“Stealing Potatoes from the Railway Station”
Ashbourne News Telegraph, 10 May 1907

STEALING POTATOES FROM THE RAILWAY STATION.

George Bull, of Union street, Ashbourne, was charged on remand with stealing one bag of potatoes, value 5s, from the railway station on the 22nd of April.

Mr R. S. Marshall, solicitor, of Stoke, prosecuted on behalf of the North Staffordshire Railway Company; whilst Detective Inspector Arms, N.S.R., had charge of the case.

Mr Marshall said the case was rather a serious one, as defendant was under-brakesman in the employ of the North Stafford Railway Company. The goods were consigned by Messrs Dickinson, of Ormskirk, to Mears J. O. Jones & Sons, of Ashbourne, and before being sent off, the bags of potatoes were checked, and there were 74 of them. They arrived at Ashbourne by the 4-8 p.m. train on the 22nd of April. The truck was placed on the line near the goods station, but the bags were not counted until the next day. On the night of the 22nd about 11-45, however, P.C. Mellor was in the neighbourhood of the goods yard, and saw the defendant going away with a bag under his arm. On being accosted he said "I have just left off." The constable then remembered that he bad seen Bull in Dig street about 11 o'clock, and his suspicions were thus aroused. He then asked Bull what he had in the bag, and the latter replied "I have got some potatoes which I bought from a man at Macclesfield." P.C. Mellor asked defendant to go with him to the police station, and after being questioned by Supt. Burford, the potatoes were retained and Bull was allowed to go pending enquiries. The next day the truck was checked by the consignees, and was found to contain only 73 bags. As each bag weighed 112 lbs, and as only 36 lbs of potatoes were found in the bag taken from Bull, a search was made for the remainder. Altogether 68 pounds of potatoes were collected from the river Henmore, and thus 104 pounds were accounted for out of the 112 pounds, which latter included the weight of the bag itself. On the 25th defendant was arrested, and he made the contradictory statement that he had bought the potatoes from a man at Rocester ; he also added that Guard Sheppard had received them for him at the latter station, and knew all about the matter. When however the subject was mentioned to Sheppard, the latter denied the truth of that statement. On the 24th of April the defendant went to a man named Fearn at Clifton, and told him that the police had possession of the potatoes defendant had bought from him. Fearn denied that he had sold any potatoes to Bull.

Richard Harrison, a checker, in the employ of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company, and residing at 11, Bridge street, Ormskirk, deposed that he was on duty on Saturday, the 20th of April, at Ormskirk Station, when he received from Mr John Dickinson, of that town, consignment note No. 571, dated April 12th, for 74 bags of potatoes. Each bag weighed 1 owt, and they were consigned to Messrs J. O. Jones & Sons, of Ashbourne. The consignment note produced in Court bore witness's check. He checked the goods when they were loaded in truck No. 11197, and there were then 74 bags. Witness put the label (produced) on the truck, and the latter left for Ashbourne at 5-30 on the 20th ult. He saw the potatoes before they were put into bags, and those shown to him in the Court were similar to those sent from Ormskirk. He could recognise them by the peculiarly dark colour of the soil.

Mr Bond asked what was the name of the potatoes.

Mr Marshall: I believe they are "Up-to-dates."

Samuel Billinge, goods porter at Ashbourne Station, deposed that on Monday, the 22nd ult, he was at the station when the goods train arrived from Burton. It was witness's duty to check the numbers of the trucks. There was on that train a Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway truck, which was numbered 11197 and labelled "Potatoes." He duly recorded this in his book. The truck was placed on No. 1 siding, which was the one nearest to the goods sheds, and remained there until 10-30 the next morning.

On being asked if he wished to put any question to the previous witness, Bull replied, "No, I have no question to ask him, I am guilty.'

Trevor Jackson, foreman goods porter, was next called, but his evidence was not taken.

Defendant was then formally charged, and when asked if he wished to be dealt with summarily or go to Quarter Sessions at Derby, replied that he would rather be dealt with by the Court that day.

P.C. Mellor stated that about 11.45 p.m. on April 22nd he was on duty near the Parish Church, when he heard footsteps coming from the station said "Good night"; and defendant replied "Good night, I'm rather late." Witness then recollected he had seen him in Dig street about three-quarters of an hour before, and followed him. He asked him what he had in the bag under his arm, and he replied, "I have got some potatoes I bought from a man at Macclesfield." Witness took him to the police station, and before Supt. Burford be made the same statement. There were only 36Ibs of potatoes in the bag taken from Bull, and when it was reported that a bag containing potatoes and weighing 112Ibs altogether was missing from the station, witness and Detective-Inspector Arms made a search in the river Henmore on the 25th ult., with the result that 68 more pounds were found. They were of a kind similar to those taken from the defendant previously. The whole of the potatoes taken were valued at 5s.

Bull: I am very sorry; it is the first time I have been brought before a Court. I hope therefore you will deal leniently with me.

Mr Bond: I would like to ask if the defendant has been suspected before on the railway.

Detective-Inspector Arms: I have had complaints, but nothing that I could bring home to him. He has been on the railway at intervals for five years.

Supt. Burford said he had nothing at all against Bull previous to this charge. The Chairman (to defendant): We are very sorry to see you here in this position.

Defendant: So am I, sir.

The Chairman: I cannot understand how you could be so foolish as to jeopardise your character for a paltry the shillingsworth of potatoes. You have a good character from the Army and, so far as I know, have borne a good character throughout your life; you are a respectable and hard-working man; and yet you go and deliberately do this, for it was deliberate, no doubt. We shall be obliged to fine you 10s, and the costs are £3 6s 0d. If it were not for your good character, we should not have hesitated to send you to Derby gaol.

The defendant asked for time in which to pay the money.

Supt. Burford said he did not object to time being granted.

The Bench thereupon allowed defendant two months to pay the money; one month's imprisonment in default.

Mr Marshall: If the Bench will allow me, I should like to thank the police for the assistance they have given to the railway company in the matter.

The Chairman : We think it was a very smart piece of business on the part of P.C. Mellor, who caught the defendant.