QSR1864/3/5/3d,4a

Depositions of Thomas Bradshaw, police constable of Leagrave. George Smith, police sergeant of Luton. Samuel Pope, superintendent of police of Luton. Benjamin George, police sergeant of Toddington. Alfred Heale, surgeon of Luton. In the case of Thomas Marlow & James Muskett accused of assaulting and beating Thomas Bradshaw with intent to prevent their lawfully apprehension.

2 May 1864

From: 1864 To: 1864

PC Thomas Bradshaw: on the morning of Sunday 17 April about 4am he was on duty. The prisoners were driving a horse and cart going along the Leagrave Marsh Road towards Luton and he met it where the roads joined. Marlow was driving and Muskett sitting with him. They stopped. He put his hand over the cart and felt a sheep. He got on the cart shaft and Marlow knocked him off and they fell to the ground together. A struggle took place and Marlow said to Muskett while we were on the ground, “come on, come on”. Muskett came and struck him with the butt end of a whip over the head several times. Marlow got his staff and beat him about the head with it. He saw a handcuff on Muskett’s hand whilst he was beating him. After some time Muskett left him and turned the horse towards Dunstable. Marlow left too. Bradshaw got out of the ditch and went towards the cart with his lamp in his hand which he believed he threw at Marlow. Marlow turned around and said “blast your eyes” and struck him a violent blow on his forehead with the staff. It knocked him insensible. The next thing he remembered was seeing a man drawing coke at the Gas House. He had been under medical treatment since and had been unable to do his duty. When he got up into the cart he thought he said “Give me your hand” to Marlow. Sergeant George Smith: on 17 April he went to the stable of the prisoner Marlow and found the whip. It was wet and had some blood on the handle. There was no ferule on the butt when he found it. He produced a brass ferule which fitted the butt end of the whip, which he had picked up on the Leagrave Marsh road, where there were marks of a struggle. Superintendent Samuel Pope: on the 21 April, Muskett was in custody on another charge. Muskett said that he was with Thomas Marlow on Sunday morning and that when they had got to the turn the policeman stopped them and got into the cart. The policeman handcuffed him but Thomas caught hold of the policeman and they fell together, with the policeman falling on top. Muskett said Tom got on top of the policeman and took the staff from him and that he had hit the policeman 2 or 3 times with the stock of the whip. The statement was read to Muskett and he put his cross on it. The statement was made voluntarily. Sergeant Benjamin George: on 19 April Thomas Marlow was in custody on another charge. On being charged Marlow said he had the sheep and had put them in Mr Anstee’s pen. On being charged with the assault of the policeman, the prisoner said the policeman had hit him first. Bradshaw had put handcuffs of Musket and wanted to put them on him. Marlow said the constable had struck him with his staff and knocked him out of the cart. They had fallen together and the police man had landed on top of him. Marlow said he had called to Muskett to hit the policeman and Muskett struck the policeman a couple of times with the whip stock. He got the staff from the policeman and struck him several times. The policeman had told him to stop a minute and made a grab for his throat. Marlow said he bolshed him up and fetched him 3 or 4 more good cuts on the head with the staff and then he threw it over the hedge. He gave the prisoner to the custody of Superintendent Young and the same day took a statement in pencil and gave it to Young. He made the copy 2 or 3 days later. Alfred Heale: a member of the Royal College of Surgeons and a Licentiate of the Apothecaries Company. He practiced in Luton. On 17 April, he was called to attend PC Thomas Bradshaw at the Gas House in Luton. Bradshaw was prostrate and bleeding freely from several wounds on both the front and back of his head. The wounds all had the appearance of having been inflicted by a blunt instrument like a whip or constables staff. Bradshaw had been under his care since and was not well. Bradshaw had been severely beaten. He did not view it as a dangerous case. Had erysipelas had taken place then his life would have been endangered. Statement of the accused: Musket – not guilty Marlow – not guilty

item

Marlow, Thomas,
Muskett, James,
Musket, James,
Bradshaw, Thomas,
Smith, George,
Pope, Samuel,
George, Benjamin,
Heale, Alfred

LEAGRAVE, LUTON, TODDINGTON, stealing animals, sheep, assault, policeman, surgeon