QSR1868/3/5/3

Depositions of James Alexander Neill, warehouseman of Dunstable. James Oliver, commercial traveller of Ivor and his wife Mary. Benjamin George, superintendent of police of Dunstable. In the case of John Henry Wood Coates, alias J Thompson, accused of an inverness cape by false pretences.

20 April 1868

From: 1868 To: 1868

James Alexander Neill: he was warehouseman and lived in Dunstable. On 11 August 1866 he saw the prisoner in Wellington Terrace at the residence of Mr Oliver, who lived next door to him. Mrs Oliver came to him and enquired respecting the trains. The prisoner stated, in his presence, that he had lost a pocketbook containing Bank of England notes and money. He accompanied the prisoner to Superintendent George and afterwards to the Great Northern station to telegraph Hatfield as he might have lost the book on Hatfield platform. On returning they called at the Saracens Head and in the course of conversation the prisoner stated Mr Oliver travelled for his father. To the best of his belief he stated that his father’s firm was Thompson Brothers of Leeds. The prisoner also said he had an uncle living near Bedford named Dr Vincent. In consequence of what the prisoner having stated he had lost his pocket book and had no money and that Mr Oliver travelled for his father, he lent the prisoner 20 shillings. The prisoner said he had to meet Mr Oliver at Preston. The prisoner gave him an I.O.U. The prisoner did not ask him to lend him any money. James Oliver: he was a traveller for the firm of Frederick Wells and Company at Kettering. In August 1866 he was living in Dunstable. He met the prisoner in the month of June 1866 at the Temperance Hotel, Preston in Lancashire. He had been staying there the night, as had the prisoner, who had been a stranger to him. He had a conversation with the prisoner and the prisoner represented himself as being in the business on his own account. The prisoner said he was in the cloth trade and had £1400 left to him and he had commenced business on this capital. The prisoner stated he knew Dr Vincent of Ampthill. He never promised to meet the prisoner at any place. He did not know any firm of the name of Thompson Brothers of Leeds. He did not know the prisoner’s father and he had never travelled for the prisoner’s father. He received a letter at Stoke on Trent but did not know who it was from as it was signed “J. Thompson”. The prisoner had given him a card bearing the name “J.C.Coates, De Grey Terrace, Leeds”. He returned the letter to his wife. Superintendent Benjamin George: on 11 August the prisoner came to him in the company of Mr Neill. The prisoner reported he had lost his pocket book containing 2 Bank of England notes and 4 sovereigns. At the prisoners request and by his direction the loss was cried in the usual way. On 15th April 1868 he apprehended the prisoner on a warrant upon his discharge from Beverley Gaol. The warrant charged him with obtaining an Inverness coat or cape from Mrs Oliver by false pretences. As he was conveying the prisoner to Dunstable the prisoner asked if the punishment would be very heavy. Mary Oliver: she was the wife of James Oliver and lived with him in Dunstable in August 1866. On 11 August she saw the prisoner at Church Street Railway Station in Dunstable. The prisoner was with her niece and he spoke to her and said he had come expressly to see her husband. He told her Mr Oliver had promised to meet him at Dunstable on that day and she replied she was surprised as she did not expect Mr Oliver that day. She asked him what business he was in and he replied he was in the cloth trade and that Mr Oliver travelled for his father. He said his father’s house of business was in Tarleton Street, Liverpool and they also had a house in Lime Street. She asked him if he had taken tea and as he had not she took him to her house and gave him some. He wrote a letter to Mr Oliver from her house. After tea she went with him to the London and North Western station and as she was returning the prisoner overtook her and said he had left his pocket book at her house. She told him she thought he was mistaken and asked if it contained anything of value. The prisoner said it contained some notes and some business letters. She told him to go to her house ahead of her and on arriving she found him by the door. He said he had not found his pocket book and thought he may have lost it coming down from Church Street Station. The prisoner had the loss cried. From the statement he had made to her she allowed him to sleep at her house. In the morning the prisoner came down and said it was very cold and expressed sorrow that he had not brought his overcoat. There was an Inverness cape hanging in the passage and she offered to lend it to him. The prisoner accepted the loan and promised to return it the following Tuesday morning. He did not return the coat. She had not seen the prisoner since. The prisoner had been a perfect stranger to her. She considered the cape worth 15 shillings. On the Tuesday she received a letter from Mr Oliver enclosing the letter the prisoner had written to him. On searching her house she missed a gold ring and 2 handkerchiefs. She had seen them in her room on the Saturday morning previous to the prisoner calling. Statement of the accused: he reserved his defence.

item

Coates, John Henry Wood,
Neill, James Alexander,
Oliver, James,
George, Benjamin,
Oliver, Mary

DUNSTABLE, Dunstable Wellington Terrace, Dunstable Saracens Head, false pretences, commercial traveller, warehouseman, coat, stations, town criers