Wellingborough Petty Sessions – Friday last
Before Mr. Owen Parker C.B.E., Mrs. Heygate, Messrs. E.Parsons, W. Bazeley, Saddington, Allibone and Gent.

Charles Henry Dilley, shoehand, Rushden, for not keeping a dog under control at night was fined 10s

Three Rushden shoehands, two aged 14, the other 13 were summoned for stealing a 4lb box of caramels, value 6s 8d, the goods of Messrs. Bell Bros, at Rushden on March 5 and a 14 year old boy was summoned for receiving 1lb of the caramels, knowing them to have been stolen. Harold Jarvis, salesman for Messrs. Bell Bros., Kettering, said he had a sweet stall on The Green, Rushden. He missed a box of caramels, the same as was that now produced. P.S. Lawrence said that when questioned one boy asserted that he knew nothing about it but later admitted he and the other two lads had stole the box, and they divided the sweets and hid them. Witness accompanied the boy and found the sweets wrapped in handkerchiefs. The boy charged with receiving admitted he went to the others while they were dividing the sweets and helped himself. The boys were placed under the probation officer for 12 months, the parents to 3/9d costs each.

Rushden Echo, 24^th June 1921, transcribed by Kay Collins

Rushden Police Court - Before Mr. Fred Knight

Horace Seamarks, an unemployed man, Commercial-street, Higham Ferrers, and Leonard Bishop, Warmonds Hill, Higham Ferrers, were charged with breaking into the Golf Club House, Chelveston-road, during the night of July 1^st-2^nd, and stealing two bottles of gin, two bottles of whiskey, one bottle of wine, and a quantity of other articles.

Inspector Hobell stated that when he arrested Bishop on Saturday evening last the man was drunk and incapable in Beaconsfield Terrace, Rushden, and he smelt strongly of spirits. On arresting Seamarks a cigarette case and pocket wallet found in his possession at the time of arrest had since been identified as some of the missing property.

Prisoners were taken to Northampton prison under remand until July 7 at 3p.m. at a special Court at Higham Ferrers.

Rushden Echo, 8^th July 1921, transcribed by Kay Collins

At the Police Court last Friday Harry Parker, Rushden, paid 5s costs for not sending his daughter, Daisy, to school. Mr. A. Mantle (attendance officer) said the girl, who was 14, had been kept from school for six whole weeks.

Rushden Echo 9^th September 1921, transcribed by Susan Manton

Wellingborough Petty Sessions
This Day (Friday)

Before Messrs Nunneley, A.H. Sartoris, Perkins, Sanders, Saddington, T. Patenall and R.P. Payne.

Ernest Bullbrook, Walter Abbott and Harold Clements, Irchester were summoned for trespass at Irchester on September 3^rd. Mr. G.E. James said he saw three men setting nets in a spinney. The men ran away. Witness picked up 13 nets and a ferret, which was later claimed by Bullbrook. Witness identified defendants as the men. Defendants were fined £1 each or seven days.

Edward Knight senr., Chelveston and Jack Harrison, Rushden for similar offences, were fined £1 each.

Alfred Davis senr. and Alfred Davis jnr., Rushden summoned for fighting in a public place at Rushden on August 31^st, were bound over for six months and ordered to pay the costs.

County Court Cases From Rushden
Local Urban Council Sued for Compensation

A Recent Fatal Accident
At the Wellingborough County Court yesterday week, before His Honour Judge Dobb, as briefly reported in our last issue, Mr Vaughan (instructed by Messrs Darnell and Price, Northampton), appeared for Mrs James Underwood, of Rushden, against the Rushden Urban Council, represented by Mr Dale, of London, in a workman’s compensation claim.

It was stated that Mr James Underwood, aged 76 years, a roadman employed by the Council, was knocked down and killed on the Bedford-road, Rushden, while walking home from work, and the widow claims compensation.

Mr W Bazeley, J.P., said he was Chairman of the Council at the time of the accident. Deceased was employed three-quarter time, to start at 9a.m. and finish at 5p.m., the accident happened at 4.50p.m., and witness considered it would have taken him until 5.10p.m. to have reached Rushden had he not been killed.

Mr Dale submitted the Act did not cover the man, who was on the road at the time for his own purpose, that of returning from work. The case was an attempt to extend the purpose of the Act.

Mr Vaughan submitted that the man’s work had finished, but his employment had not.

His Honour, in summing up, said the real test was, Did the accident arise while the deceased was doing something which it was his duty to his employer to do? Clearly the man was under no obligation to his employer to walk home, but could have done as he pleased when he had deposited his tools and had ceased work. There would be no award made.

“Device to escape Payment”
Jos. Watts, boot manufacturer, Rushden, sued Arthur Brandon, London, for £18 5s. balance of account for goods supplied. Major J F Simpson appeared for plaintiff.

Plaintiff said he had supplied goods to defendant, who was trading as Arthur and Co. All his transactions were with the defendant personally.

Defendant denied that he was “Arthur and Co.”, and said that business belonged to his wife, for whom he acted as assistant occasionally, but he did not manage the business. He had acted as traveller for plaintiff.

Arthur Wills, plaintiff’s traveller, said defendant told him he was trading as Arthur and Co.

His Honour said he was satisfied that defendant was carrying on business in the name of Arthur and Co., and that his contention was only a device to escape payment.

Judgment for plaintiff in 14 days.

