Victorian Crickhowell - more about the case of the stolen boiler

Crickhowell and district
Crime and punishment

More about...	The case of the stolen boiler
	Mary's son James went to see the police in Abergavenny and reported the theft. PC Patrick Cusack immediately tracked the stolen boiler to a local shop. The shopkeeper said that Samuel Powell had sold the brass boiler to her that morning. She said Powell told her that an old widow had asked him to sell it for her. The shopkeeper gave him 8/7d for it [about 43p].

Another witness was John Evans, a local wagon driver who said he and the small boy who helped him had given a lift to Samuel Powell the night before.
It was a long journey in the dark and Mr Evans climbed in the back for a snooze while the boy drove. Around Glangrwyne Mr Evans woke up and found Samuel Powell was not there.
A little later when they were unloading sacks of seed Powell came back carrying something which he put in the wagon. When they got to Abergavenny Mr Evans helped Samuel Powell unload the boiler and Powell went off with it.

The police traced Samuel Powell to Monmouth where he was arrested. When questioned he said he had found the boiler in the road (which is not what he told the shopkeeper he sold it to !)
At the court the jury did not believe his story and he was found guilty. The extract from the court records below tells us what his sentence was.

It reads:
"To be imprisoned in the gaol or House of Correction for this county for the space or period of twelve calendar months and during that time to be put to hard labour."
This probably meant Samuel Powell spent his year in gaol breaking rocks.

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