QSR1921/3/5/5a - 5g

The Deposition of Percival George Fordham of Bedford, a Builders foreman & Francis Brown of Great Barford a Police Constable

22nd June 1921

From: 1921 To: 1921

The Examination of Percival George Fordham of Bedford, a Builders Foreman & Francis Brown of Great Barford a Police Constable, taken on oath this 22nd June 1921 before the undersigned, one of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the said County in the presence & hearing of George Perkins, Arthur Smith & Alfred Edward Parkins who are charged this day that between the hours of 5 p.m. on the 16th & 6:30 a.m. on 17th June 1921 at Renhold in the County did feloniously steal take & carry away an enamelled can & certain tea & sugar of the value together of 5 shillings & 6 pence the property of the saud Percival George Fordham. The deponent Percival Geroge Fordham on his oath says ;- I am a builders foreman & live at Renhold. I am working in a building which is being erected at Renhold for Bedfordshire County Council. I remember Thursday last 16th June. I left the building about 5 o'clock that evening. I had a tool box called a locker in the downstairs room. I placed a box containing Tea & Sugar also a bron enamelled can, produce, "marked "A" in the locker. I value the tea & sugar at about a shilling , I value the can at 4 shillings & 6 pence. The locker was fastened with a padlock, produced "marked B" It was locked when I left & the key placed underneath the locker. The windows were all nailed up & the front door was blocked up with a piece of timber.I went out of the back door & fastened by putting my hand through the window & turning the wooden battan screwed on inside the door. I went back to the building about 6:30 a.m. on 17th June. The front door was open, I noticed one of the windows was open at the back. I saw the sugar box lying on the floor, empty, also the cups we used. The can produced, "Marked A" was missing. The padlock "Marked B" wasbroken. The tea & sugar had gone. Signed Percival George Fordham The deponent Francis Brown on his oath says :- On Friday 17th June 1921 about 5:40 a.m. I was on duty along Bedford Road in the parish of Renhold & when nearing a building which is being erected on Bedford Road for the County Council, I heard voices coming from inside the building. I went round to the back of the building & looking through a window I then saw 3 youths. They were in the premises. I said to them "what are you doing in there" Smith said " We have come in here to have some breakfast as we are on the road to Cambridge" I said " You have no right in there & must clear out of it" They then went through the front door, which was open & proceeded along the road in the direction of Great Barford. At 6:35 a.m. the same morning I was coming along the road going in the direction of Great Barford when I saw the last witness coming from the building in which I had seen the prisoners, From what he told me I proceeded along the Bedford Road in the direction of Great Barford. When coming on the top of the hill near Great Barford I saw the prisoners about 400 yards away on the highway. I saw one of them throw something into the grass. All three climbed the hedge & commenced to run off across the fields in the dirction of the river. I borrowed a cycle & gave chase along the road as far as I could & then across the field catching them up about 500 yards from the road. I cautioned them & said " I have reason to believe that you have broken open a locker in the building I saw you in a short time ago & have stolen a brown enamelled tea can & a quatity of tea & sugar. What have you done with it ?" Perkins said "I took the tea can after you were out of sight but have thrwon it away in the road", Smith said " I took the tea & sugar but I found the locker open". Parkins said "I had nothing to do with it" I said to Parkins "Did you break the padlock?" Parkins replied "No it was not me" I said "I shall take you into Bedford & charge you with stealing the tea& sugar & the brown enamel tea can, also for damage to the lock which is broken" Coming on to the highway again I searched in the grass& there found the teascan, produced marked "A" at the spot where I had previously seen one of them throw something. Parkins then said "We have used the tea & the sugar so you can't have that now" Signed Francis Henry Brown, PC .14 with consent & summarily delivery. Smith, pleads not guilty & is bound over under Probation Offences Act Perkins, pleads guilty & is remanded till 25th with a view to Borstal Treatment Parkins, Pleads Guilty & is sentenced to 7 days imprisonment The above depositions of Percival George Fordham & Francis Brown were taken & sworn at Bedfotd this 22nd June 1921 before me G C Walker Justices of the Peace for the County of Bedford In the County of Bedford. Petty Sessional Division of Bedford. Before the Court of Summary Jurisdiction sitting at Bedford in & for the Petty Sessional Division the 22nd June 1921. George Perkins hereinafter called the Defendent being an adult within the meaning of the Summary Jurisdiction Act 1879 is this day charged for that he between the hours of 5 p.m. on 16th & 6:30 a.m. on the 16th June 1921 at Renhold did feloniously steal take & carry away an enamelled can & a quantity of tea & sugar of the value together of 5/6 the property of one Percival George Fordham. The defendent having consented to be dealt with summarily is convicted of the offence & in appearing to the court that the defendent is not less than 16 years nor more than 21 years of age & that he has been previously convicted of an offence & that by reason of his criminal habits or tendencies it is expedient that he should be subject to detention for such term & under such instruction & discipline as appears most conducive to his reformation & the repression of Crime it is adjudges that the defendent shall be committed to His Majesty's Prison in Bedford aforesaid until the next Quarter Sessions to be holden for the said County G C Walker Justice for the Peace of the County

item

Fordham, Percival George,
Brown, Francis,
Perkins, George,
Smith, Arthur,
Parkins, Albert Edward,
Walker, G C

BEDFORD, RENHOLD, Great Barford, Cambridge, stealing, tea, sugar, builder's labourer