QSR1868/3/5/1b,2

Depositions of Charles Taylor, labourer of Luton. Jesse Carver, police constable of Luton. Harry Allen, beerhouse keeper of Luton. George Fansom, labourer of Luton. Roderick Donald Fraser, pawnbroker of Luton. George James, inspector of police of Luton. In the case of Charles King accused of stealing a waistcoat and Edward Kitchener accused of receiving the said waistcoat knowing it to be stolen.

13 April 1868

From: 1868 To: 1868

Charles Taylor: he was 12 years old and a labourer. On Thursday 9 April he was against Mr Beecroft’s shop in Bute Street about 6.30pm. He saw the prisoner, King, stand against Mr Butcher’s the pawnbrokers door. There were some clothes hanging outside and he saw King jump up and snatch something off a nail and put it under his coat. King ran off down John Street. He told PC Carver and he had Carver went after King and found him at the Lord Nelson beer house in Duke Street. He had known the prisoner by sight. PC Jesse Carver: he was in duty in George Street about 6.30pm on 9 April and from something told to him by the witness Taylor he went with him to the Lord Nelson beer house. He found the prisoner King in the taproom with a number of other people. Kitchener was there and so was George Fensom. He told King he wished to speak to him and King came out of the tap room and was identified by Taylor as the man he had seen. He told King about the loss of the waistcoat in Bute Street and that he was suspected of stealing it. King said he had not been away from the house. He searched King but found nothing. He then searched Kitchener who said he knew nothing about it. He searched George Fensom and found the waistcoat after unbuttoning Fensom’s trousers. King went away whilst he was searching Fensom. Fensom said he had been given the waistcoat by Ned Kitchener to hold and he had been told to put it under his smock and that was all he knew. Kitchener was there and said he had given the waistcoat to Fensom and had given King half a crown for the waistcoat. He charged Fensom with receiving goods knowing them to be stolen. On the way to the station Fensom said “The reason I did it I did not want to see my mates get into any bother about it”. It was quarter of a mile from Bute Street to Duke Street. He showed the waistcoat to Mr Frazer and he identified it as Mr Butcher’s. The prisoner, King, was in custody on another charge the same day. Henry Allen: he was the keeper of the Lord Nelson beer house in Duke Street. The prisoner King came to his house about 6.30pm on 9 April and called Edward Kitchener out of the tap room. King said to Kitchener that he had 2 or 3 score of odd plait if he wanted to buy it and Kitchener to King to bring it to him. King said no and told Kitchener to come into the back yard. In the yard he saw King pull out a waistcoat from his pocket and he heard Kitchener say “what do you want for it” King said 3s and Kitchener offered half a crown. He saw Kitchener come in with the waistcoat under his arm. PC Carver came in 10 or 15 minutes later and took the waistcoat away with him. He saw the PC find the waistcoat on Fensom, he did not see Kitchener pay for the waistcoat. George Fensom: he was a labourer at Luton and on 9 April he went to the Lord Nelson beer house. He went into the tap room and saw the prisoner, Kitchener, and several others playing shove halfpenny. He stood at the corner of the table to see them play. PC Carver came in and stood between the 2 doors. While the policeman was there Kitchener said “Here Fenny hold this waistcoat for me put it under your slop or somewhere out of sight”. He hid it between his trousers and waistcoat. Carver came into the taproom and searched King and then him and found the waistcoat. He told the PC Kitchener had given it to him. He was taken into custody and went with the policeman to the pawnbroker and then saw the ticket on the waistcoat. Roderick Donald Frazer: he was a pawnbroker with Joseph Butcher and together they had a shop in Bute Street. On 9 April, from what he was told by Carver, he went out and found a waistcoat had gone from a nail at the shop door. The same evening he was shown the waistcoat and identified it as the one lost. The ticket was still on the waistcoat. The waistcoat was worth 10s 6d and part of the string from which it had hung was still on it. Inspector George James: he was at the police station at Luton on 9 April when Fensom was brought there. Kitchener came down with Fensom and said “I’ve come down I wanted to see you about this waistcoat I’m sorry your man has took Fensom he knows nothing at all about it I brought the waistcoat off young King and gave him half a crown for it. I merely gave it to Fensom to hold for me till I had a game at shove halfpenny and whilst Femsom had hold of it the policeman came in”. Kitchener said he had not known the waistcoat was stolen. On 13 April he took Kitchener into custody and charged him with receiving the waistcoat knowing it to be stolen. Statement of the accused: Charles King – nothing Edward Kitchener – he had nothing to say only that he had bought the waistcoat in public company.

item

King, Charles,
Taylor, Charles,
Allen, Henry,
Fensom, George,
Fraser, Roderick Donald,
James, George

LUTON, Luton Bute Street, stealing, waistcoat, pawnbroker, beerhouse keeper