QSR1860/4/5/2-3

Depositions of Sarah Ainsworth, single woman of Luton. George Eyles, parish clerk of Luton. John Dorrington, David Jaquest, George Armstrong and William Charles Neville, police constables of the county of Bedford. George Smith, police sergeant of Luton. Richard Lambert, police constable of Luton. James Fensom, labourer of Luton and Patrick Benson, surgeon of Luton. In the case of Henry Lee and George Bennett otherwise Henry Simpson accused of being found by night in a certain building with intent to commit a felony and being armed with a dangerous weapon and having in their possession a picklock key without lawful cause. They were further charged with the assault of police constables whilst in execution of their duty.

10 September 1860

From: 1860 To: 1860

Sarah Ainsworth: on Monday 3 September she attended a meeting of the district visiting society at the vestry room in the parish church at Luton. She left the meeting at 8pm but had forgotten her umbrella. She went back to the vestry room for it. She called at Mr Eyles, the clerk’s and got the key from there. She went to the vestry room and found the door unlocked. She went in and fetched her umbrella and locked the door on leaving. She left the key at Mr Eyle’s house a little before 9pm. George Eyles: parish clerk at Luton and he resided near the church. She saw the key to the vestry door sae in his house on the night of 3 September between 10pm and 11pm. Nobody had the key after Miss Ainsworth that night. PC John Dorrington: he was on duty on the night of 3 September and between the house of 11pm and midnight his attention was drawn to the parish church. He went to the church and tried the chancel door. He sent for assistance and PCs Jaquest, Armstrong and Neville came as soon as they could. He thought there was someone in the church and did not think it safe to go in alone. When the other police officers came he again tried the chancel door and they stood for a moment or two before going round to the vestry door which was open. Jaquest went in first with Armstorng and Neville following. He followed. He heard a great noise inside. Directly he got in he saw the prisoner Bennett close to the vestry door. They had a very hard struggle outside the vestry door. Neville brought out the other prisoner, Lee. He afterwards searched the vestry with Sergeant Smith and Neville. They found the life preserver, and knife. The knife was open when found. He also found a box of Lucifer matches in the left hand coat pocket of Lee. Bennett kicked him severely on the right shin bone and gave him several blows on the right arm. Bennett had his staff out of Dorrington’s hand and struck Dorrington with it. PC David Jaquest: he was on duty in Luton on the night of 3 September. He went down to the parish church with constables Neville and Armstrong. They found Dorrington at the back of the vestry. They listened for a few minutes and heard something moving inside. Neville tried the door and found it wasn’t locked. They went in and he met George Bennett. He received a violent blow from a life preserver on his left cheek and fell to the ground senseless. When he recovered his senses he assisted in taking the prisoners into custody. Both prisoners were very resolute and seemed determined not to be taken. After some time, Superintendent Pope and Sergeant Smith came to their assistance. The prisoners were removed to the police station. When they got there Bennett said “the first man had a good blow”. Jaquest was kept in bed for 2 or 3 days and Mr Benson had attended him. The moon had been shining that night. PC George Armstrong: he was on duty in Luton on the night of 3 September. He went to the parish church with constables Neville and Jaquest at about 11.30pm. They examined the church doors and found the vestry door unlocked. It was a moonlight night. They went into the vestry as soon as they were in he received a blow just above his left ear from something the prisoner Bennett had in his hand. It stunned him for a minute or so and when he got round he caught hold of Bennett by the collar and assisted the other constable in getting him out of the vestry. PC William Charles Neville: he was on duty in Luton on the night of 3 September. He went to the parish church with constables Armstrong and Jaquest at about 11.30pm. He tried the vestry door and found it unlocked. Jaquest entered first and he followed. Jaquest was knocked down immediately. Dorrington and Armstrong came in together and a struggle ensued. Both prisoners came at him and he secured the prisoner Lee. Lee was stripped to his shirt sleeves and had no shoes on. He took Lee into the church yard and handcuffed him there with assistance from Jaquest. His right arm was hurt and was of little use up to the elbow. He also got a cut on the mouth. Sergeant George Smith: he was in duty in Luton and went to the church about 11.40pm. He saw the 4 constables Dorrington, Armstrong, Neville and Jaquest there with the 2 prisoners. The prisoners were very violent and he helped to secure them. He afterwards searched the vestry and found the 2 “jemmies”. There was an iron safe in the vestry and a small ‘jemmy’ was fixed between the edge of the safe and the stone work. He also found half a penny. He found the desk broken open and found the impression where it had been pressed open corresponded with the large ‘jemmy’. The lock on the safe was broken and the bottom part was half an inch out of the wall. PC Richard Lambert: he had charge of the police station and the lock up in Luton. It was his duty to search all the prisoners brought into the station. Bennett and Lee were brought it on the night of 3 September. He searched them and on Bennett found 18 shillings and 10 pence as well as a skeleton key. He had since tried the key in the vestry door of the parish church and the key unlocked the door. He found a shilling and 2 pence in money on Lee. The following Tuesday he received a bad from James Fensom containing 26 skeleton keys, 2 drills, a knife and a life preserver. James Fensom: a labourer at Luton. On 4 September he was going through the churchyard at Luton about 5.50am to his work at Mr Harrison’s garden. The footpath ran along part of the vicarage garden. The fence was about 40 yards from the vestry end of the church. He saw a black bag with a hat on top of it under some shrubs in the vicarage garden. He picked it up and took it to the garden and then looked inside. He found a quantity of keys, a knife, a dark lantern and a life preserver. He afterwards heard the church had been broken into and he took the bag to the police station. Patrick Benson: he was called in to see PC Jaquest. He found Jaquest suffering from a partial exhaustion with a wound on the left cheek. It was a contused wound. There was a slight cut on the outside of the face but inside there was severe laceration. It was such a wound as might have been inflicted by a blow from a life preserver. He continued to attend Jaquest and there was considerable swelling to the jaw and eye and Jaquest was not yet fit to return to night duty. He also saw Constable Armstrong and there was a wound on the side of the head and the blow was severe enough to produce a certain about of concussion. The blow may have been inflicted by a life preserver. He saw Armstrong the following day but as the wound was going well he had not attended him since. He attended Bennett for a severe injury to the elbow joint. Statements of the accused: George Bennett otherwise Henry Simpson - he reserved all he had to say until the trial. Henry Lee – nothing to say.

item

Lee, Henry,
Bennett, George,
Simpson, Henry,
Ainsworth, Sarah,
Eyles, George,
Dorrington, John,
Jaquest, David,
Armstrong, George,
Neville, William Charles,
Lambert, Richard,
Fensom, James,
Smith, George,
Benson, Patrick

LUTON, assault, police constable, trespass, breaking & entering, parish clerk, surgeon