QSR1869/1/5/25-26

Depositions of Elizabeth Fowler, singlewoman of Heath and Reach. Thomas Guess, labourer of Great Brickhill. John Stone, labourer of Heath & Reach. Edwin Scraggs, greengrocer of Leighton Buzzard. William Fowler, police constable stationed at Heath & Reach. In the case of Alfred Sinfield and Thomas Adams accused of stealing a purse containing a shilling and a penny and a pair of ear drops from the person of Elizabeth Fowler.

29 December 1868

From: 1868 To: 1869

Elizabeth Fowler: she was a single woman lived in Heath & Reach and knew neither of the prisoners. On 21 December about 8pm she was walking alone between Leighton and Heath & Reach. She had just passed a place called Adams Bottom and was about ¾ of a mile from Leighton. It was a moonlit night. She saw 2 men by the side of the road. She noticed one man had something under his arm. One of the men grabbed her around the neck and asked what money she had. She told him she had a penny in her purse. She gave him the purse which contained a shilling, a penny and halfpenny and some eardrops. The men went off and she ran away. The other man stood about a yard away whilst his companion took the purse. He had something under his arm. The men went away together and she saw no more of them. When she got home she immediately told her mother what had occurred. On 25 December she saw both men at the police station. She recognised Adams as the man who had stood by and Sinfield was very much like the man who took her purse. The purse and eardrops were her own property. She lived with her father in law and had her own living. Neither prisoner offered her any violence. Thomas Guess: he was a labourer living at Great Brickhill. On 21 December he went to Leighton with Sinfield and Adams. They were both labourers and also lived at Great Brickhill. They got to Leighton between 4pm and 5pm. He returned home between 6pm and 7pm and left the prisoners there. The same night he saw them about 11pm at Great Brickhill and they called him out of bed. He went down to them and said to them they were “pretty fellows to leave him” Sinfield replied he had left them. The prisoners went away together. Next morning he saw them together and heard Sinfield say to prisoner Adams about throwing away the purse. PC William Fowler: he knew both prisoners by sight. On 21 December about 8.45pm he saw them coming from the direction of Leighton. They were together and not with anyone else. They were about 100 yards from the national School at Heath & Reach. Sinfield had a bundle under his arm and eh spoke to them. This was before he had information about a robbery. He asked them how far they had been and Sinfield said they had been to the chapel on top of the hill and that was the nearest they had been to Leighton that night. From inquires made on 24 December he learnt that the prisoners had been to Leighton on the night of 21 December. He apprehended both of them at Great Brickhill. He told them the charge. Sinfield said they had not been to Leighton that night, only to the chapel. Whilst conveying the prisoners to the station, Adams said that they had been at Leighton but down the Brickhill Road as far as Sandy Lane and then across to the Heath Road. The purse was found about 100 yards from where he had sent he prisoner that night. Statement of the accused: nothing to say [both]

item

Sinfield, Alfred,
Adams, Thomas,
Fowler, Elizabeth,
Guess, Thomas,
Stone, John,
Scraggs, Edwin,
Fowler, William

HEATH & REACH, Great Brickhill, LEIGHTON BUZZARD, pickpocket, stealing, purse, JEWELLERY, greengrocer