QSR1898/1/5/1

Depositions of Harry Gregory, Septimus Biggs, Edward Whitworth, William Chamberlain and Joseph Gibson. In the case of Thomas Charles Wadsworth, accused of inflicting grievous bodily harm on Harry Gregory.

17 November 1897

From: 1897 To: 1898

Harry Gregory: a manufacturer of Luton. On Saturday 6th November about 3pm he was going to a football match. As he turned the corner of Guildford Street he saw the prisoner coming towards him. The prisoner was carrying a walking stick. He was lighting his pipe and both his hands were engaged when the prisoner passed him on the left hand side. As the prisoner passed without a word the prisoner struck him across his right ear. The blow knocked him into the road. When he recovered consciousness he was standing in the road being held up by passers by. He was bleeding from three wounds, one from the ear and two on the head. He can give no reason for the prisoner assaulting him. [Cross-examined] He has not worked since the attack. The prisoner did not speak but muttered and opened his teeth when he was attacked. When re regained consciousness he saw the prisoner going round the corner. Septimus Biggs: a salesman of Luton. On Saturday 6th November about 3pm he was in Guildford Street. He saw the prisoner pass Mr. Gregory and strike him on the side of his head with his walking stick. Mr. Gregory twisted round and fell down on his back. After Mr. Gregory fell he saw the prisoner strike him at least twice more on the head, with the last blow breaking the walking stick. The prisoner took the upper part of the walking stick away with him. He could suggest no reason for the assault. [Cross-examined] He was between 30 and 40 yards from the prisoner when he saw that he was hitting Mr. Gregory. [Re-examined] He was following the prisoner because he had previously struck him. Edward Whitworth: of Luton. On 6th November he was coming up a passage leading into Guildford Street with Mr. Biggs. He met the prisoner who was swinging a large walking stick about. He saw Mr. Gregory turn the corner and the prisoner strike him with the stick soon after. Mr. Gregory was lighting his pipe at the time and the blow caught Mr. Gregory across the right ear. Mr. Gregory fell to the ground and the prisoner stuck him two more times on the head which broke the walking stick. William Chamberlain: detective sergeant with the Luton Borough Police. On 6th November he apprehended the prisoner on a warrant. He found the prisoner at his rooms in John Street, Luton. The prisoner jumped up and said that they have been booing around the area all morning and that he couldn’t stand it any longer. He said that if they came to his rooms he would shoot them or burn them. On the sideboard of his room he found the top of the broken walking stick. The stick measured 1 inch in diameter. [ Cross-examined] He arrested the prisoner about 6.30pm on 6th November. At the arrest he concluded that the prisoner was recovering from the effects of drink. [Re-examined] He was in court on 19th September 1895. Joseph Gibson: of Luton. The prisoner had been living in his house for over two years. Previous to the assault he had a very bad cold for a week. The night previous to the assault the prisoner came home early from work and on the morning of the assault the prisoner was in a high state of fever. The prisoner asked him for a mixture of glycerine and a little whiskey for an affection of the lungs. He got the prisoner the glycerine and whiskey. He saw the prisoner before he left on the morning of 6th November. The prisoner had his window open and was very excited. The prisoner was very gentlemanly except when he was in a fit of excitement. [Cross-examined] The prisoner has lived with him for about 2 years . The prisoner was away from the house for a month in September or October 1895. The prisoner has had previous symptoms of excitement after taking whiskey. He got the prisoner a shillings worth of whiskey and two pennyworth of glycerine. Thomas Charles Wadsworth: It was quite an accident.

item

Gregory, Harry,
Biggs, Septimus,
Whitworth, Edward,
Chamberlain, William,
Gibson, Joseph,
Wadsworth, Thomas Charles

LUTON, GBH, manufacturer, salesman, whiskey, drunkenness, walking stick