QSR1865/4/5/5a

Depositions of William Hillyard, sergeant of police and Richard Henry Hawkes, victualler, both of Ampthill. In the case of James Cruws, labourer late of Ampthill, accused of assaulting William Hillayrd, a peace officer in the execution of his duty.

14 August 1865

From: 1865 To: 1865

William Hillyard: on 12 August he accompanied Superintendent Bates to the Kings Head in Ampthill. Bates quietly asked the men in the tap room to go because the landlord wanted to shut up. He was satisfied that the men heard Bates. Hillyard was not in uniform. Some of the men had been in town for some weeks and knew them. One man said to Bates, whilst holding a ‘splint’ towards him, “take this you b___ policeman and give me a light”. Bates replied the landlord wanted to close the house. Hillyard had his back turned to as he was trying to persuade some of the men to go. He heard Bates say “I won’t stand that” and Bates took the man by the collar. He assisted in putting the man out of the room. The prisoner followed them down the passage swearing and passed by Bates and struck Hillyard on the head. At the same time the first mentioned man came up and said to the prisoner “that is the b___r who put me out of the house” and the prisoner said “I’ll kill the b____r” and struck him violently on the face. Severally more of the men came out of the house and got him down on the street. The first mentioned man kicked him in the head and as soon as he got up the prisoner struck him and knocked him down. The first mentioned man kicked him in the eye and kicked him several more times. Hawkes then came to his assistance and got the men away. He got away into the house. He was followed into the house but not struck again. He bled a good deal from the head. It was an hour and a half before the place was quiet. Many inhabitants came to their assistance. On the morning of Sunday 13 August he found the prisoner in bed in his lodging in Ampthill. He told the prisoner he should take him into custody. He asked the prisoner why he had struck him the previous night and the prisoner said “you b___ because you turned that little fellow out of the doors”. The prisoner was quite sober when he was taken into custody and did not resist. Richard Henry Hawkes: he was the landlord of the Kings Head in Ampthill. On the Saturday night, after 10pm, a quantity of railroad men came into the tap room. They seemed jovial. Between 11.30pm and 11.45pm he asked the men to go as he wanted to clean up. The men said they would not go until midnight. Bates and Hillyard came in and asked the men to go. They refused. Bates spoke to them civilly. He heard a short man speak to Bates and call him “a B___r policeman” he saw Bates trying to put the man out and all the other men went to stop Bates. There was a great row. A regular fighting at Bates and Hillyard, he saw Hillyard thrown out of the doors and the prisoner was one of the men attacking Hillyard. He saw the little man kick Hillyard about the head and body whilst he was down. He succeeded in getting the men off Hillyard and getting Hillyard into the house. Hillyard appeared very much cut about the head and face. The men rushed into the house after them and fell on both Hillyard and Bates. The prisoner was one of the men who struck both the policeman. The men were all swearing and using very bad language. Some of the neighbours came to their assistance before they were able to get the house clear. After the men were out they remained in the street using threatening language. The men broke the front door by kicking it and knocking it in. It was almost 2 hours before the street was quiet. He considered it unsafe for anyone to go out onto the street at that time. Statement of the accused: he had nothing more to say.

item

Cruws, James,
Crews, James,
Bates, James,
Hillyard, William,
Hawkes, Richard Henry

AMPTHILL, assault, victualler, police officer, police sergeant, superintendent of police, Ampthill Kings Head, drunkenness, railway worker