QSR1921/3/5/3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e

Depositions of Alfred Ayres of 21 Palmerston Street Bedford, a smallholder, Frederick William Warren of Hitchin in the County of Hertford, Superintendent of the Police & Ralph Tingey, of Bedford a Police Sergeant, in the case against William Henry Collier alias John Frederick Sinclair.

6th June 1921

From: 1921 To: 1921

County of Bedford. The examination of Alfred Ayres of 21 Palmerston Street Bedford, a smallholder, Frederick William Warren of Hitchin, Superintendent of the Police & Raplh Tingey of Bedford a Police Sergeant, taken on oath 6th June 1921 at Bedford before the undersigned, one of His Majesty's Justices of Peace for the County in the presence & hearing of William Henry Collier who is charged that betwen the 9 pm on the 28th & 7am on the 29th May 1921 at Bedford in the County of Bedford, he did feloniously steal a horse to the value of £20 the property of Alfred Ayres & also :- for that he betwen 9 pm on the 28th & 7 am on 29th May 1921 he did steal take & carry away a cart, a set of harness, 2 saddles, 2 collars, 2 bridles, a headstall, a bearing rein, a nose bag, a cart sheet, 49 bags, a bag of chaff & certain potatoes of the value together of £21-12/6 the property of Alfred Ayres. Alfred Ayres on his oath says as follows :- I am a smallholder & live at 21 Palmerston Street Bedford.I have some buildings & a stable in the Clapham Road Allotments in Bedford. I remember Saturday 28th May last, I left my buildings at 9 pm that night. my horse was in the stable tied up. The door was fastened but not locked. My cart was on a piece of waste ground just outside. I had some sacks & harness in a barn forming the stable. The door of the barn was not locked. At 7:10 the next morning as near as I can say, I went to the buildings. I noticed the stable door ? open & the cart was gone. I value the cart at £10. I looked around & found all my harness & bags missing. There were 2 saddles , I value at £1. 2 horse collars value £2. 2 bridles value £1. a headstall value 1/- , a bearing rein value 1/-, & a complete set of harness value £4. & 49 bags value £3, a nose bag value 5/-, & a cart sheet value 1/6, about 3 parts of a bag of chaff value 3/- & about a peck of seed potatoes value 1/-missing. Also my horse was gone. I value the horse at £20. On the same evening I saw all the missing property at Gadsby Street police station Signed Alfred Ayres Frederick William Warren on his oath says as follows :- I am a Superintendent in the Herts County Constabulary stationed at Hitchin. On Sunday 29th May 1921 I proceeded along the London Road & 9 miles from Hitchin I overtook the prisoner driving a horse & cart. I stopped him& asked him where he had come from. He replied "I came from Northampton yesterday & slept in a field last night just outside Hitchin" I asked him if he hadcame from Bedford. He said "No" I told him I should take him back to Hitchin as I suspected him of stealing the horse & cart from Bedford the previous night. He relied "I have not stolen it" I charged him with stealing the horse & cart & cautioned him. He said " I have walked all over Scotland looking for work. I slept in a shed last night at Bedford. The door was unlocked. I saw the horse & it was a great temptation. I am copped red- handed. It is no use telling any lies about it, I pinched it" I handed prisoner over to Sergeant Tingey of the Beds Constabulary who charged him with stealing the horse & cart, & cautioned him in my presence. Prisoner replied "I am guilty I was caught red-handed " Prisoner said his name was John Sinclair signed F W Warren Ralph Tingey on his oath says as follows :-I a a sergeant in the Beds Constabulary stationed at bedford. About 7 am on Sunday 29th May 1921 in consequence of information received, I went to Mr Gascoins buildings on the London Road in the parish of Eastcotts, where I saw a cartwith the name "A. Ayres" on it. The staple in the gate post had been drawn & as examining the entrance to the field I noticed the tracks of cart wheels going towards Harrowden. The same morning I went to Hitchin Police Station, where I saw the prisoner brought in with Mr Ayres' horse & all other property missed by Mr Ayres with the exception of the cart. I cautioned the prisoner & told him I was a Police Officer & that I should take him into custody for stealing a horse, cart, harness & other things belonging to Mr Ayres & that other charges would be proferred against him. The prisoner replied "I am guilty, I am caught red-handed" I brought the prisoner back to Gadsby Street Police Station. The horse, cart & other property was brought to Gadsby Street Police Station the same evening by Police Constable Folkes Signed Ralph Tingey, serg note; The above depositions of Alfred Ayres, Frederick William Warren & Ralph Tingey were taken & sworn at Bedford this 6th June 1921 before me, G C Walker, Justice of the Peace for the County Statement of the accused; William Henry Collier alias John Frederick Sainclair stands charged before His Majesty's Justice of the Peace for the County of Bedford on 6th June 1921. And the said charge being read to William Henry Collier & the witnesses for the prosecution. being severally examined in his presence, the said William Henry Collier is now addressed by me as follows; " having heard the evidence do you wish to say anything in answer to the charge? Whereupon William Henry Collier said; "I wish to say nothing at all & don't want to call any witnesses". signed G C Walker JP for Bedfordshire

item

Ayres, Alfred,
Warren, Frederick William,
Tingey, Ralph,
Collier, William Henry,
Sinclair, John,
Folkes,
Walker, G C

BEDFORD, Hitchin, Northampton, EASTCOTTS, Harrowden, stealing, horses, cart, harness, reins, chaff, potatoes