QSR1898/4/5/1

The Examination of Sarah Harvey of Spring Road Kempston in the County of Bedford, Widow; Silas Hurrell of Bedford in the County aforesaid, Detective; George Robert Setchell of Bedford aforesaid, Inspector of Police and William Tatman of Kempston in the County aforesaid Sergeant of Police. In the case of Arthur Bettles 2 Spring Gardens Bedford accused of feloniously and burglariously did break and enter the dwelling house of Sarah Harvey there situate with intent therein feloniously and burglariously to steal her goods and chattels.

6th July 1898

From: 1898 To: 1898

This Deponent Sarah Harvey on her Oath saith as follows: - I live at Spring Road Kempston and am a widow. I remember Wednesday 23rd February last. I went to bed about 10.30. Before going to bed I locked all up I locked the doors and fastened the windows. About a quarter of an hour after I got to bed I heard a noise. It was like scraping I got up and looked out of the front room window. I could not see any one. I rapped the window and shouted “What do you want and what are you doing there” I went down to the shop there was no one in the shop. I keep a general shop. I found a pane of glass smashed in the end window. I missed a box sweets. The box when I saw it last that night was standing about 9 inches from the broken pane. I also missed a block of sweets. I was standing beside the box. When I saw it last. The hole in the window was about 30 inches high and 15 inches across, it was large enough to allow anyone to take out the box and block of sweets. There was about 1lb of biscuits gone out of a tin. The tin I left standing about ½ yard from the broken pane. Part of the biscuits were left in the box and part I found in the garden and outside the window. The block of sweets produced is like what I lost. The block when I last it was larger then it is now. This Deponent Silas Hurrell on his Oath saith as follows: - I am a detective in the employ of the Midland Railway Company. On Thursday morning the 24th February I went to a hut on the side of the railway in the parish of Kempston. It is close to the end of the road which leads off Spring Road. I found the lump of sweets produced in the hut. The hut had been broken into. I handed the lump of sweets over to the County Police. This Deponent George Robert Setchell on his Oath saith as follows: - I am an Inspector of Police for the Borough of Bedford. On 1st March I saw the prisoner. I told him I was making inquires respecting something that had occurred in the Borough. From what he said I accompanied him to a railway hut near the County School. He said “That’s where we went in and had a fire” we afterwards went along to Spring Road, and pointing to the window of Mrs Harvey’s shop he said “That’s where we had the sweets from” I examined the frame work of the window and asked the prisoner what the marks on it were. He made a reply. I conveyed the prisoner to the Borough Police Station where he was detained on another charge. I went to his house No. 2 Spring Gardens Bedford. And on searching the premises I found the tool produced. It was in a pigeon house in the garden. Afterwards took the tool to Mrs Harvey’s shop and also to the railway hut and found it corresponded exactly with the marks on the window and also on the hut door. I subsequently saw the prisoner with Sergeant Tatman at the Borough Police Station, the prisoner made a statement to Tatman. [Cross examined by prisoner] I am sure I asked you about something that had occurred in the Boro’ on the Ampthill Road I asked you what the marks on the window were caused by. This Deponent William Tatman on his Oath saith as follows:- I am a Sergeant of Police for the County of Bedford. On Wednesday23rd February about 11.15 p.m. I went to Mrs Harvey’s shop in Spring Road Kempston. I examined the window. I found it broken. On Thursday 10th March I went to the Boro’Police Station where the prisoner was in custody. He was with 2 other men Cook and Stevens also in custody. Inspector Setchell was present. They were brought into the charge room. Sergeant Greenwood was also present. Greenwood charged all three men with breaking into some huts in the Borough. Cook said “ After we left the allotments fields that night we went over to Kempston and down Spring Road about 11 o’clock and whilst going down Spring Road, Bettles said “There’s a little shop let’s go for it” Cook further said “we went across to the shop and tried to force the window open we could not get it open so I broke the window” Stevens said “we all took bits of glass out of the window” Bettles said “We took the sweets and biscuits” Cook said “I did not want no sweets and biscuits I meant going in and getting the money. I apprehended prisoner on a warrant on 4th July instant. I was there but I did not do anything” [Cross examined by Prisoner] I did not speak to you in the Boro’ Police Station. Statement of Accused; I don’t wish to say anything.

8 pages

item

Harvey, Sarah,
Hurrell, Silas,
Setchell, George Robert,
Tatman, William,
Bettles, Arthur,
Greenwood, Arthur

Kempston Spring Road, Bedford Spring Gardens, Midland Railway Company, BEDFORD, sweets, detective, police constable, detective, burglar