QSR1881/1/5/5b

Depositions of defence: Alfred Gardiner, Ernest Albert Sergeant, Alfred Bailey and Annie Wallinger. In the case of Ezekiel Henry Larter accused of the indecent asssault of Ada Warren & Harriet Wright, a children under 12.

8 November 1880

From: 1880 To: 1881

Alfred Gardiner: attended the National School in Turvey. The master, Larter was going to give dictation to the 1st and 2nd classes but he gave the book to Gardiner to and asked him to read out the dictation for the class. Once Larter had given him the book, he left the room. When he returned Larter took the book from him and began reading where he had left off. He returned to his place and began taking down the dictation too. The class had written 3 or 4 lines whilst the master had been gone. He did not see Warren & Wright leave the room but he saw Wright come into the room from the door facing the street. She had a paper bag. [cross examination] he knew where Bailey the carrier lived and it would take 10 minutes to go there and back. He had said Larter was out of the room about the same amount of time it would take him to go to Bailey’s and back. He meant that he would have been running. He could not say how longer Larter was out of the room. He did not hear the door lock. Albert Sergeant: a monitor at Turvey School. He did not see Warren & Wright leave the room, but he saw Larter leave. He thought Larter was gone about 5 minutes. He saw Wright come back in the opposite door to Larter and she had a paper bag which she took to Larter. He had been asked by others if it was longer than 5 minutes but he did not believe it was. Mrs Mardlin had a long conversation with him about how long Larter had been out of the room, and did not seem happy with his reply. Alfred Bailey: a monitor at the national school in Turvey. On the afternoon of 30 November he had been teaching class 4 and saw Larter give the book to Gardiner. He later saw him take the book back from Gardiner. It was about 5 minutes later. Gardiner did not finish the whole lesson. He saw Wright come into the room with a bag. Annie Wallinger: a pupil teacher at Turvery School. She did not see Warren or Wright leave but saw Larter come in with a book in his hand. The inner door was shut whilst Larter was out of the room. She saw Warren & Wright come into the room. They were not crying.

12 pages

item

Larter, Ezekiel Henry,
Kennedy, Abraham,
Mardlin, George,
Warren, Ada,
Wright, Harriet,
Osbourne, Bertha,
Underwood, Emily,
Gardiner, Alfred,
Mardlin, Eliza,
Warren, Elizabeth

TURVEY, sex crimes, schoolmaster, Turvey National School