HF41/7/8/75

Hertfordshire Express article entitled "The Extraordinary Charge of Malicious Damage", reports the Hearing in more detail than HF41/7/8/72.

22 Nov 1890

From: 1890 To: 1890

Powers counsel, Mr Bussard by fierce and persistent cross-examination of Hooper forced him to admit, reluctantly, that the prosecution had been his idea. Bussard suggested to the jury that Hooper, as Clerk to the Magistrates, had used his position to manipulate the previous Hearing before them about a fortnight previously (although Hooper had not acted as Clerk that day.) The Jurors were told that Hooper was "the real criminal" and that the prosecution had been inspired by spite, from resentment at George Powers's attacks on Hooper’s Salary as Clerk to the Biggleswade Poor Law Guardians. Bussard hinted that Hooper and Archdale (the Banker) connived to keep the interest on large sums of money belonging to the Guardians deposited with Hooper. George Powers had tried to expose this practice The Jury took three quarters of an hour to reach a verdict and the Judge passed a three month prison sentence

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Hooper & Fletcher,
Bussard,
Hooper, T J,
Hooper, Thomas James,
Powers, George,
Archdale, Frederick

Hooper & Fletcher, general legal process, court, newspapers, newspaper cuttings, Hertfordshire Express, malicious damage, buildings and land use, Shefford Campton Farm, CAMPTON, general legal profession, Clerk to the Magistrates, wages, clerk, Biggleswade Poor Law Union, money, prison