QSR1832/4/5/10

Depositions of James Smith, currier of Eversholt. William Arnold, no.10 Peters Lane, St John's Street, West Smithfield, London, dyer and scourer. In the case of Jacob Allen otherwise John Allen accused of stealing 6 dressing hides of leather.

4 September 1832

From: 1832 To: 1832

James Smith: he suspected that Jacob Allen had broken open his warehouse and stolen 6 dressing hides on or about 22 May. They had a value of £12. He prayeth that the justice commit Jacob Allen for further examination on Saturday for burglary and larceny. James Smith [continued]: he was a currier at Eversholt and had a warehouse adjoining his dwelling house. On 19 May about 2pm he saw 6 dressing hides of leather in the warehouse. He then locked the door and took the key out and left the warehouse. He did not remember going to the warehouse again that day. About 7am on 20 May, having heard that the back window of the warehouse was open, he went into the warehouse and saw the shutter off and thrown to the other side of the warehouse. The iron stanchion of the window was wrenched off and broken into 2 pieces and the windows were open. He was sure the windows were safe and fastened when he left the warehouse. He looked around the warehouse and missed some leather dressing hides. He counted the hides the next morning and missed 6. He put the window shutter up as well as he could on the Sunday morning and it remained in that state until he counted the hides on the Monday morning. He knew the prisoner and he was a labourer living at Eversholt within 60 yards of his house. He did not see the prisoner on 19 May but saw him go to the warehouse on the Sunday morning whilst he was examining the window. He did not speak to the prisoner. He gave notice of his loss to Messrs Powell, his leather factors and in consequence of information he went to them in London. Mr James Powell accompanied him to Mr Undershall’s warehouse in Leadenhall Market and there he saw his 6 hides. They bore no private mark but he was sure they were his by the folds and tannage. William Arnold: on 28 August about 5.30am he was called by John Jeffs, a porter, to take a package of leather to Mr Underhall’s leather factory in Leadenhall Market. He hired a truck and went to the Queen’s Head where he saw the prisoner and John Jeffs. John Jeffs said to him, in the hearing of the prisoner, that the package of leather was to go to Leadenhall Market according to the direction. He examined the package and saw it consisted of 6 leather hides. The paper he produced bore the direction: “Messrs Underhall, 6 Hides, from John Coalman, Linenton, Beds” The prisoner assisted with the packages into the truck and went with him to Leadenhall Market. The prisoner said nothing to him. Jeffs did not go with them. He took the package to Mr Underhall’s warehouse at Leadenhall Market and the prisoner helped him to unite the package and deliver it to the person who signed for it. The person’s name was “G.Wail”, Mr Underhall’s foreman. He gave the directions to the prisoner as he considered him to be the owner of the goods. He went back to the Queen’s Head where the prisoner said to Jeffs “how much do I give him?” Jeffs said to give him a shilling and the prisoner gave him a shilling and sixpence to pay for the truck. When he went to Mr Underhall’s warehouse the foreman asked where the hides came from. He did no answer but showed the foreman the direction, which the foreman signed. He then went home and remained working at his business until about 10.40 when he was again sent for by Jeffs. He went to the Queens Head and saw the prisoner there who said he wanted him to go to Leadenhall Market to collect the money for the hides there had delivered that morning. He went and when he got there he was taken into custody. When the prisoner was taken into custody he asked him how he had come by the hides and the prisoner said he had them from a man named John Coalman, who had asked the prisoner to bring them to town to sell for him. They were taken to Gillspen Street and remained there until half past two the next day, when he was liberated and the prisoner detained. He believed the package of hides was the same he had carried to Mr Underhall’s warehouse. Statement of the accused: his name was Jacob Allen but went by the name of John Allen sometimes. On 24 August he lit of John Coalman in Eversholt Road. He told him that he was going to London on Sunday morning to carry his son’s things. His son lived there. John Coalman lived at Lidlington. He knew Coalman by sight. Coalman told him he had half a dozen hides of leather at home and that they were of little use to him and he asked him to take them to London to sell for him. He told Coalman they were things he did not understand but he had objection if there was proper direction upon them and he was told where to go. He said he should go up on Sunday morning and if Coalman would convey them to Dunstable he would take them. He went to Dunstable on Sunday morning and met the Northampton wagon at the Wagon & Horses public house. The hides of leather were there. He did not know who had sent them. They were put on the truck and undone. He went from the Waggon and Horses with them to the Queen’s Head. He had nothing more to say. Coalman was not there and he had not sent him to come.

item

Allen, Jacob,
Allen, John,
Smith, James,
Arnold, William,
Jeffs, John,
Coalman, John,
Underhall,
Powell, James

EVERSHOLT, LIDLINGTON, City of London Leadenhall Street, London Smithfield, stealing, leather, currier, Dunstable Wagon & Horses, leather seller, markets