QSR1895/2/12/2

[Petty Sessions] Examinations of Mary Mayes of Knotting; George Lamb of Knotting, Game Keeper; Ebenezer Matthews, Police Constable stationed at Sharnbrook In the case of Frederick Taylor and Cornelius Maher of no fixed place of abode accused of unlawfully and feloniously did steal take and carry away a cotton shirt of the value of One shilling and sixpence the good and chattles of Thomas Mayes

10th April 1895

From: 1895 To: 1895

This Deponent Mary Mayes on her Oath saith ad follows: I am the wife of Thomas Mayes of Knotting, Labourer. On Wednesday the 10th April about 10.30am I hung one of my husbands shirts to dry on a ledge in our garden. About 12.30 I looked for it and it has gone. I saw a man going on the Rushden Road towards Sharnbrook. I then went to my neighbour George Lamb and told him of my loss. The shirt now produced is the shirt I loss, I value it at 1/6. This Deponent George Lamb on his Oath saith I am a Game Keeper and live at Knotting. On April 10 about 12.30pm I saw the prisoner Maher coming along the road from Rushden. I was in my garden digging adjoining Prosecutors House, the prisoner loitered about. When he saw me he started to whistle. I turned round and saw the prisoner Taylor coming away from the gate leading into the Prosecutors Garden putting some thing into his coat on the right hand side. He ran after Maher and caught him up. A few minutes later Mrs Mayers told me a shirt had been stolen and I rode on my machine to Sharnbrook gave information to the Police. This Deponent Ebenezer Matthews on his Oath saith I am a Police Constable stationed at Sharnbrook. On the 10th inst about 1pm from information received I went along the Rushden Road from Sharnbrook and saw the 2 Prisoners lying on the grass by the side of the road near the Sharnbrook turn. I asked Taylor what he had under his coat and he replied “a shirt” I took it from him and asked him whose it was. He replied “it is mine I have had it about a week” I took possession of it and told him I should arrest him on the charge of stealing it from a House on the road further back. I also arrested Mayer as he was with Taylor. I bought them to Sharnbrook Police Station and charged them both with stealing the shirt from Mrs Mayers House on the Rushden Road – Maher said “Both of Us? I did not take it he took it” Taylor said “I did take it but it was to keep Maher and me. They were then locked up. Statement of Accused – Frederick Taylor states as follows “I stole the shirt” Where upon the said defendant Cornelius Maher states as follows “I did not steal the shirt but I was with him before and after.

4 pages

item

Mayes, Mary,
Mayes, Thomas,
Lamb, George,
Matthews, Ebenezer,
Taylor, Frederick,
Maher, Cornelius

KNOTTING, SHARNBROOK, gamekeeper, police constable, stealing, shirt