QSR1885/2/5/4

Depositions of Abraham Kennedy, superintendent of police, Gadsby Street, Bedford, Alfred William Wilsher, railway porter of Turvey and Rebecca Lay, tailoress of Lavendon. In the case of William Matthews accused of indecently assaulting Rebecca Lay.

14 March 1885

From: 1885 To: 1885

Rebecca Lay: a tailoress living in Lavendon. On 7 March she was at Turvey station and came from Turvey by the 8.15pm train. The prisoner began to talk to her. She had been in the waiting room when a man came down and stared at her. The man went on to the train, took his ticket and went through. The stationmaster knew her and when she went through she gave him sixpence. When the train came, the man took hold of her and took her to a carriage. She did not want to go in the carriage. She was afraid of him. She sat in the carriage and he sat opposite her. He spoke to her but she did not understand him as she was deaf and dumb. She took a parcel from her side and wrote on it “I am deaf and dumb. I have no father or mother.”. He spoke to her again and she told him again she was deaf and dumb. About 5 minutes later he attempted to kiss her and tried to be rude to her. [description of the assault]. The train stopped in Bedford and the man got out and then assisted her out. He took hold of her basket. She carried the parcel and her umbrella. She refused to take his arm and did not wish to be seen with such a man. He wanted her to walk down a dark street and take her into a passage. She was going to her cousin’s house but the man took hold of her and they went past the house. He pushed her over on her back. [further description of the assault]. The man hard someone coming and got up in a hurried manner but did not see anyone. He kissed her goodnight and went away. She went to her cousin’s in Thurlow Street and later pointed out the man in Midland Road. Alfred William Wilsher: a porter in the service of the Midland Railway Company at Turvey. He was in attendance at the station on the evening of 7 March. He saw the prisoner and Rebecca Lay in the waiting room. He heard the prisoner speak to Miss Lay and the stationmaster told the prisoner that Miss Lay was dead and dumb. He saw them alone in the carriage. Eliza Ann Denton: wife of Joseph living in Little Thurlow Street in Bedford. Rebecca Lay was her cousin; was deaf and dumb and had been so for 25 years. Lay can make a weak winging noise. On the evening of 7 March, Lay came to the house and on opening the door, Lay rushed in. Lay fell down on the first chair and threw her basket, parcel and umbrella on the floor. Lay commenced crying and expressed in the deaf and dumb alphabet that she had been assaulted. Lay’s jacket was dirty as though it had been through gravel and she was very upset. She went with Lay up Silver Street, round town and down George Street. They saw the man in Midland Road and Lay said in the deaf and dumb alphabet ‘bad man’. She laid a hand on the prisoners shoulder and said “This is the man that my cousin says insulted her in a railway carriage coming from Turvey station. “ The man was very angry and said he had not been to Turvey but from Clapham and he was going to find work. She begged his pardon for having stopped him and the man said he would summons her for taking away his character. She left him and went to her cousin and went home. She saw the man against Mr Kennedy’s house. Abraham Kennedy: he went in search of the prisoner on 11 March and found him at Clapham where he resided with his father-in-law. The prisoner gave his name as William Matthews and said he had been working at Jarvis’s in Bedford in the Saturday until past 1pm. The prisoner was asked if he had been in Turvey that day and he said he had been. The prisoner said he caught a train a little after 6pm and had been alone in a carriage. He then changed his mind and said he had been in a carriage with a woman but had not spoken to her. He said the station master had told him the girl was deaf and dumb. The prisoner was taken to the police station and he was placed along with 4 other people in the exercise yard. He took Mrs Denton and Miss Lay to the yard and the prisoner was identified by Miss Lay. The prisoner was charge. Whilst Kennedy was writing down his description the prisoner asked “will money get me out of this if my friends pay”. Statement of the accused: nothing.

10 pages

item

Matthews, William,
Kennedy, Abraham,
Wilsher, Alfred William,
Lay, Rebecca

TURVEY, sex crimes, assault, Bedford Thurlow Street, CLAPHAM, BEDFORD, railway carriages, Midland Railway Company