Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    QSR1918/3/5/1a to 1n
  • Title
    The Examinations of Arthur James Sanford, James William Ridgeway, Martin Craig, Sidney Woods, John Newitt, Thomas John Vincent, & Henry Stones Walsh. Taken upon oath 21st June 1918 at the Town Hall in Woburn, in the presence & hearing of Bertie Royal Gutteridge, charged that on 8th June 1918 at Tilsworth he unlawfully did assault beat & wound Arthur James Sanford causing him actual bodily harm Against the Peace; -
  • Date free text
    21st June 1918
  • Production date
    From: 1918 To: 1918
  • Scope and Content
    a to c) The said Arthur James Sanford saith I am a Private in the Army Service Corps & am lent as an Engine Driver to James William Ridgway Steam Plough Proprietor of Skimpot Dunstable. On the 6th June 1918 we were steam cultivating for Mark Abraham at Billinton & the defendant who was riding the cullivator during the afternoon refused to work. Mr Ridgway came & gave me certain instrustions & in consequence defendant was not allowed to do any more work but he remained living with us in the van. on 18th June we moved to Tilsworth & in the afternoon Mr Ridgway came to pay us. At about 4.45pm Mr Ridgway & my 2 mates (Craig & Woods) came up to living van with me. Defendant was then in the van, I heard him ask Mr Ridgway for his money. Mr Ridgway refused to pay him because he had left of work on 6th, Defendant said to him " You F........g Bastard I will murder you" & at the same time he struck at him with a shovel. Mr Ridgway picked up an iron pin with which to defend himself, & then went towards Hockcliffe for the policeman. I was washing myself, head down over a bucket, the Defendant said to me "you f.......g bastard I will murder you" & stuck me over the back of the head with the shovel knocking me down on the ground & when I was down he struck me a severe blow on the left shoulder, I became unconscious, I have been under the care of Dr Walsh ever since. There was a severe wound to the back of my head. The Shovel produced is the one I was hit with. Signed Pt A J Sanford d to e) The said James William Ridgway being sworn saith; I live at Skimpot Dunstable & am a Steam plough Proprietor. On 6th June 1918 I was visiting my Machines which were working at Mr Abraham's at Billington, I found the machines standing idle. The defendant was not there & in consequence of what I was told I gave Stanford, who was in charge, instructions not to allow him to resume work on his return. On 8th June I went to Tilsworth to pay the men. I went to the living van which was standing by the Tilsworth Road. The Defendant was there, he asked me for his money, I told him that if he would give me £5 for the time lost on Thursday through his absenting himself, I waould pay him, he went round the back of the van & picked up a shovel, he said "You f....g bastard I will murder you" & struck at me with the shovel. I picked up an iron pin to defend myself. I then went to Hockcliffe to fetch P C Allen I returned to the van with the policeman. We found Sanford lying on the grass with a large wound on the back of his head. He was partly conscious. Signed J W Ridgway f to g) The said Martin Craig being sworn saith; I am a Private in the Army Service Corps & am lent to Mr Ridgway as a Steam Plough Engine Driver. on 8th June 1918 about 4.45pm I was at the living van which was standing by the side of the road to Tilsworth. Mr Ridgway went towards Hockcliffe for the policeman, Then I saw defendant come round from the back of the van with a shovel in his hand. He said to Sanford, who was washing himself & had his head bent over a bucket of water ,"you f.......g bastard I will murder you" & at the same time he struck him with a severe blow on the head with the shovel. Sanford fell & was unconscious, defendant then left & went towards Tilsworth. He struch Sanford twice, I saw the mark on his shoulder of the second blow, the left shoulder. I went to fetch a nurse. Signed M Craig h to i) The said Sidney Woods being sworn saith; I am a Steam Plough Engine Driver in the employ of Mr Ridgway & live at Stopsley. On 8th June about 4.45pm I was inside on living van, which was standing near the road to Tilsworth. Mr Ridgway came to the van to pay us our money, I heard defendant ask him for his money, Mr Ridgway refused to give him it because he left work on Thursday. The defendent said to Mr Ridgway " you f.......g bastard I will murder you" & he struck at time with a shovel he had in his hand. Mr Ridgway picked up an iron pin to defend himself. Mr Ridgway went to Hockcliffe to fetch a policeman. Then I heard defendant say to Sanford " I will murder you, you f.......g bastard " Craig was standing in the doorway of the van & from what he said I went to the door, Sanford was lying on the ground unconscious, he had a large wound on the back of his head. I could not see defendant anywhere when I got out of the van. Signed S Woods j) The said John Hewitt sworn saith; I am a Police Constable stationed at Dunstable. On 8th June 1918 about 9.30pm from instructions received I went to no. 11 Manchester Place Dunstable. I there saw the defendant, I told him I had to arrest him on a charge of maliciously wounding at Tilsworth. He said I done it to get my own back. I them conveyed him to Dunstable Police Station. Signed John Hewitt P.C 6 k) The said Thomas John Vincent sworn saith; I am Inspector of Police Stationed at Woburn, on Sunday 9th June 1918 the defendant was given into my custody at Woburn Police Station, I cautioned him & formally charged him with Feloniously wounding Arthur James Sanford by striking on the head with a shovel at Tilsworth on 8th June, He replied " he did use one & I meant doing him one I meant having my own back on him" I produce the shovel. Signed Thomas John Vincent Inspector l) The said Harry Stones Walsh sworn saith; I am a M.B.Ch.B & am in practice at Toddington. on 8th June I was called to Tilswrth about 6pm. I there found the witness Sanford sitting by the side of the van on the roadside. I examined him & found a wound on the back of the head about 2 inches long It was a severe wound exposing the bone. It might have been caused by the shovel produced, on the left shoulder blade there was a bruise & the skin grazed, That would be caused by the blow. The wound to the head might have had serious concequences, I am still attending to him, on 21st June, but the wound has now practically healed. Signed H Stomes Walsh m) Bertie Royal Gutteridge stands charged before His Majesty's Justices of Peace that on 8th June 1918 at Tilsworth unlawfully did assault, beat, wound & illtreatone Arthur James Sanford thereby then causing him actual bodily harm against he Peace. The charge being read to Bert after hearing the evidence, asks if he had anything to say whereupon Bertiee Royal Gutteridge says; They do not state why I refused to work. There was a cause for it. The ground we were on was very rough & the drivers were pulling fast & were likely to break my arm or the cultivator. I had warned them on the day previous but they took no notice. I told them if they did not pull more steady I should fall off it. Taken before us at Woburn signed; J Waugh; G Haines n) Cover sheet; County of Bedford, July Sessions 1918, Rex the Procecution of E Matthews v Bertie R Gutteridge Misdemeanour; Assault & actual bodily harm
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