QSR1912/1/5/3e(i) (ii) (iii) (iv)

The deposistions of witnesses Frank Walter Darby of Ashburnham Road Luton & Joseph Henry Attwood of Luton Police Station Deposition, Ernest Holmes charged on 30th December 1911 that he did on 23rd December 1911 at the Borough of Luton unlawfully & feloniously steal take & carry away 2 boxes of cigars together of the value of 6 shillings & 6 pence the goods & chattels of Smith & Small Ltd. The deponent George Frank Walter Darby on his oath said the following;

30th December 1911

From: 1911 To: 1912

I am Secretary to Smith & Small Ltd of George Street Luton & I reside in Asburnham Road Luton. I recollect seeing 4 boxes of cigars in my office on the mantlepiece on Saturday 23rd December 1911. In consequence of something said to me I looked for the cigars on the 24th & found 2 boxes were missing. The box & the cigars now produced are similar to the boxes missing, I value the 2 boxes & the cigars at 6 shillings & 6 pence. signed Frederick Walter Darby The deponent Joseph Henry Attwood said; I am a Detective Constable in the Luton Borough Police Force, on Saturday the 23rd December 1911 I found the box of cigars produced in the prisoners possession, I asked him to account for them & he said, 'I went to Smith & Small's this morning about work & I took that box off the mantlepiece'. On the 27th December 1911 the box produced was idenified by the last witness, From enquires I made this morning I cautioned the prisoner & in answer to my questions he said 'I had two boxes, the cigars I gave away to different people out of one box & I broke up ythe box & threw it away'. I charged him with stealing the 2 boxes & he replied 'yes' signed Joseph Henry Attwood

item

Holmes, Ernest,
Darby, Frank,
Attwood, Joseph Henry

LUTON, cigars, Smith & Small