Thursday 25th May 1916: Two soldiers concluded Empire Day
celebrations by assaulting a policeman in Luton last night. They were William
Olney, 2nd/5th Beds and Eli Mynott of the same regiment and these two privates
were this morning charged at a special Borough Police-court, Olney with drunken
and disorderly conduct, assault on police and wilful damage and Mynott, who was not drunk with also striking the constable and tripping
him up with his stick. They pleaded guilty.
PC Odell (who
has only just returned to duty after a bad attack of rheumatism and who looked
very sick and bruised) said he encountered the two prisoners near the Old
English Gentleman in Hitchin-road, about 9.45 pm and asked them to produce
their passes. Olney at once became abusive and struck him on the mouth and
chest and he had the greatest difficulty in handcuffing him. Nor was this
accomplished before Olney had torn his tunic and the top off his helmet. Olney
was very drunk but Mynott was not drunk. The latter, however, said: “Let’s make
a fight of it” and struck witness several times over the head with his stick
and also tripped him up more than once by catching him round the leg with the
stick. A woman named Mrs Leach blew his whistle. There was a big crowd, some
hundreds, he should think.
Mrs Leach of
47 Hitchin-road said she saw the two soldiers on the top of the constable and
succeeded in getting hold of the policeman’s whistle and blowing it for
assistance, being kicked on the leg in the struggle.
Sergeant
Janes said he was called to the spot by telephone and arrested Mynott. Olney
was got to the station with assistance. He was very drunk and using obscene
language all the time. It was a very large and hostile crowd.
Chief
Constable Teale said whilst out driving he saw the two men in Gipsy-lane and
thought they looked like mischief then. They both appeared the worst for drink,
he estimated the damage to the constable’s uniform and helmet at 10 shillings.
Olney had previously been before the court for fighting before joining the
Army. In fact he had been charged with unlawfully wounding a man on one
occasion, but the charge was afterwards reduced to one of assault. He had also
been bound over to keep the peace.
The Chairman
(Mr H Cumberland) said they (M A B Attwood JP was also present) were sorry to
see Olney again before the Court. Drink was evidently his downfall and it was
bad for him. He had much better give it up. He would never efficiently defend
his country if he continued to take it. For the drunkenness he would be fined
15 shillings or ten days’ imprisonment, for the assault on the constable £2 or
21 days and for the damage 15 shillings or ten days. The two ten days would run
concurrently, so that he would have to go to prison for 31 days actually, and
the hoped it would be a warning to him, although the previous convictions did
not appear to have been so.
The Chief
Constable, I should like to publicly thank Mrs Leach for the part she took in
this little drama and would respectfully ask your Worship to hand her this 5
shillings. I think her conduct was most exemplary where so many cowardly men
were standing by.
The Chairman:
the justices appreciate very much what you did, Mrs Leach, and hope you example
will be an incentive to others in similar circumstances.
Joseph Tearle
said he saw Mynott strike the constable several times with a stick and did what
he could to assist the constable and Sergeant Janes deposed to seeing the man
trip the constable up with it.
The Chairman
said Mynott was even worse than Olney, as it appeared he was not drunk at the
time he assaulted the constable. He did not known whether he recognised the
seriousness of his offence, but he would be fined £2 including costs or 21
days’ imprisonment. He should like to say they also appreciated the efforts the
last witness had put forth to assist the police. These two witnesses had set
and excellent example and had apparently been the only two to help the
assaulted policeman in the execution of his duty, which was a disgrace to the
rest of the crowd.
The Chief
Constable said he should like to associate himself with the remarks of the
Chairman.
Source: Luton News 25th May 1916
