QSR1869/2/5/1-2

Depositions of George Whitman, tailor of Aspley Guise and George Martin Whitman, his son. Samuel Daniels, grocer of Aspley Guise. Thomas Pickering, butcher of Aspley Guise. Samuel Armstrong, police constable stationed at Aspley Guise. William Shepherd, superintendent of police for the division of Woburn and Elizabeth Martha Shepherd, his wife. In the case of John Hurdle and Henry Clarke accused of stealing 7 live fowls.

24 March 1869

From: 1869 To: 1869

George Whitman: he kept fowls in a barn in his garden adjoining a plantation and about 400 yards from his dwelling house. The barn was always kept locked at night and there were 2 locks and an iron bar. He had taken the precaution of the iron bar due to seeing the prisoners in the plantation, where they had no business to be, on previous occasions. His fowls were safe on 15 March and he missed them the next morning. The door was damaged. He went into the barn and saw a number of feathers in the ground and blood sprinkled about. He missed a large basket and 7 fowls. There was also an iron bar missing from the rabbit hutch in the barn. He notified the police. He noticed 2 people had recently eased themselves in the barn. George Martin Whitman: he lived with his father, the prosecutor in Aspley Guise. On the evening of Monday 15 March he saw the barn locked and a bar across the door. The fowls were safe. There were 6 hens and a cock. Next morning he went with his father to the barn and the staple as pulled from one lock and the other lock was broken and the door open. All 7 fowls were missing. He noticed 2 people had recently eased themselves in the barn. Samuel Daniels: he was a grocer and shop keeper. He knew the prisoners and both were labourers in Aspley Guise. On the morning of 16 March he was at his work in an allotment field and saw the 2 prisoners come in the direction from Aspley Guise. They came together into the allotment field. Hurdle spoke to him about some measure he was spreading. The prisoner went to the bottom of the field and into Lucy Lane which led from Aspley to the mill in a direction for Woburn Sands. He did not see them afterwards. Thomas Pickering: he was a butcher at Aspley. He knew both prisoners well. On the night of 15 March he was on his own about 30 yards from Young’s beer house and saw the 2 men on the opposite side of the way. They were going from the beer house to wards Mount Pleasant. There was lamplight at the time. He believed it to be the prisoners. PC Samuel Armstrong: on 16 March he heard of the robbery and went to the barn, which had been broken open. He saw a piece of cloth lying on the ground as if a person had wiped themselves with it. He took possession of it. He found blood and feather in the barn. In the garden adjoining the barn he saw footsteps leading from the barn and over the fence. On 17 March he took Hurdle into custody and he had on a jacket with a piece torn off and recent marks of blood on it. The piece of cloth he found in the barn fitted the jacket. The prisoner said he knew nothing of the fowls and he had not left Young’s and had been in the skittle alley with Clarke. He took Hurdle to the lock up and took a boot from him. He made an impression of the boot by the side of the footmark in the garden. It corresponded exactly. He had been in Young’s beer house on the night of 15 March and had seen both of the prisoners together. He saw them go out of the house together and they did not go into the skittle alley but turned right and he has heard the catch of Young’s gate go. They had been the last people in the house and he remained a few minutes more. Superintendent William Shepherd: on 18 March he apprehended Henry Clarke and told him the charge. Clarke said he had not stolen the fowls and had slept in the skittle alley at Young’s with Hurdle and they had not left the place. He examined Clarke’s clothes and his trousers and waistcoat had found spots of recent blood on them. The prisoner said the blood had come from his fingers and pointed to an old scar at the top of his finger. He saw the 2 footmarks by the side of each other pointed out to him by PC Armstrong. Elizabeth Martha Shepherd: wife of the superintendent of police. On 20 March both of the prisoners were in custody in the lock up at Woburn. She heard Clarke say to Hurdle that they were sure to go to trial and asked if he had said anything. Hurdle said he had not but they swore to the footmarks and his old jacket would do for him. Clarke asked who had seen the footmarks and Hurdle said it was Armstrong and Parker’s groom. Clarke told Hurdle to keep his mouth shut as no one had seen them only Cook when they were on the footpath. Statements of the accused: nothing

item

Clarke, Henry,
Hurdle, John,
Whitman, George,
Whitman, George Martin,
Daniels, Samuel,
Pickering, Thomas,
Armstrong, Samuel,
Shepherd, William,
Shepherd, Elizabeth Martha,
Young

ASPLEY GUISE, stealing, fowls, tailor, grocer, butcher