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

Depositions of Witnesses: Harry Allen & Thomas John Vincent (Police Inspector) Dunstable. Case against Herbert Quinton

21st December 1920

From: 1920 To: 1920

QSR1921/1/5/3a(i)(ii) Borough of Dunstable to wit} The Examination of Harry Allen of No. 12 Union Street in the Borough of Dunstable 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 Nine Hundred and Twenty at the Borough of Dunstable aforesaid, unlawfully and feloniously did steal take and carry away a pair of trousers value seven shillings the property of Harry Allen. This Deponent Harry Allen on his Oath saith as follows: - I am a printing machine mender and lodge at No.12 Union Street Dunstable. On the morning of Friday the 17th day of December 1920 I had a pair of Blue Serge Trousers hanging on the back of a chair in my bedroom at No.12 Union Street, Dunstable. On the evening of that day I missed them, and at once gave information to the Police. The next day, Saturday the 18th day of December 1920the pair of trousers now produced to me were shown to me by Inspector Vincent and I identified the same as having been stolen from my bedroom on the previous day, Friday the 17th day of December 1920. I value the trousers at Seven Shillings. (signed) Harry Allen (QSR1921/1/5/3a(iii)(iv) This Deponent Thomas John Vincent on his Oath saith as follows: - I am an Inspector of Police Stationed at Dunstable. About 7.30p.m. on Friday the 17th day of December 1920 I received information from Harry Allen that a pair of Blue Serge Trousers belonging to him had been stolen from his lodgings at No. 12 Union Street Dunstable that morning. I immediately circulated the description of the Trousers, and on Saturday the 18th day of December I found the prisoner detained at Stoney Stratford Police Station. He was then wearing the trousers now produced to me. I brought the Prisoner to Dunstable Police Station where I cautioned him and charged him with stealing one pair of trousers value seven shillings the property of Harry Allen at Dunstable on the 17th December 1920. He replied “That is quite right, these are the pair I am wearing” I then made him change his trousers as he had left a pair at No.12 Union Street Dunstable. The trousers now produced to me are the Trousers the Prisoner was wearing when I arrested him. I showed the trousers to Harry Allen on Saturday the 18th December 1920 and he identified them as his property and values them at seven shillings. The prisoner made a statement [] the same day which I took down in writing and read over to him and told him I should produce it in evidence. He signed it. The statement was produced marked “A” (signed) Thomas John Vincent, Inspector. (QSR1921/1/5/3a(v) 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 pair of trousers value seven shillings and the property of Harry Allen 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 QSR1921/1/5/3a(vi) Borough of Dunstable – Criminal Appeal Act, 1907. R. v - Herbert Quinton List of Exhibits Number or Other Identifying Mark on Exhibit: “A” Short Description of Exhibit: Voluntary Statement by Prisoner Produced by Prosecution or Defence: Prosecution (signed) William Austin (Clerk to Committing Justice) QSR1921/1/5/3a(vii) I Herbert Quinton after being cautioned make the following Voluntary Statement. I stole a lady gold watch & chain at a place where I lodged at Watford on the 16th December 1920. I stole the Bicycle which I had in my possession at Kingston on Thames about a fortnight ago. I am also the man who is wanted for obtaining food & lodgings by false pretences at Hilton Derbyshire on the 28 & 29 of November 1920 & also for Larceny at Whitechurch Shropshire on the 1st inst. (signed) H. Quinton. This is the exhibit marked “A” referred to in the depositions of Thomas John Vincent Dated this 21st day of December 1920 (signed) William Austin, Clerk to the Justices. Rear of Document Form No.12 Bedfordshire Constabulary Division……….. Station……… …….19 QSR1921/1/5/3a(viii) Sir, It is, I believe as much my misfortune as my fault that brings me here this time for since my release from Peterhead (Scotland)four years ago I have striven continually to lead an honest strait [sic] forward life and I have failed in the end through no fault of my own. I am convinced; and I beg of you Sir to have patience with me while reading my statement for I want to prove that I have tried hard to do right but circumstances have worked against me, or it seems so at least. I was discharged from Peterhead on the 3rd of Dec. 1916 and went to Liverpool and joined the Army the next day. I was sent to the Coldstream Guards trained as a fighting soldier and a signaller at the Guards Depot Caterham; went to London to do Guards on the Palaces etc then I went to France and remained in France, Belgium and Germany until the Guards came home Feb. 1919. Arrived home a Windsor I was appointed to the Police a task I could not very well refuse as it is considered an honour but the honour was a short lived one for me, for one night when going on duty I ran up against a Warden Mr. Harrison from Wakefield who knew me well. The feeling of never being safe determined me to leave the Army my age allowing it I left and went to work in South Wales on the farm where I was very happy but the Council bought the whole place for small holdings and this threw me out of work so I went to Yarmouth and was employed as under foreman on the Corporation all through the Winter and here again I was unfortunate for suddenly they discovered that all men not actually living at Yarmouth was not entitled to work on the New Racecourse it was for the Yarmouth men only so again I was thrown out through no fault of my own. From Yarmouth I went to Grimsby and obtained a berth as trimmer on one of Sir George Sleight ‘Bart’ fishing boats and I sailed for him until November last raising in eight months from trimmer to 3rd hand I was doing well and love the life and here again I was thrown out, the ship was laid up for coal and ice so I rushed to Hull and got a ship; I done two trips in the North Sea then the coal strike came from that time until now I have only had two days work picking potatoes up for a farmer. I tried hard for work everywhere but got the same answer; no material to work with. The fishing boats have been out the whole time but now they can get plenty of coal I can always get plenty of work for I have my papers from the Board of Trade and my Character and Abilities are all Very Good. I have written this Sirs just to let you see how I have tried and yet have fell. I did not know what to do and I could not starve so I fell into my bad past again and am bitterly sorry for I am nearly 40 years of age and it seems I have not much time to work my salvation. I have made a clean breast of it all to the police and I earnestly beg of you to give me a clean slate to start with when I leave here, and another chance to go to the world and my work as soon as possible. Thank you, Sir. I am you obedient Servant. Quinton.

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Allen, Harry,
Quinton, Herbert,
Vincent, Thomas John,
Austin, William,
Sleight, J.S.

DUNSTABLE, Kingston upon Thames, Dunstable Union Street, Watford, Kingston upon Thames, Hilton, Derbyshire, Whitchurch (Shropshire), Scotland, Peterhead, Liverpool, Grimsby, London, France, Belgium, Germany, Windsor, Wakefield, Great Yarmouth, South Wales, Caterham, coal, army, Coldstream Guards, false pretences, trousers, watch, bicycle