QSR1881/4/5/5b

Depositions of Joseph Dunton, labourer of Girtford, Herbert Charles Strover, medical practicioner of Sandy, Job Hull, groom of Tempsford Hall, Tempsford and William Bedlow, superintendent of police. In the case of William Fellowes accused of maliciously wounding Joseph Dunton.

10 September 1881

From: 1881 To: 1881

Joseph Dunton: on 6 September he had been at Roxton for some time attending a fire at Mr Aryes. He had worked the engine the whole time he had been there. He saw the prisoner, and after he had done pumping the prisoner challenged him to a fight. He told the prisoner to go home. The prisoner went away and then came back and challenged him to fight again. He told the prisoner he would meet hi halfway and as soon as they met the prisoner struck him. After the prisoner had struck him, the prisoner went on to Job hull and Hull and prisoner fell to the ground. Hull shouted for help and that Fellowes had a knife. He pulled the prisoner off of Hull and Hull and he went off in to the road. He next saw the prisoner at a public house kept by a man called Mardlin. He identified the prisoner to Superintendent Bedlow. He afterwards went to Dr Strover. Herbert Charles Strover: a medical practitioner at Sandy. On the morning of 6 September he examined Dunton, who he found to have lost a great deal of blood. After removing his shirt he found him to have a gaping wound which was bleeding on the upper inner side of his left shoulder. Job Hull: a groom at Tempsford Hall. He had been at Roxton with Dunton at the fire. After the pumping was over, the prisoner had come over the Dunton and challenged him to fight. Dunton went to the prisoner and he saw the prisoners strike Dunton with his right hand on the shoulder. He did not see Dunton strike the prisoner. The prisoner came over to him and he did not see anything in the prisoner’s hand. He then felt something in his mouth but did not call out. He saw blood gushing down Dunton’s clothes. William Bedlow: on 5 & 6 September he had gone to a fire at Roxton. He had seen the prisoner on the morning of 6th, clearly drunk and he had told him to go home. He saw him again later that morning outside the public house of James Mardlin. The prisoner ran past him calling out “I’m stabbed, I’m stabbed”. Fellowes went into one of the rooms of the public house and he followed. Fellowes had a knife. Bedlow told him to give him the knife and said he could not see where he had been stabbed, only that his nose was bleeding. Dunton came in and said the prisoner was the man who had stabbed him. The prisoner said he had done it in self defence. The prisoner was taken into custody and conveyed to Bedford. On the way to Bedford the prisoner said he was sorry this had happened on account of his wife and children and that as he had know Bedlow for many years, he hoped Bedlow would do all he could for him. Statement of the accused: nothing to say. He did not know how it had been done, but he was very sorry.

item

Fellowes, William,
Hull, Job,
Dunton, Joseph,
Bedlow, William,
Strover, Herbert Charles,
Mardlin, James

wounding, ROXTON, TEMPSFORD, Girtford, fireman, medical practitioner, groom