QSR1921/4/5/6a to 6n

The depositions of Winifred Iris Mason of Limbury, Charles Panter of Luton, Agnes Mason of Limbury, & Harold Wilshire of Limbury in the presence & hearing of Frederick Mason charged with indecently assaulting Winifred Iris Mason

22nd August 1921

From: 1921 To: 1921

a to g) Winifred Iris Mason on oath said :- I am a spinster aged 18 & live at 5 White Cottage Limbury, I am a waitress Skefko Works. I remember Sunday 10th July1921 I was then living with my parents at 6 White Cottage Limbury. I stopped at home all day, my father went out at about 7pm & returned at 10:45pm. Three men were with him, they all came into the house, I noticed one was drunk, I was down stairs when they left after about 3/4 of hour. My Father, Mother, brother & myself then all went up to bed, There are 2 bedrooms, My father & Mother occupy one room & my brother & I the other, my brother is 15, there are 2 beds in the room I share with my brother, the room & beds are divided by a curtain. I undressed & got into bed, my brother also went to bed. After I had been in bed 20 minutes my Mother came into our room because my brother was frightened & got into my bed. Mother stopped about 1/4 of an hour & then Dad came & fetched her out & stopped behind in the room himself & pulled my brother out of bed & sent him to Mothers room. My Father then shut the door & got into my brothers bed, in about 3 minutes he came over to my bed & sat on my bed & put his arms round me, my father had ? his shirt on, he then asked me if I was going to give him my answer. I knew what he meant because he had said such things before, he then laid on my bed on top of me & asked if he could get in bed with me, he tried to put his hand under the bedclothes, I forced his hand back, he then forced my hand to him on to his person & held it there for about 5 minutes he ?then got up & ? on the bed beside me, his discharge came just before my mother came in, I felt it on my hand. My father jumped into my brothers bed& was in there when my Mother came in. I was sitting up in bed crying. My mother came in & asked what I was crying for, I was too upset to tell her, then I told her the next day. My father still stopped in my brothers bed & mother took me into her room where I stopped for the rest of the night. My brother was also in mothers room. When I came home from work the next day Monday, I told my mother what had taken place, I recognise the letter now handed to me & marked "A" which I now produce as being a letter that was handed to me on Tuesday12th July by my father outside the Black Swan public house Limbury. I recognise the handwriting as my fathers. I went round by the Black Swan on Tuesday evening about 8:30om with 2 young girls, I had not arranged to meet my father there. On the Wednesday or Thursday after the Sunday I received a second letter which I now produce marked "B" it is in my fathers handwriting & he gave it to me in the house after he got home, mother was in the room when he gave it to me but she was not looking. My father didn't speak to me about what happened Sunday until the next Saturday when be spoke about 4:30pm, he called me upstairs & told me to sit on the bed with him. I said I could speak very well standing up, he then tried to put his hand up my clothes saying "will you put your hand there my your own free will not by force as last Sunday night" I said I wouldn't let him & did not & nothing further was said about the previous Sunday. my mother was in the hose, I handed the letters produced to the police on Sunday 17th July 1921. Each time I received each of the letters I told my mother of it. I have never given my father the slightest encouragement . Cross examined by accused; I did go to Hertford on the back of a motor cycle with a married man. I think in June & I told my mother I had cycled there with a girl friend. I knew he was a married man, I have not been with him since that Sunday 10th July 1921. Signed Winifred Iris Mason Taken at Luton this 22nd August 1921 before me John Irving Wright Justice of the Peace. h) Charles Panter on oath saith :- I am a Police Superintendent of the Bedfordshire Constabulary, stationed at Luton. On Monday 18th July 1921 the accused was in custody at my station on another charge. I sent for him into my office & had the 2 letters, produced, marked “A” & “B” in my hand & I said “Mason I have some letters here (at the same time showing him them) whose handwriting are they in?” he said “They are in mine, I wrote them” I said “That is all I want to know” Signed Charles Panter – Taken at Luton this 22nd August 1921 before me John Irving Wright, Justice of the peace for the County of Bedford I to l) Agnes Mason on her oath said :- I live at White Cottage Limbury, & am the wife of Frederick Mason. I know that I cannot be compelled to give evidence against my husband but I wish to give evidence on behalf of my daughter Winifred. I remember on Sunday 10th July 1921 2 Irish fellows came in on the Sunday night, they came with my husband. They didn’t stay long. After they had gone me & the 2 children & their Dad went upstairs to bed. My husband & I went into our own bedroom & my son & daughter went into the other room. After my husband & I had got into bed my son called out “Mum” so I went into his room & sat with him for a time because he was frightened. I went back to my own room where my husband was, the son shouted again & I went back to him & I got into bed with him, I didn’t stop there long, father came & shouted at me to go into my own room, he pulled Bernard, my son, off Winifred’s bed where he was lying by my side & pushed both of us into my room, he stayed in Winifred’ s room saying he would get in the little bed. Bernard & I went to my bed. I didn’t hear anything for a time then I thought I heard him cursing Winifred & I went to Winifred’s room & Winnie was sitting up in bed crying, my husband was in the little bed, I went to him & asked what he had been saying to her, he said “Nothing leave me alone & let me sleep” I took Winnie into my room I asked her why she was crying, she said “ I won’t tell you now, I’ll tell you later on” . She sent the rest of the night with me. My Husband spent the rest of the night in the other room. The next day when my daughter came home in the afternoon she told me “Dad put is hand in an indecent place” I asked if he did anything she said “he tried to get into bed with me” I said “did he Win” & she said “no I Kept the clothes down” Win told me after this Sunday night that he had given her some letters, she didn’t show me them because I can’t read. Cross examined by accused ;- I have not seen any indecency between you & Win only I saw a stain on the sheet in Winifred’s bed the next morning Monday. It wasn’t a tea stain it was another kind of stain. By the bench ;- The stain was on the underneath sheet. X the mark of Agnes Mason made in my presence Taken before me at Luton this 22nd August 1921, signed John Irving Wright, Justice of the Peace for the County of Bedford m) Harold Wilshire on his oath said :- I am a police Constable in the Bedfordshire Constabulary stationed at Limbury. On 9th August 1921 I served the accused with a summons, he said “ Right where a mans down, keep him down” I had personally read the summons out to him. Signed Harold Wilshire. Taken before me at Luton this 22nd August 1921 signed John Irving Wright, Justice of the Peace for the County of Bedford N to p) List of exhibits & exhibits comprising of the 2 letters marked “A” & “B” Signed by F W Lathom Clerk to the Committing Justice q) Statement of accused :- Frederick Mason stands charged before the undersigned, one of His majesty’s Justice of The Peace for the Luton Division this 22nd August 1921 that he on 10th July 1921 unlawfully & indecently did assault a certain female named Winifred Iris Mason. The chare being read to Frederick Mason, the Witnesses for the prosecution being severally examined in his presence, he is asked if he wishes to say anything. Whereupon the Defendant saith:- Not Guilty Taken before me at the Court House Luton, Signed John Irving Wright

item

Mason, Frederick,
Mason, Winifred Iris,
Mason, Agnes,
Panter, Charles,
Wilshire, Harold,
Wright, John Irving,
Lathom, F.W.F

BEDFORD, LUTON, LIMBURY, indecent assault, Skefko, Limbury Black Swan, letters