QSR1896/2/12/2

[Petty Session] Depositions of Frederick Wells of Bletsoe, George Daniels of Sharnbrook, Police Inspector, William Wells of Bletsoe and Ebenezer Matthews of Sharnbrook, Police Constable In the case of Michael Jones and Kaspar Jones, charged that they on 3rd March 1896 at Bletsoe unlawfully and feloniously did steal take and carry away one flag basket, a quantity of bread and cooked meat a cloth and a pair of gloves of the value of one shilling and eightpence the property of one frederick Wells

13 March 1896

From: 1895 To: 1896

Frederick Wells said: I am 12 years old and live with my father William Wells at North End Bletsoe. On Tuesday March 3rd last after my breakfast about 6 am I went to work in a field of Mr Campion at Bletsoe to scare crows I took with me a flag basket which contained a pair of leather gloves, a piece of bread and bacon and a piece of bread and butter which was tied up in a white calico cloth. When I got to the field I placed the basket in a furrow about 20 yards from the gate and about ten yards from the hedge – I then to work at the far end of the field and about 9.45 I saw a cart coming on the road from Riseley in which was the prisoners Michael Jones and Kaspar Jones and another boy. I saw the prisoner Kaspar Jones going out of the field with the basket and get into the cart in which Michael Jones was and the cart then went on. I don’t know whether the prisoners saw me, they might have done, I was shouting at the pigeons. I came to where my basket was and it had gone. I waited by the road until a boy named Alf Saby came along from the doctor and I asked which was the last cart that had passed him and he told me Jones and I told him to tell Mother to find me some dinner. I went on the same day with Inspector Daniels and PC Matthews to Keysoe and found both the prisoners in Keysoe. I value the articles which I lost and which I now produce at one shilling and eightpence. The reason why I did not put the basket in the hedge instead of in the field was that the mice get at my dinner if I put it in the hedge. George Daniels said: I am a police constable stationed at Sharnbrook – On Tuesday March 3 about 2pm from information received I went to a field at North End Bletsoe in the occupation of Mr Campion. I there saw the last witness and saw him go to a spot in the field about 20 yards from the gate and about 10 yards from the hedge between the field and the Riseley Road and from where he told me I and PC Matthews (who was with me) and the boy drove on to Keysoe and found the two prisoners and another little boy with them. They had a horse and cart with them. I said to the prisoner “I have come after you about a flag basket” He replied “I don’t know what basket you mean” I said “I mean that basket that your boy fetched out of a field at Bletsoe today” He replied “O I have a basket in the cart which my boy picked up on the road side of the hedge” I said “No I am told it was some distance in the field and if I do my duty I ought to lock you both up” He said “I had no intention of stealing the basket I thought the basket was either lost there or blown there” I said “You were driving the horse and your boy got out of the cart and fetched it” I said “If you thought it was lost why did you not call at the first house you came to and speak about it?” He said “I am sorry I did not do so” – Keysoe is about 6 miles from the field. Kaspar Jones gave me the basket out of the cart which contained a pair of leather gloves and some food wrapped in a cloth. I showed them to Wells who identified them as his property and I now produce them. I said to Jones “I should certainly have locked you up but as you have a horse and cart here I will let you go and most likely you will be summoned” William Wells said: I am the father of the prosecutor Wells. On Tuesday March 3rd the defendant Michael Jones came to my house about 8.30pm. I was not there but when I came in he said “Good evening I have come to see about this basket affair today” He then said “I want to come to some arrangement so that we can ignore it” I said “No I shan’t ignore it as it is in the hands of the police” Then he said “I have never been to a police court and I don’t want to go as I don’t want it to get in the local paper” and he then pressed me again to settle and I said “No I shan’t” Jones called again at my house on Friday the 6th but I did not see him. Ebenezer Matthews said: I am a police constable stationed at Sharnbrook. On March 3rd about 2pm I drove with Inspector Daniels to the field at Bletsoe and there saw the boy Wells who showed me a spot in the field about 20 yards from the gate and ten yards from the hedge where he told me he had put his basket in the morning it was in a furrow. The field was in a very heavy state owing to the rain that morning I saw a number of footprints from the gate to the spot. One track went from the gate to where the basket was and then up the field and another went from the gate to where the basket [was] and then back to the gate. They were all small ones. When we overtook the prisoners at Keysoe Kaspar Jones boots were very dirty and I drew his attention to them and he said that he had not cleaned them that morning. [cross examined] the wind blew from the gate towards the field. statement of defendant Michael Jones [having had read to him the charge and consented to the case being dealt with summarily by the Petty Sessional Court at Sharnbrook] said: I was out on my usual rounds and the boy got out of the cart and picked up a basket at Bletsoe the horse was giong along when the boy got out of the cart and brought the basket to me saying he had found it and I then put it on the cart. statement of defendant (child) Kaspar Jones [having had read to his parent the charge and his parent consented to the case being dealt with summarily by the Petty Sessional Court at Sharnbrook] said: I am not guilty I jumped out of the cart as the horse was going along and picked up a basket which was laid by the side of the road and put it on the top of the cart

8 pages

item

Jones, Michael,
Jones, Kaspar,
Wells, Frederick,
Daniels, George,
Wells, William,
Matthews, Ebenezer

Bletsoe North End, KEYSOE, SHARNBROOK, stealing, basket, bread, gloves, cloth