found tools in it. The tools there were not any he sent back. William John Taylor: he was a hammerman at Luton. At the beginning of January He, Cripps and Cammell were in the smith’s shop. Cammell told him to take all the things he could find belonging to Brassey & Ballard to Mr Wren. The box was one of them. Cripps said in Cammell’s presence that the box was his. He did not hear Cammell reply. He thought Cammell might not have heard Cripps. He took the box in the barrow and they were some bolts in the box. He wheeled the barrow down to the turning leading to Wren’s office and laid all the loose thing on the grass. Crisps wheeled the barrow with the box in it to his house. He helped Cripps carry it in. The spanners were not in it. There were bolts in the box. Statement of the accused: nothing,

item

Cripps, Henry,
Cammell, William Henry,
Farren, George,
Taylor, William John,
Smith, Frederick,
Stansfield, William,
Wren, John

LUTON, stealing, tools, engineers, engine driver, railway contractor, blockmaker, ironmongers, Midland Railway Company