Children's Tea
The children attending the Salvation Army Sunday School, were entertained to tea at the Salvation Army Hall on Monday evening.
Following an excellent tea, games were organised by Captain Green and Lieut. Andrews, and a very happy evening was spent.
Buntingford Petty Sessions
A Tottenham Youth's Escapade
A bright and intelligent Tottenham schoolboy, aged 13 and a half years, appeared before two magistrates on Friday last, on a charge of stealing a gent's bicycle at Braughing on 7th March. There was a further charge of stealing a bicycle at Tottenham on the same date.
The boy rode the bicycle he had stolen from Tottenham to Dassels, where he saw another gent's cycle outside a cottage and decided to leave the one he had ridden from Tottenham, and tide off on the one he saw at Dassels.
The cycle he stole at Braughing happened to belong to an ex-policeman, Mr Joseph Briden, and although the lad had a good start, Mr Briden soon had the two bicycles and the lad in his custody.
The boy was brought before Capt. H.H. Williams at an Occasional Court on Tuesday in last week, and remanded until the following Friday, when the case was heard by Mr Claud Fraser and Captain H.H. Williams.
Mr Joseph Briden, of Braughing, said on Monday, 7th March, he left his cycle outside a cottage at Dassels.
When he came out of the cottage, he found that his cycle had disappeared and that another was lying on the side of the road about 10 yards away.
On making enquiries he learned that a lad, riding a cycle too high for him, had been seen going in the direction of Ware. The witness road on, and about 1 mile from Puckeridge he saw his cycle lying on the side of the road; he also saw a lad hurrying along the footpath. Asked what he was doing, the lad admitted stealing the machine, and the witness detained him till P.C. Barker arrived.
P.C. Barker then gave evidence of taking charge of the lad at Puckeridge, and read a very concise statement which the lad made to him at the Police Station.
The lad stated that while at tea on Sunday, 6th March, his father and step-mother accused him of stealing some silk stockings, which he denied. When he returned from Church his father swore at him and sent him to bed.
During the night he made up his mind to run away, and at 6.30 a.m. the next morning, he got up and waited till his father had gone to work. He left the house at 8 a.m. and walked towards Edmonton, and turned into White Hart Lane where he saw a cycle standing outside a shop.
He took the cycle, and rode along the arterial road and on to a place called Harestreet, where he decided to turn around and go home. About 1 and a half miles from Harestreet he saw another cycle outside a cottage, and as he thought he could ride it better than the one he had he exchanged the machines; later he found he could not reach it properly, so he laid it down and walked on until he was stopped by a man, who asked him what he was doing.
Mr H.T. Cawthorne, of Walthamstowe, said the cycle stolen from Tottenham belonged to him. He valued the machine at £2.
On being charged with the offences, the young pleaded guilty. His step-mother who was in Court, told the Bench that she could do nothing with the lad - he was a real naughty boy.
After a short adjournment, the Chairman, addressing the lad, said the magistrates were very sorry to see him before them. Having regard to his age, they had decided to adopt a lenient view, and he would be placed under the supervision of Mr Andrews, the Probation Officer, for a period of two years.
The boy, wiping his tears with his school cap, siad "Thank you, Sir," to the Chairman, and left the Court with Mr Andrews.
Salvation Army
The two new officers who replace Capt. Green and Lieut. Andrews took over their duties on Saturday last.
They were welcomed by the Buntingford Corps at a special meeting on Friday, at which there was a good attendance.
The welcome extended over Sunday, when references were made to the work of Capt. Green and Lieut. Andrews.
Fatal Holiday Accident
Motor-Cyclist Collides with Cart
Whilst motor cycling for [from?] Chatham, where he was stationed, to West Riding, on Friday last, Flagman Ernest A. Shoobridge collided with a farm cart at a dangerous corner in Cottered and was killed instantly.
There is a sign post on the corner and it is thought that the deceased, who had lost his correct route, looked up at the sign post and failed to notice the approach of a farm cart.
The district coroner, Mr H.F. J. Banham, conducted the inquest, which was held at the Cottered Rectory on Saturday evening last, when the following were sworn on the jury: Messrs. W.N. Sanders (foreman), J. Smith, J. Darton, W. Hills, C. Smith, W. Deards, W. Hummerstone, B.A. Edwards, T. Kingsley, J. Warner, H. Sheppard, G. Fenner, and F. Hummerstone.
Eric Sellers, a leading seaman in the Royal Navy, who was accompanying the deceased on another motor-cycle, said "We left Chatham on Friday morning at 6.30 for Nessborough, Yorks. The deceased was riding a 3 and a half h.p. Norton motorcycle. I was riding in front of my friend, and as I passed the corner I noticed a cart on the right side of the road, but I had no difficulty in getting by.
I happened to glance round and saw the deceased looking at the sign post; he turned his head back, and as he did so I saw a surprised look on his face as though he had noticed the cart and did not know what to do. I then heard a crash, and on going back found my friend lying across the road. He appeared to be dead. His speed at the time of the accident would be about 12-15 miles per hour."
Sidney Andrews, a carter, of Moor Green, Ardeley, said "On Friday, 3rd June, I was in charge of a horse and cart on the road from Cottered to Buntingford. As the horse approached the corner a motor-cycle passed, and immediately afterwards came another in the same direction. The second cyclist crashed into the hose, which was only moving at walking pace.
Part of the horse's harness was broken, and when I went to deceased he was lying in the road by the wheel. When the accident occurred I was about one yard from the near side of the road."
James Fuller, a roadman employed by the H.C.C., said "I was working near the corner in question on Friday, June 3rd, when I noticed two motor-cycles coming from the direction of Buntingford. The first one passed me all right, but the second one, which came on about 15-20 yards behind, took a big sweep; the rider shut off the engine and put out his right foot as if to save himself.
The cycle swayed, and I saw the rider strike the horse and then fall into the road. I went round the cart, but the deceased appeared to be dead."
Frederick James Savage, of High Street, Walkern, a labourer, also working on the corner, gave similar evidence.
Alfred James Ives, a police constable, stationed at Cottered, said "On Friday, 3rd June, about 10.15 a.m., I received a report that a motor-cycle accident had occurred on the Buntingford road. I went to the scene of the accident and saw a Norton motor-cycle lying close to the wheel of a cart which was standing on the north side of the road and facing north-east.
I found that the rider of the motor-cycle was lying with his right leg over his machine. His skull was crushed, and he was quite dead. The machine was slightly damaged. The width of the road at the particular point was 18ft. 6ins. There was 9ft. 6 ins. between the offside wheel of the cart and the other side of the road."
Dr R.W. Fell, of Buntingford, said "On arriving at the scene of the accident I saw the deceased lying on his back across the road. There was a lot of blood in the road and the deceased was dead. On examining the body I came to the conclusion that he must have struck his head on the shaft of the cart, and have died instantly."
The jury returned a verdict of "accidental death," the foreman requested the coroner to repot on the dangerous corner to the Herts. County Council.