QSR1868/3/5/9

Depositions of John White, cattle dealer of Luton. Henry Evans, hostler of Luton. Thomas Roberts, labourer of Higham Gobion. Joseph Peddar, labourer of Silsoe. Henry Bailey, police constable stationed at Clophill. In the case of Richard Whitbread, late of Higham Gobion, accused of stealing a black cloth coat, a silk pocket handkerchief and a book.

24 June 1868

From: 1868 To: 1868

John White: he is a cattle dealer and lived at Silsoe. The prisoner was a stranger to him. On 23 June, about 9am, he was in a field he occupied which adjoined the high road in the parish of Higham Gobion. He had occasion to take off his coat and lay it on the ground. He had a check book, a pocket book and a silk handkerchief in the coat pocket. The coat, handkerchief and check book produced were his property. He found the pocket book on the ground covered with another coat. He missed his coat when he returned to it about half an hour later. He got on his horse and went to Silsoe as he heard a man had gone in that direction. He saw the coat produced by PC bailey at the police station. It was valued at 17 shillings. The silk handkerchief was worth a shilling and the check book worth 2 shillings. Silsoe was about 2 miles from his field and he saw no one on the road when he was going to Silsoe. Henry Evans: he was 16 years old and a hostler. On 23 June he was in Silsoe Road. He saw a man coming out of the wheat field and into the road in the direction of Silsoe. When he first saw the man he was in the field walking by the side of the hedge. The man was a dozen yards from the gate. There is no footpath in the field. The prisoner was the man he saw and he afterwards pointed him out to PC Bailey. When he saw the prisoner he had a parcel over his arm which was wrapped in a spotted handkerchief. Thomas Roberts: he lived in Higham Gobion and was a labourer. On 23 June he was coming along the Silsoe road from the direction of Silsoe and saw a man approaching Silsoe from the direction of Mr White’s field. The man had something over his shoulder and he saw him wrap it up in his smock. The prisoner was the man he saw and he was about 100 yards from the man when he wrapped something in his smock. He saw no one on the road but the prisoner. Joseph Pedder: he was in the employment of the prosecutor and was 14 years of age. On 23 June he was told that a man was seen coming out of the wheat field and heard his master had lost his coat. He went to the wheat field and there picked up the coat between the hedge and the wheat. It was 30 yards from the gate. He gave the coat to PC Bailey. PC Henry Bailey: on 23 June he received information that a coat and check book had been lost from a field in Higham Gobion. He commenced searching the field. Whilst doing so the witness Evans told him he had seen a man coming out of the wheat field with the coat and he gave it up to him. The check book and handkerchief were in the coats pocket. He went to Silsoe and found the prisoner at the Star and Garter. The prisoner was pointed out to him by Evans. He asked the prisoner where he had come from that evening and the prisoner replied from Barton and that he was going to St Neots. He took the prisoner into custody ad told him the charge. The prisoner said he had not seen the coat. The prisoner later said he had started from Barton in the morning. The prosecutor identified all the items as his. Statement of the accused: he had never seen it until shown it at the public house and “I wish I may die if I did”.

item

Whitbread, Richard,
White, John,
Evans, Henry,
Roberts, Thomas,
Peddar, Joseph,
Bailey, Henry

SILSOE, Silsoe Star & Garter, HIGHAM GOBION, stealing, coats, handkerchiefs, book, cattle dealer, hostler