QSR1895/1/5/1

Depositions of Joseph Herbert, Thomas Hawkins and Henry Arthur Hallett. In the case of Charles Andrews, accused of inflicting grievous bodily harm upon Joseph Herbert.

17 November 1894

From: 1894 To: 1895

Joseph Herbert: a retired member of the Metropolitan Police Force, living in Keysoe. He went into ‘The White Lion’ at Ravensden on the evening of 13 October and saw the defendant Andrews. He stayed between 10 and 15 minutes and then left in his cart, where he found that one of his two whips was missing. He overtook Andrews walking down Thurleigh Row, who had a whip under his coat. He accused Andrews of stealing his whip and tried to take it off of him. Andrews said that he would not go back and account for stealing the whip and stepped back 10 yards. Andrews then said “I’ll do for you” and took hold of his collar. He twisted around and was struck by Andrews on the side of his head, not knowing where the instrument that Andrews used came from. The blow took away his senses. Having hold of each other, he and Andrews both went back to ‘The White Lion’. Upon entering he asked if anybody knew Andrews, to which Mr. Peacock replied with a “Yes”. Andrews said nothing. He and Andrews were asked by Peacock to leave and they both left the inn. He was then struck again by Andrews, nearly rendering him unconscious. He could not see the instrument clearly, except that it was 2’ long, wrapped in paper, and heavier than the weight of paper alone. He was put in the cart and taken home. He was in bed a fortnight and under doctor’s care for 5 weeks. [Cross-Examined] He was in the Metropolitan Police Force over 20 years. He was in no doubt that Andrews stole his whip. Andrews was walking with a woman about 40 yards from ‘The White Lion’ when he overtook him. He was not sure whether he managed to take the whip off Andrews and he did not strike Andrews with the whip. He returned with Andrews to ‘The White Lion’ and asked if anyone know Andrews. He said that Andrews should be charged with stealing the whip. Peacock asked him and Andrews to leave the inn. He left with Andrews and did not return to the inn. He fell 2 yards from the inn after Andrews struck him with an instrument. Thomas Hawkins: a farmer living in Keysoe. About 7 in the evening on 13 October, he was in the tap room of ‘The White Lion’ at Ravensden. He saw both Herbert and Andrews enter the inn. He saw that both men were speaking loudly and holding a whip between them and that Andrews also had an instrument of a similar length to an umbrella, wrapped in paper. Herbert said to him that Andrews had stolen his whip and they then departed. He did not see them fall as they left. He saw Andrews strike Herbert on the head, though he was not sure where as it was dark outside. He saw both men fall to the ground, and get up holding the whip between them. He picked up Herbert’s cap and put him in the cart to see him home safely. [Cross-Examined] He picked up Hebert’s cap outside of the inn and witnessed Herbert and Andrews fall holding on to one another. He saw Andrews enter the inn first and when asked to leave by Peacock, Herbert was the first to leave. He followed both men outside, where Herbert fell first. [Re-Examined] He believed that the Andrews strike caused Herbert to fall. Henry Arthur Hallett: a doctor of medicine practicing in Kimbolton. On 13 October he was called into Herbert’s residence at Keysoe. He saw Herbert and found a large contusion above and behind the right ear and after the swelling had come down after 2 days, there was a distinct fracture on Herbert’s skull. He believed this was a result of a round, hard instrument used with great force – not a roll of paper. Charles Andrews: Travelling from Thurleigh from Bedford, he and his wife visited 'The White Lion' at Ravensden on Saturday. When he left the inn, and was crossing the road with his wife she trod on a whip. She picked it up and said that she would return it to Peacock of ‘The White Lion’ on Monday. He was then approached by Herbert who snatched the whip from him. He was then accused by Herbert of stealing the whip from him and struck on the head by him. He fell and was kicked by Herbert who then pinned him down and struck him again on the head. He went to leave with his wife but was attacked again by Herbert. His left eye was bleeding. He was struck several more time by Herbert, which made him bleed. He was also threatened by Herbert.

item

Herbert, Joseph,
Hawkins, Thomas,
Hallett, Henry Arthur,
Andrews, Charles,
Peacock

BEDFORD, RAVENSDEN, Kimbolton, KEYSOE, THURLEIGH, doctor, whip, Metropolitan Police, farmer, grievous bodily harm, Ravensden White Lion