QSR1898/2/5/4

Depositions of John Godman of Podington in the county of Bedford, Police Constable; John Beddall of Rushden in the County of Northampton, Shoe finisher and Thomas Perkins of Wymington in the County of Bedford, Labourer. Accused Thomas Knight on the 15th day of December One thousand Eight Hundred and Ninety Seven at Wymington did feloniously receive one tame rabbit of the value of three shillings the property of one Thomas Perkins which had then lately before been feloniously stolen he the said Thomas Knight then well knowing the same to have been feloniously stolen.

25th February 1898

From: 1898 To: 1898

This Deponent John Godman on his Oath saith as follows: - I am a Police Constable stationed at Podington. On Tuesday February 15 last in consequence of a statement which John [Bettles] made to me I took out a warrant against the Prisoner for receiving one Rabbit knowing it to have been stolen. I apprehended him the same night and brought him into Sharnbrook. At Sharnbrook the warrant was made over to him he was cautioned and them said “I knew it was stolen I knew it was in my Barn but I did not lay hands on it” This Deponent John Beddall on his Oath saith I am a Shoe Finisher and live at Rushden. I was in the Compass Inn at Rushden about 14 days before Xmas with a lot of men all drinking together. A man named Willmot called me outside and asked that if I could sell a rabbit for him I said I would try. I sold the Rabbit for 2/3 to a man named Harry [Augun]. I gave [Willmot] the money. I went back to the Compass and sat there some time. When the prisoner asked if I could sell another, I said I would try. I sold it to my wife for 1/6 and gave him the money. The skin of the Rabbit now produced is the skin of the rabbit I sold for him. When the Prisoner gave me the Rabbit to sell he got it out of an outhouse belonging to the House where he lived. It is a place where wood and coal are kept. I saw no more Rabbits there. The said Thomas Perkins on his Oath saith I am a Labourer and live at Wymington I keep rabbits and on December 13 last I had eleven. I locked them up in one of my Barns. On the next morning when I went to the Barn I found the lock had been broken and nine of them gone. I then gave information to the Police. The Skin now produced is the skin of one of the rabbits I missed. Statement of Accused: I am not guilty.

4 pages

item

Godman, John,
Beddall, John,
Perkins, Thomas,
Knight, Thomas

PODINGTON, Rushden, rabbits, police constable, shoe finisher, labourer, stealing