Housing Case
Frederick J Pack, ex-soldier, of Higham Ferrers, applied for an order for possession of a house owned by him and now in the occupation of William Tearle.

The house is a semi-detached one, and plaintiff offered Tearle a portion of the place as alternative accommodation.

Tearle contended that the latter was not sufficient for himself, his wife, and five children.

His Honour declined to make the order.

Arrears of Rent
George H Groome, Rushden Hill, asked for possession of a house occupied by Arthur Pentelow. Major J F Simpson, for the plaintiff, stated that defendant was over £8 in arrears for rent.

Defendant said he had been out of work, and disputed the amount of arrears.

His Honour ordered possession in three months, not to become operative if defendant pays his rent and 1s. per week off the arrears.

Sharnbrook Petty Sessions - Friday last
Before Messrs Stileman-Gibbard, F V Dalton, A R Alston, R C Alston, and J Day.

Robert Twelvetree, Francis Leech, George Hanger and Herbert Green, all of Rushden, were summoned for playing football on the highway at Souldrop on Jan. 28th. Twelvetree and Green were each fined 10s. and the others 5s. each.

An Ejectment Order was made at the County Court yesterday, on the application of H T Mackness, of Rushden, against W Lilley, of Beech-road, Rushden. Major F J Simpson, for the applicant, said the house was required by Mr Mackness for his brother, who is in his employ.

Rushden Man in Trouble
Travelled on Railway without Paying Fare – Fined at Rugby Sessions
At Rugby Petty Sessions on Tuesday, before Mr T A Wise and other Magistrates, Reginald Baker, dealer of Rushden, was summonsed for travelling on the L.M.S. Railway without having paid his fare and with intent to avoid payment between Crewe and Rugby on June 10th. Defendant pleaded guilty.

Mr R P Humphries, of Euston, for the prosecution, said defendant travelled on the railway a good deal and was well known. He left Northampton at 8.20a.m. and had a single ticket for Stafford. He returned to Northampton at 7.43p.m., and at the barrier said he wanted to pay from Rugby. The fare, amounting to 2s. 5d., was accepted, but when he was asked for his railway ticket to Rugby or a platform ticket he said: “I have not got one. I rushed through the gate and the collector called after me, but I was not going to stop.” Inquiries were made at Rugby, and there was no confirmation of defendant’s story. He was interviewed in Northampton Cattle Market three days later and produced a single ticket from Market Drayton to Crewe. He said: “I was boozed, or it would not have happened. I came from Crewe to Rugby.”

Defendant was fined £2 and ordered to pay £2 11s. costs, the Chairman remarking that defendant had been careless and foolish.

Rushden Charabanc in Accident - A Police Court Sequel at Sharnbrook
A sequel to the accident in Whit-week at Milton Ernest, in which a charabanc belonging to Mr Frederick Clarke, Higham-road, Rushden, was involved with a doctor’s car, occurred at Sharnbrook Petty Sessions on Friday last. Dr Norman H Bolton, of Hampstead, was charged with driving a motor-car in a manner dangerous to the public at Milton Ernest on June 11th.

Mr Frederick Clarke, in evidence said that the doctor’s car, in trying to pass, struck the front wheel of the charabanc, mounted the grass at the side of the road and landed in a ditch. Two passengers were injured.

Arthur Carr, of 56, High-street, Rushden (a cyclist who witnessed the accident), Fred Twelvetree (carpenter, Higham Ferrers), and P.C. Robinson, of Milton, also gave evidence.

Accused was fined £5 and ordered to pay witnesses’ costs.

Cruelty to a Horse at Wymington - Charge Against a Rushden Builder
At Sharnbrook Petty Sessions last Friday Herbert Wilmott, builder and carting contractor, of Fitzwilliam-street, Rushden, was charged with allowing a horse to be worked in an unfit state at Wymington on Nov. 26th, and Frederick Lewis, carter, of Rushden, was charged with working the horse.

P.C. Lovell said the horse was suffering from ring-bone in both fetlocks, and badly contracted tendons in the hind-legs. The driver admitted that the horse was lame, and witness told him to acquaint his employer. Mr. Allen, veterinary surgeon and Insp. Howard of the R.S.P.C. saw the horse, and Mr. Wilmott said, “I know the horse is worn out, but I had to work it because I was short of horses.” The horse had drawn a ton of gravel for three miles on the day in question.

After evidence of lameness by the R.S.P.C.A. Inspector, Mr. Allen, said he recommended Mr. Wilmott to have the horse destroyed as it would be of no further use. Its lameness was painful.

Wilmott said he was under the impression that the horse was healthy. It was an old favourite, he was satisfied if it earned its food. It was 25 years old, and was used only to rest other horses.

The bench fined the owner £5 and dismissed the case against Lewis on payment of costs.

Knotting
A Fine of £1 was inflicted by the Sharnbrook magistrates last Friday on Harry Travill, a Rushden motor driver, for driving his lorry at 22½miles per hour in the parish of Knotting on February 25th.

Rushden Echo Dec 7^th 1928

Drunk at Rushden—William Scroxton, shoe operative, Rushden, summoned for being drunk in a public place at Rushden on Nov. 28th. pleaded guilty and said he was sorry and would not do it again.

P.C. Shead said he saw a coat lying on the floor of a public lavatory. Witness called out to the defendant, who swore at him. So witness took his name.

Mr. Knight:   Was he creating a disturbance?

Witness:   No, sir; only swearing at me.

Defendant was fined 10s.