QSR1838/1/5/21

Depositions of William Ruffhead, cordwainer of St John, Bedford. Elizabeth Ruffhead, wife of William Ruffhead. Skevington Eyles, constable of Elstow. In the case of James Kitchener accused of stealing a shirt.

23 December 1837

From: 1837 To: 1838

William Ruffhead: from information he received from his wife he went to the constable of Elstow for assistance in finding the prisoner. He and the constable went to a field on Elstow where the boy was at work. He asked the prisoner what he had done with his shirt. The prisoner said he knew nothing about the shirt. The constable took the prisoner into custody. He told the prisoner he was sure he had taken the shirt and the prisoner admitted he had the shirt at home. They went to the prisoner’s house. He waited outside. The constable brought out a short which he said the prisoner had given him. He did not look at the shirt as he would not have been able to identify it. They all went to Bedford. [cross examination] the prisoner asked had Ruffhead not said he would forgive him if he returned the shirt? Ruffhead replied he could not forgive him but would be as merciful as he could. Elizabeth Ruffhead: she hung out some clothes to dry in the back yard of her house on Thursday evening. About 6pm she missed a shirt. She had seen it safe 2 minutes before when the prisoner was in the yard at the time. The yard adjoined the premises were the prisoner was at work. The prisoner had gone as well as the shirt. She asked several of her neighbours if they had seen the prisoner and which way he had gone. She could not learn anything about him. She told her husband that she suspected the prisoner and he made enquiries. Skevington Eyles brought the prisoner to her house and produced a short and asked her to swear to it. She examined the shirt and found it to be the one taken off the line. Skevington Eyles: he went with Mr Ruffhead to a field in Elstow where the prisoner was at work. He heard Ruffhead charge the prisoner with stealing the shirt. The prisoner denied it. He took the prisoner into custody. The prisoner said he had taken it and he had out it under his bed. He took the prisoner to his house and the prisoner went to a straw bed but could not find the shirt. The prisoner asked his sister and she said she knew nothing about it. The prisoner said to her that she did and pulled her off the chair on which she was sitting and took a bag from the chair. The prisoner shook the shirt out of the bag. It was wet. Mrs Ruffhead identified it as the shirt she had lost. Statement of the accused – James Kitchener: Mr Ruffhead had promised to forgive him if he would give up the shirt.

item

Kitchener, James,
Ruffhead, William,
Ruffhead, Elizabeth,
Eyles, Skevington

St. John Bedford, ELSTOW, cordwainer, stealing, shirt