QSR1899/3/5/1

The Examination of Alfred Payne of Sharnbrook in the County of Bedford, Blacksmith, Thomas Knowlton of Hinwick in the said County, Beerhouse Keeper. John Godman of Podington in the said County, Police Constable taken on Oath this 7th day of April in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Ninety nine at the Court House at Sharnbrook in the County aforesaid, before the undersigned, two of her Majesty’s Justice of the Peace for the said County in the presence and hearing of John Swannell who is charged this day, before the court for that he said John Swannell on the 29th day of March One Thousand Eight Hundred and Ninety nine at Sharnbrook in the said county did feloniously steal take and ride away a certain Bicycle of the value of Three pounds the property of Alfred Payne of Sharnbrook aforesaid, Blacksmith contrary to the Statue.

7th April 1899

From: 1899 To: 1899

This Deponent Alfred Payne on his Oath saith as follows I am a Blacksmith and live at Sharnbrook. On Wednesday March 29th about twenty minutes past two in the afternoon the Defendant came to my shop and asked if I could let him a Bicycle for about 3 hours to go to Harrold to see his brother and I let him a machine and he rode it away. I heard no more about it until PC Goodman came to my house the same night about 10.20 p m and made a communication to me. I did not see the bicycle again until the next morning when P C Godman showed it to me at Sharnbrook Police Station. The Bicycle now shown me is the one the Defendant had from me and I value it at £3. I knew Defendant had a Brother at Harrold. [Cross examined] I have known Defendant all his life and that his father used to live at Radwell. The Defendant told me he had come from Rushden. If the Defendant had brought the bicycle home that night I should have been satisfied. The said Thomas Knowlton on his oath saith I am a Beerhouse Keeper and live at Hinwick. On Wednesday the 29th March I arrived home about 6 pm and found the Defendant there waiting to see me. He owed me some money /45/- and I asked him if he had come to pay and he replied “No” He said “I have bought you this Bicycle and if I don’t bring the money tomorrow morning you can sell it” He said “The bicycle is worth £3 and you can sell it. I told him I did not want it. He told me the Bicycle belonged to his Brother at Radwell – In consequence of what I heard at Rushden about the Defendant. I sent for PC Godman and while my messenger was gone Defendant ran off towards Harrold leaving the machine with me. The Bicycle now produced is the one Defendant brought to me and has taken away by PC Godman. [Cross Examined] I know who Defendant was and have known his father for 9 or 10 years. I had heard Deft. lived at Rushden. I had lent him 45/- on a Friday some weeks before: he came to me on a Bicycle that day, which he left with me. I lent him the money without security he promised to come back next day to pay me& fetch the Bicycle. He came on the Monday week but did not pay me. He took the Bicycle away and left another one which I had when he came on the 29th. I hes not keeping this machine by way of pledge. I thought Defendant would pay me the 45/- back. On the 29th the Defendant said “I will leave this (Paynes) Bicycle and take the other away” and when I got Paynes I told him he should have neither and I prevented him taking it away – The Constable came about 5 minutes after Defendant had gone – Defendant was running as hard as he could. The said John Godman on his Oath saith: I am a Police Constable stationed at Podington. On Wednesday March 29th about 6. 30 pm I went to the House of the last witness at Hinwick and found 2 bicycles the one produced and another. I got a description of Defendant and went on my bicycle in search of him I overtook him near Harrold he was riding in a van – On seeing me he jumped out of the back of the Van and I stopped him - I questioned him about the Bicycle he had left at Hinwick. He told me one belonged to his brother at Radwell and the other to a man at Rushden – I then took him with me to Hinwick – on the way there, about Dungee Corner, as I was pushing my machine with one hand and leading Defendant with the other, he got away from me and ran into the Wood - I followed and overtook him and told him I should detain him on suspicion of having stolen the Bicycles – I then brought him to Sharnbrook and when near Sharnbrook the Defendant said, after being contained “ I admit nothing the one from Sharnbrook , I got into difficulties over a money matter at Rushden and I done this to try and square it” On the 30th I went to Hinwick and took possession of the Bicycle now produced. Statement of Accused: “I plead not guilty”

6 pages

item

Payne, Alfred,
Knowlton, Thomas,
Godman, John,
Swannell, John

SHARNBROOK, HARROLD, Hinwick, Radwell, Rushden, PODINGTON, blacksmith, beerhouse keeper, police constable, bicycles, felony, stealing