QSR1921/4/5/7a to 7o

The examination of Edward Hughes, Bertie William Butcher & William Arthur Keens in the presence & hearing of Jennie Smith charged with stealing from Edward Hughes

3rd October 1921

From: 1921 To: 1921

a to f) Edward Hughes on his oathe said :- I am a Boot repairer, at present out of employment & reside at Bancroft Cottages, Sharpenhoe, occupying 2 rooms under John Mooring. On 22nd September 1921 the prisoner came to my house with a note from a man maned John Mooring, who is the landlord of the cottage in which I live.She gave me the note & in consequence of what was in the note she aited about outside the cottage until (he) Mooring returned in the evening. prisoner had a child with her. When Mooring returned he asked the prisoner into the house & she lived there until the following Thursday 29th September 1921. In the ordinary way there & living in the cottage myself my wife & 3 children & John Mooring. The prisoner had a handbag with her when she came . On Thursday 29th September my wife had come to Luton to the child efare with 2 of my children & I had gone into the village for 1/2 an hour. There were left in the house the prisoner, her child & one of my children. John Mooring had gone to a Farm Sale at Leagrave. When I returned from the village I found the prisoner had gone& the house was in a state of disorder. I found the woman's frock in the chai & a hat hanging on one of the pictures. In consequence of her not returning I became suspicious & searched the house & found my wifes coat missing, I waited until my wife returned thinking that possibly theprisoner might have gone to meet my wife.When my wife returned we had a though search & founf a quantity of childrens clothing , my wifes clothing & a few articles of jewellery missing. The list produced marked "A"is a list of the articles found to be missing. The missing articles are my wifes property, I value them at £15. I informed the police & subsequently at 5 am on the morning of 30th September 1921 in company with Police Constable Arthur Keen I went to the Ampthill Union & & then the Ampthill Police Station, I went on to Bedford alone to the PoliceStation & gave a description of the woman. In consequence of what I was told I went on my bicycle along the Wellingboro Road & a few miles out of Bedford I gorthe woman in sight & I went to the constables house at Milton Ernest still keeping the woman in sight & asked the constable to arrest her. About a mile further onthe constable arrested the prisoner. The underclothing was packed in the bottom of a push cart, which I identified as being my property & which is ommitted from the list marked "A". The prisoner was wearing a velour hat, gold locket, brooch., navy skirt which I indentified as being my wifes & my wife's coat was hanging over the handle pf the push cart. Prisoner was puching the cart & the child was in the cart dressedin on eof my childrens clothes. I went on to Sharnbrook & there the articles were spead out & shown to me & I identifed them as also being my property. I never at any time made a present of any ofthe articles mentioned to the prisoner & she had no authority to take them. I have never at any time made her any other form of present. I identify the priosner as being the woman who lived in the house in which I reside. Signed Edward Hughes Taken at Luton this 3rd October 1921 before me Edwin Oakley Justiice of the Peace for the County of Bedford g to i) Bertie William Butcher on oath said :- I am a Police Constable in the Bedfordshire Constabulary, stationed at Milton Ernest. on 30th September about 9:10am I was out side my house when I saw a woman pushing a push cart. She had a child with her& was going towards Wellingborough. At 9:25am I received certain information from Edward Hughes & incompany with him I follwed the woman. I overtook the woman at Milton Hill in the parish of Milton Ernest, Then P.C.34 came up & from what he told me in the presence of the woman I said to Edward Hughes "do you know this woman?" He replied " yes, this is the woman Smith" I then said to the woman "have you been working for Hughes?" She replied "yes" I then cautioner her & said "I shal detain you & take you to the Police Station" I now Identify the woman I detained as being the prisoner in the dock. I conveyed her to the Police Statiob at Sharnbrook with the push cart & the bundle she had in it. There the bundle was opened & the articles refered to were all found. I was at Sharnbrook Police Station when the witness Hughes indentifed the articles, before referred to as being his property. prisoner was wearing a black velour hat & a dark dress, she was pushing a cart with a child in it. The push cat, hat & dress were all indentified by the witness Hughes. I was present when the prisoner was charged with stealing the articles before referred to of a value of £11.17.6 the property of Edward Hughes of Sharpenhoe on 29th September 1921. Prisoner was cautioned & she replied "I admit it, I was destitute" signed B W Butcher Taken before me at Luton this 3rd October 1921, signed Edwin Oakley , Justice of the Peace for the county of Bedford j & k) William Arthur Keens on oath says :- I am a Police Constable in he Bedfordshire Constabulary, stationed at Barton, on Thursday 29th September 1921 I received a complaint fromthe witness Hughes of Bancroft Cottages, Sharpenhoe, to the effect that he had lost a quantity of clothing & jewellery, I made enquires & found that the prisoner Smith had disappeared.The next morning I proceded to Sharnbrook Police Station where I saw the prisoner & the articles mantionedretained by Sharnbrook police . I received the prisoner in custody fromSharbrook Police at 2pm, I then conveyed her to Luton County Police Station & cautioned her & charged her with having on the night of 29th September stolen the articles referred to as the property of Edward Hughes, which he valued at £15, she replied " I am sorry, I did it, I was destitute" Signed W A Keens Taken at Luton this 3rd October 1921 before me, Edwin Oakley, Justice of the Peace fot the County of Bedford l & m) List of Exhibits; R v, Jennis Smth 2 copies of the articles stolen, one signed by A Frank Barnard, deputy Clerk to the committing Justice & the other marked as; This is the exhibit marked "A" referred to in the depositions of Edward Hughes taken 3rd October 1921 before me, Edwin Oakley, Justice of the Peace for the County of Bedford n) Statement of accused; Jennie Smith charged before the undersigned, one of his Majesty's justices of the Peace for the Division of Luton this 3rd October 1921 that she did unlawfully take . steal & carry away a quntity of clothes, linen, jewellery & a push cart & other articles to the value of £15 the property of Edward Hughes. The charge was read & the witnesses for the prosecution being severall examined in her presence , she was asked if she had anything to say in answer to the charge, Whereupon the defendant said "I have nothing to say" Taken before me at the Court House Luton , Sinde Edwin Oakley o) a letter/statement written 10th October from Jennie Smith at H M Prison Northampton, giving the details of the circumstances that lead to her now being imprisoned.

item

Smith, Jennie,
Hughes, Edward,
Butcher, Bertie W,
Keens, William A,
Oakley, Edwin,
Barnard, A Frank,
Moorning, John

BEDFORD, LUTON, Sharpenhoe, MILTON ERNEST, SHARNBROOK, Wellingborough, AMPTHILL, stealing, clothing, jewellery, pushchairs