QSR1899/1/5/1

Depositions of Edward Albert Augustus Coote of Cheapside Luton, Post Master, Head Office Luton; Arthur Gage Licensed Victualler of the Painters Arms High Town Road Luton; Sarah Ann Clements Licensed Victualler of The Freeholders Arms York Street Luton; Fanny Jackson of the Yorkshire Grey Windmill Street Luton; Harriet Brown of Duke Street Luton; Frederick Hildebrand Licensed Victualler of The Jolly Topen Public House Round Green; Lucy Croxford Licensed Victualler of The Bricklayers Arms High Town Road Luton; Frederick William Woodard, Clerk of General Post Office London; George Burgess, Police Sergeant of the Luton Borough Police Force In the Case of Alfred Toyer being employed in the Public Service of Her Majesty the Queen as Sub-Postmaster at the High Town Post Office in the said Borough did feloniously steal take and carry away the sum of £115.10.11 in money.

30th November 1898

From: 1898 To: 1899

This Deponent Edward Albert Augustus Coote on his Oath saith as follows; I am Post Master at the Head Office at Luton. The Prisoner was on the 19th October last Sub Post Master at the High Town sub post office in High Town Road Luton. He has held the office for some time. His duties as to money orders were to take the money for orders issued by him to enter them on his money order sheet and bring them to account in his cash account. The cash account is made up daily. Having made up the account his duty was to send a copy of it to me at my office. It would be sent to me enclosed in a brown paper envelope not to be opened in my office but to send on to the General Post Office. I should receive the account for the 19th October on the 20th October, I did not received such account on the 20th October last from the Prisoner. With regard to the general cash he received he should retain £20 and remit daily any balance above £20 to me. The cash each day should be remitted to me without waiting for the account. On the 19th October last Prisoner sent me about 1.30pm £50. It was unusually early in the day it being early closing day when his office shuts up at 2 o’clock. Since that time I have not received anything in cash from the prisoner. On the 21st October in consequence of a communication made to me I went to the Prisoners office about 10.15am. I did not see him there. The prisoner attended to the business himself and had no Clerk or Assistant. I found Prisoners wife there. I found his cash book in the back room. Inside it I found his account for the 19th October which I should have received on the 20th October. I examined the cash book which I produce marked “A” It is in the Prisoners hand writing and signed by him. His account shows that on the 19th October he received £123.7.9 for money order business. He also received £2.2.0 savings Bank business. He started the day with a balance in hand of £133.10.6 1/2 making total receipts on that date of £259.0.31/2. The Cash remitted to me and other payments that day amounted to £58.18.10 showing a balance in his hands at the end of the day of £200.1.51/2. That balance was made up of cash £113.17.3 and stock of stamps to £86.4.21/2. He had no authority to keep so much cash in hand. The balance of £200.1.51/2 is correctly carried forward to the 2oth October in prisoners cash account. He had not made up the account for the 20th Oct. I made up the account and struck a balance. The only figures on that day in Prisoners hand writing is the amount of the balance brought forward – On the 20th Oct. the balance I made that the prisoner had to account for is cash and stock was £246.0.01/2.I found in cash £6.6.5. in postage stamps [unsold] £13.18.1. Licenses unissued £26.2.6 Postal orders unsold £84.2.11/2 totalling to £130.9.11/2. The deficiency amounted to £115.10.11. that amount should have been at his office but it would have been irregular for him to have had so much. The Prisoner did not return to his office while I was there. I closed the office on the 26th October I laid the information on which the warrant was issued but I did not see the Prisoner until the 23rd November. The documents produced marked “B” “C” and “E” are in the Prisoners hand writing also the bundle of money orders. This Deponent of Arthur Gage of the Painter Arms High Town Road in the said Borough of Luton saith as follows:- I am a Licensed Victualler. On the 19th October I went to the Post Office in High Town Road and saw the prisoner there. I paid him the amount of my annual License £20.5.3 he gave me in exchange for cash a free money order. It was about 10 o’clock a.m. This Deponent of Sarah Ann Clements of The Freeholders Arms York Street in the said Borough of Luton saith as follows: - I am a Licensed Victualler. On the 19th October last at about 11.30 a.m. I went to the High Town Post Office. I saw the prisoner there. I gave him in cash £20.5.3 and he gave me in exchange a free money order with which to pay my License duty. This Deponent Fanny Jackson the wife of George Jackson of the Yorkshire Grey Windmill Street. In the said Borough of Luton, saith as follows:- My husband is a Licensed Victualler. On the 19th October last about 1.30 pm I went to the High Town Post Office I paid to the Prisoner £20.5.3 in cash and he gave me a free money order with which to pay my License duty. This Deponent Harriet Brown the wife of Charles Brown of the Freeman in Duke Street in the said Borough of Luton, saith as follows:- My husband and I live with my mother who is the Landlady of the Freeman Public House in Duke Street Luton. On the 19th October last between 1 and 2 o’clock in the afternoon I went to the High town Post Office and paid to the Prisoner my mothers License Duty amounting to £20.5.3.and he gave me in exchange a free money order. This Deponent Frederick Hildebrand of the Jolly Toper Public House Round Green in the Borough of Luton, saith as follows:- I am a Licensed Victualler. On the 19th October last I went about noon to the High Town Post Office. I paid to the prisoner £11.5.3 in cash for my License duty and he gave me a free money order. This Deponent Lucy Croxford of the Bricklayers Arms High Town Road in the Borough of Luton saith as follows: - I am a Licensed Victualler. On the 19 October last just before 1 o’clock I went to the High Town Post Office and paid the prisoner £17.5.3 in cash for my License Duty and he gave me a free money order for that amount. This Deponent Frederick William Woodward of The General Post Office London saith as follows:- I am a Clerk in the General Post Office London. I produce the prisoners daily cash account marked “B” the daily money order account marked “E” and “D” The total amount of cash for orders issued by Prisoner by those accounts on the 19th October is £123.7.9. I also produce the money order account from the Prisoner of the 20th October which shows £11.16.3 received by him on that day for money orders. I also produce 18 money orders corresponding with the accounts produced This Deponent George Burgess of Luton is the said Borough of Luton, saith as follows:- I am Sergeant of the Luton Borough Police Force. I arrested the Prisoner in Park Lane Luton on the 19th November instant between 10 and 11 o’clock a.m. He was in the street. I told him I had a warrant for him. He said “Yes”- I took him to the Police Office and read the warrant to him. He made no reply. Statement of Accused: - “I reserve what I have to say” “I call no witness” Evidence enclosed in Folder:- Bundle of Money Orders (18 all together) Letter from Borough of Luton Justices’ Clerk’s Office, &, George Street West, Luton. Cash Account of the Sub-Postmaster for the 19th day of October 1898 (marked “B”) Daily Money Order Account dated 20th October 1898 (marked “C”) Daily Money Order Account dated 19th October 1898 (marked “D”) Daily Money Order Account dated 19th October 1898 (marked “E”)

39 Pages

item

Coote, Edward Albert Augustus,
Gage, Arthur,
Clements, Sarah Ann,
Jackson, Fanny,
Brown, Harriet,
Hildebrand, Frederick,
Croxford, Lucy,
Woodard, Frederick William,
Burgess, George,
Toyer, Alfred

Luton Cheapside, LUTON, London, postmaster, victualler, police sergeant, sub-postmasters, embezzlement, stealing