QSR1869/3/5/10c

Depositions of Charles Smith, postboy at the Bedford Arms Hotel. Thomas Wright, under hostler of Woburn. John White, groom of Woburn. William Whinnett, police constable stationed at Woburn. In the case of Sidney Floyd accused of stealing a whitney blue cloth over coat.

11 June 1869

From: 1869 To: 1869

Charles Smith: he was a post boy at the Bedford Arms Hotel in Woburn. He knew nothing of the prisoner. On Sunday 23 May there was a neck wrapper of his hanging up in the harness room in the Bedford Arms yard. It was worth 2s 6d. On the morning of 26 May he heard some things had been missed from the harness room. He went to look for his wrapper and could not find it. It was a whiteish wrapper with black spots on it. The wrapper produced was torn into 3 pieces. He could not swear positively to it. Thomas Wright: he was under hostler at the Bedford Arms and lived in the yard. On the morning of 26 May there were severall things missing from the harness room in the yard. He lost a stable jacket which had been there safe at 8pm the preceding day. The harness room was fastened between 9pm and 10pm and at 11pm he and other went in to look for a coat which was missing and belonged to John Brown. He fastened the door again at 11pm and unlocked it himself the next morning. John White: he was a groom and was presently in out of employment. He lived at Woburn. On Tuesday 25 May he saw the prisoner several times in the course of the day as he was assisting the hostler in the yard of the Bedford Arm at Woburn. Between 9pm and 9.30pm he saw the prisoner in the harness room. The prisoner struck a light there. He left the prisoner in the harness room and returned shortly after and found him still there. He heard the hostler ask him what he had done in the harness room and the prisoner said he had been looking for something. The same night between 11pm and 12am he heard that a great coat had been missed from the harness room and the next morning that a stable jacket and wrapper had been stolen. The prisoner lit a match but he could not say it he lit a candle. It was nearly dark when he saw the prisoner the second time. Several people went in the harness room during the day. He saw a gentleman’s servant go in there. PC William Whinnett: on 26 May he received information that some articles of clothing had been stolen from the Bedford Arms yard at Woburn. Upon enquiring he found that a top coat, stable jacket and neck wrapper had been stolen from the harness room. He suspected the prisoner who he heard had been employed to assist the hostler. He found the prisoner at Husborne Crawley and asked him if his name was Sidney Floyd. The prisoner said he was and that he had been assisting at the Bedford Arms the previous day. The prisoner had on a stable jacket which answered the description of one of the stolen items. He took the prisoner into custody and told him the charge. The prisoner said he knew nothing of the great coat and the neck wrapper and the jacket had been lent to him and he was to return it on Thursday morning. He noticed a wrapper around the prisoner’s neck and asked where it was from. The prisoner said he had it for a long time and had paid for it. He noticed there was only part of the wrap. He produced the other parts which appeared to belong to the same wrapper. The pieces fitted exactly. The prisoner said afterwards that he did not take the wrapper and meant to take it back on Thursday with the jacket. He heard no tidings of the top coat. Statement of the accused: he did not wish to say anything.

item

Floyd, Sidney,
Wright, Thomas,
White, John,
Whinnett, William,
Smith, Charles

stealing, WOBURN, HUSBORNE CRAWLEY, groom, postboy, hostler, Woburn Bedford Arms