QSR1921/1/5/3b(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)

Depositions of Witnesses: Joseph Humphrey 12 Union Street Dunstable & Thomas John Vincent (Police Inspector) Dunstable. Case against Herbert Quinton

17th December 1920

From: 1920 To: 1921

QSR1921/1/5/3b(i)(ii)(iii) Borough of Dunstable to Wit: The Examination of Joseph Humphrey of No. 12 Union Street in the Borough of Dunstable And of Frederick Gillard of Stony Stratford in the County of Buckinghamshire And of Thomas John Vincent of The Police Station in the said Borough. Taken on Oath this twenty first day of December in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Nine Hundred and twenty at Dunstable in the Borough of Dunstable aforesaid, before the undersigned, one of His Majesty’s Justices of the Peace for the said Borough of Dunstable in the presence and hearing of HERBERT QUINTON who was charged this day before me for that he the said HERBERT QUINTON on Friday the 17th day of December One Thousand and Twenty at the Borough of Dunstable unlawfully and feloniously did steal take and carry away a Silver Watch value Twenty Shillings the property of Joseph Humphrey. This Deponent Joseph Humphrey on his Oath saith as follows: _ I am a dealer and live at 12 Union Street, Dunstable. On Thursday, the 16th day of December 1920 about half past four in the afternoon the prisoner came to my house and asked for lodgings saying that he wanted lodgings for himself and a brother and also for some other men whom he was going to meet the follow morning. The prisoner stated he was a foreman on the Post Office telephone. I took him in and he had tea and about 8pm he went to bed. At that time my silver watch was hanging on a nail over the chimney piece, and the Prisoner saw me wind this watch up, and put it back on the nail. On the following morning Friday the 17th instant I saw the watch hanging in its place. The Prisoner came down about half past eight and had breakfast, after which he had a wash. I then went out of the house. About half past four in the afternoon I missed my watch and about 7.30pm the same day I went and reported the loss of it to Inspector Vincent at Dunstable Police Station. On Saturday the 18th day of December 1920 about 2p.m. I went to Dunstable Police Sation where I was shown by Inspector Vincent a watch which I identified as being the one stolen from my house No. 12 Union Street Dunstable the previous day. Friday the 17th December 1920. I value the said watch at twenty shillings. I also saw the prisoner at the Dunstable Police Station and I identified him as the man who lodged at my house on the night of December 16th 1920. (signed) with a X the Mark of Joseph Humphrey. QSR1921/1/5/3b(iv)(v) This Deponent Frederick Gillard on his Oath saith as follows: - I am a Police Constable of the Bucks Constabulary stationed at Stoney Stratford. On Saturday the 18th December 1920, I was making enquiries respecting a man wanted of larceny at Dunstable. At 9a.m. I saw the prisoner in the yard at the Cock Hotel, Stoney Stratford, as he was leaving the Harness Room I said to him “you answer the description of a man wanted at Dunstable for stealing a pair of trousers and a watch and I shall detain you for enquiries” He said “That’s me right enough” I took him to the Police Station. I said to him “Those trousers answer the description of a pair stolen from Dunstable” He said “yes I should be glad to get rid of them” At 11.30 a.m. the said day I received the silver watch produced from Mr Arthur Pidgen of Wolverton – the Watch produced is the one I refer to. (signed) Frederick Gillard. QSR1921/1/5/3b(vi)(vii) This Deponent Thomas John Vincent on his Oath saith as follows: - I am an Inspector of Police Station at Dunstable. About 7.30p.m on Friday the 17th December 1920 I received information from Joseph Humphrey that a Silver watch belonging to him had been stolen from his house No. 12 Union Street Dunstable that morning. I obtained from him a description of a man who had lodged there during the night of the 16th December 1920 and who had left about 9 a.m. I at once circulated by telephone a report to the Police in the surrounding district and at 9.30 a.m. on Saturday the 18th December 1920 I received a telephone message from the Bucks County Police informing me that they had the prisoner in custody at Stoney Stratford, in which town they had arrested him about 9 a.m. on Saturday the 18th December 1920. I then went to Stoney Stratford Police Station where I found the Prisoner in custody and I brought him back to Dunstable. I was handed the watch now produced to me by Seargent Stritten at Stoney Stratford. I cautioned the Prisoner and told him I should charge him with stealing a silver watch the property of Joseph Humphrey on the 17th December 1920. He replied “That is quite right – I had it” (signed) Thomas John Vincent, Inspector. QSR1921/1/5/3b(viii) Borough of Dunstable to Wit} Herbert Quinton stands charged before the undersigned one of His Majesty’s Justices of the Peace for the Borough of Dunstable this 21st day of December in the year One Thousand Nine Hundred and Twenty for that he the said Herbert Quinton on the 17th day of December 1920, at the Borough of Dunstable unlawfully and feloniously did steal take and carry away a silver watch value Twenty shillings the property of Joseph Humphrey And the said Charge being read to the said Herbert Quinton and the Witnesses for the Prosecution being severally examined in his presence, the said Herbert Quinton is now addressed by me as follows: “Having heard the evidence, do you wish to say anything in answer to the charge You are not obliged to say anything unless you desire to do so; but whatever you say will be taken down in Writing, and may be given in Evidence against you upon your Trial. And you are clearly to understand that you have nothing to hope from any promise of Favour, and nothing to fear from any Threat, which may have been holden out to you to induce you to make any admission or confession of your guilt, but whatever you shall now say may be given in evidence against you upon your Trial, notwithstanding such Promise or threat”: Whereupon the said Herbert Quinton saith as follows: - I have nothing to say. Rear of Document Taken before me at the Magistrates Court Town Hall Dunstable in the Borough aforesaid, on the day and year first above mentioned. And immediately after obeying the direction of the 18th Section of the Act Eleventh and Twelfth Victoria, Chapter Forty-Two, I, the said Justice of the Peace, did demand and require of the said Herbert Quinton whether he desired to call any Witness: and thereupon in answer to such demand the said Herbert Quinton[neither] called or desired to call [any person or persons] as Witnesses. (signed) W. E. Seamons

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Quinton, Herbert,
Gillard, Frederick,
Vincent, Thomas John,
Humphrey, Joseph,
Pidgen, Arthur,
Seamons, Willaim Edwin

DUNSTABLE, Stoney Stratford, Wolverton, Post Office, Dunstable Union Street, trousers, watch, money, stealing