Reference
QSR1840/1/5/22/b
Title
Deposition of Francis Sale, constable and watchman of Biggleswade - John Green of Biggleswade, gardener, charged with assaulting and wounding Jonah Mager
Date free text
25 November 1839
Production date
From: 1839 To: 1840
Scope and Content
Last Saturday November 23 between 10 and 11pm he saw two men in the footpath in Shortmead Street against Walker's blacksmith's shop. He heard one of them say "oh dear!" as if he were hurt. He ran there and saw the prisoner and John Green [sic] on the ground in the parth struggling. Green was at the top of Mager and they had hold of each other. He parted them, lifted Mager up and saw the blood pouring down his head. He was then stunned and insensible. He got him home as well as he could. As he lifted Mager he saw the poker lying by his side. Mager said to Green "you have hit me with a poker". He pushed Green down the yard and told him to get into his house as soon as possible. Green appeared drunk and was in a great passion - he resisted when pushed down the yard. When he first found Mager on the ground he lay flat on his back as if he were dead. Mager eemed to revive when he got him, them again became insensible until he got him home. He returned half and hour later and found Mr Cater the surgeon there shaving Mager's head. He saw three great wounds on his head, cut right through to the skull bone. Mr Cater said Mager was in great danger and might not be alive in the morning. He immediately apprehended Green at Mr Cater's instruction. Two or three people were there when Green let him in - his brother's wife, sister to Mager, and a man named Thomas Walker. One said to him "you have killed the man" to which Green replied "I am sorry for what I have done - I did it in a passion. We had words in a public house and Mager struck me." As he was taking Green to the cage Green said "I bent the poker in striking him". He has not seen Mager since, but that morning Mr Cater delivered to him the certificate now produced.
Level of description
item