Curious story of public-house theft

Hertfordshire Mercury, 31st July 1915

Transcript

At Cheshunt Petty Sessions Ernest Williams (28), James Beaton Rowland (31), of Albert Road, Waltham New Town, labourers, and George William Cutmore (47), of Cheshunt, acid worker, were charged with being concerned together in stealing, on July 15, £2 in silver from a till at the Moulders Arms, Eleanor Cross Road, the property of William Henry Ward.  Detective-Sergt. Childs reported to the Bench that the prisoner Williams had not surrendered to his bail, but had sent a letter saying that he had joined the Army, and did not intend attending the Court unless he was fetched.  He also asked for permission to withdraw the charge against the man Rowland, and to call him as a witness for the prosecution.  The Bench agreed to this course, and the case against Cutmore was then proceeded with. The defendant was represented by Mr. Windsor, of Tottenham.

The prosecutor said that at 2.30 in the afternoon of July 15 he left the bar of the public-house, leaving Cutmore, Rowlands and Williams in the bar.  On a rack near the till were 4 half-crowns, 11 florins, and 8 separate shillings.  About three minutes after he had gone into dinner his wife, who meanwhile had gone into the bar, called him, and on going to the till he missed the coins from the rack.  Rushing out of the house he caught Williams, and said ‘Up with the money you have had off the till’.  Williams denied that he had had any money, and turned nasty.  PC Cumming came along, and they took Williams back to the house.  Cutmore accompanying them quite voluntarily. On arriving at the house he searched Williams, and found in his waistcoat pocket £1 19s. in silver, made up of the coins mentioned, less one shilling.  He gave Williams into custody, but the police said they would take all three men. In reply to Mr Windsor the prosecutor said he had known Cutmore some months as an absolutely respectable and honest man.  He was not charging him with the theft; nothing was furher from his thoughts.  There was nothing to have stopped Cutmore walking away when the witness took hold of Williams; the witness did nothing to detain him.

James Rowland, a labourer at the Gunpowder Factory, said that when Mr Ward left the bar M Williams went through the tap room and took some money off the till, and coming back he left the house by the front door. Cutmore left the house some two or three minutes before Williams went to the till.  When Williams went out he (Rowlands) went to the saloon bar and gave information to Mrs. Ward.  This statement was supported by Mrs Ward, and the Clerk intimated that there was no case against Cutmore.  Mr Windsor said his client had been employed for four years at the Gunpowder Factory, and was a married man, with the highest character.  He was there that day because he happened to be in the company of a man who was alleged to be a thief. The case against Cutmore was dismissed, the Chairman observing that there was no reflection on his character whatever.  A warrant was granted for the arrest of Williams.

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