Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    QSR1882/2/5/2
  • Title
    Depositions of Charles Smith, police constable of Luton, Sarah Everitt, Sarah Waller and Lily May Everitt, all of Luton, William Charles Griffiths, surgeon's assistant of Luton, Francis Shaw, bricklayer of Luton and William Tennant, platelayer of Luton. In the case of Robert Eyles, accused of indecently assaulting a child of 5 years.
  • Date free text
    15 February 1882
  • Production date
    From: 1882 To: 1882
  • Scope and Content
    Sarah Everitt: wife of James and residing at 1 Court Street, Luton. Her daughter Lily May was 5 years old and attended the Queen Square School in Luton. On 13 February she went to school as usual and returned about half past 4. She went in to the Old Church yard to play and returned just after five o’clock. She was screaming all the way down the path and did not speak for several minutes as she was convulsing with sobs. She told her mother a man took her away and said he would give her a penny if she would go for a little walk with him. Sarah Everitt examined her child and from what she saw she knew her child to have been indecently assaulted. Everitt took her child to the police station and on the way her daughter said a man took her into his arms at Pondwick Gardens. The Man had an old kettle. The man had wetted his fingers and undone his trousers. He had held her in his arms and put his person against her. After attending the police station they went to Mr Tomson’s surgery. She produced her child’s drawers. William Charles Griffiths: a member of the College of Surgeons, Edinburgh and assistant to Mr Tomson of Luton. The child was brought to him on 13 February and he examined her. [Description of examination…] He noticed spots of blood and semen on her drawers. Francis Shaw: a bricklayer working in Holly Walk, Luton. On 13 February about 20 past 4, he saw the prisoner going towards Lea Road, in the direction of Pondwicks. As they passed he said hello to the prisoner and asked where he was going. The prisoner replied he was going home. The prisoner had his hand on the shoulder of Lily May Everitt. He knew her not to be the prisoner child, as he did to have any. The prisoner was carrying an old tea kettle and the girl carried a slate. Sarah Waller: a machinist living on Lea Road. On 13 February she was at work in her front room and saw the prisoner go by carrying a child. The child had a slate in her hand and the prisoner carried a kettle. The child was Lily may Everitt. William Tennant: a plate layer for the Great Northern Railway Company, residing at 7 Gaiskill Terrace, Luton. On 13 February he was on the Great Northern Railway underneath a bridge near Crawley Green Road. He saw the prisoner and the child under the bridge. The child was crying. He went to them and saw the prisoner with his hand up the child’s petticoats. As soon as the prisoner saw him coming, he lifted the child onto the bank. He told the prisoner he should be ashamed of himself, a married man too. The prisoner left the child on the bank and Tennant went to ask her name. The prisoner had a kettle in his hand. Lily May Everitt: a five year old attending Queens Square School. The man asked her to go for a walk with him. He showed her a penny. They went to some gardens and lifted her over some rails. He undid his trousers and lifted her up [description of assault…] He slapped her and she cried again. He lifted her up a bank and over some rails and she went home and told her mother. The man had a kettle and she had held a slate. Charles Smith: he took the prisoner to the Borough Police office and Lily May Everitt identified him as the man that had taken her along the railway line. When charged, the prisoner said he had released a child off the line that afternoon but she was not the one. Statement of the accused: not guilty
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