Mexborough and Swinton Times, June 15.
Shocking Case at Conisbrough.
Acting as a Wife at 15 Years of Age.
Among the list of cases that were heard at the Doncaster West Riding Police Court on Saturday was one of a somewhat shocking character from Conisborough. A man named John Wood, who was described as a miner living at Conisborough, was summoned by Thomas Brown, for carnally knowing a girl under the age of 16 years. The following evidence was attended:
Elizabeth Brown said she was 15 years of age on 17 June last. She lived with her father and mother at number 4, Waterloo Street, Clay Cross, Derbyshire up to 25 April. The prisoner, John Wood, at that time, lived near to them in the same street. The prisoner was in the habit of coming to her father´s. She had known him ever since her childhood. Two or three days before 25 April the prisoner asked if she would go away with him, and said that he would behave himself, and give her everything she required. She eventually agreed to go with him. He did not say where he was going to take her, and she did not know. She arranged to meet him at Clay Cross station. It was about 1 1/2 miles from their house
She met him at the station about half past four o’clock. She had no money with her. They went to see what time there was a train to go away, and as there wasn’t one until 6:40 o’clock they walked from Clay Cross station to Grasmore station. They then took a train, and the prisoner paid for the tickets. They then came right through to Conisborough station.
When they arrived at Conisborough station the first place they went to was his sisters. They went to Emma Jarvis´s and the prisoner had a little boy with him at the time, whose name was Ted Wood. They only stayed one night at his sisters. They slept that night on the floor downstairs. The little boy also slept on the floor. The prisoner assaulted her that night, but that was not the first time he had done so, as he did the same thing at home the day before they left.
When they left his sisters they went to his aunt Sarah Jarvis in Clifton Street. They stayed there a fortnight. The witness and prisoner laid on the sofa while they were there, and the little boy went to bed. He assaulted her frequently during that fortnight. The witness knew he was a married man when they came from Clay Cross. There was nothing said about Mrs Jarvis or Aunt Sarah Jarvis. The prisoner told her if anyone asked her how old she was she must say 18, that was when they were coming to Conisborough in the train. The prisoner knew that she was only 15. At the request of the prisoner she told anyone who asked her age that she was 18.
After staying a fortnight at his aunt Sarah’s he took a house at number 6, Scorsby Street. She and the prisoner went to live there. They had lived there a month up to Wednesday. The little boy went with them as well. In the house they had only two chairs and two old mattresses upstairs. There were no beds. The witness, prisoner and the little boy all slept on the mattress. During the month the same thing took place between her and the prisoner as before. The last time he assaulted her it was on Wednesday morning.
During the month, he brought other men to the house, and they assaulted her in the presence of Wood. A man named Hawkins had been at the house every night during the last week. He had only stayed one night at the house, and that was Tuesday. The man named Hawkins also lay on the mattress that night. On the Tuesday night Hawkins assaulted her.
It was Wednesday morning when P.S.Brown came, and she and Wood, the prisoner were upstairs. They were still lying on the mattress when Sgt Brown and another constable came. The next day after Sgt Brown came, her father and the policeman found her and the prisoner on Conisbrough Crags. She wanted to go home after the police had been, but she could not go as the prisoner burnt her clothes and shoes. He burnt her two skirts, blouses, and other things disappeared that belonged to her. She remembered Mrs Jarvis coming to the house on Monday about two o’clock in the afternoon. She stayed at the side of the mattresses with nothing on, as he had burnt all her clothes. Mrs Jarvis spoke to him about burning the things, and he told her to go out. The witness got a man named Topliss to write a letter to her father.
In the course of cross examination by the prisoner, the witness said that the prisoner persuaded her to go away from Clay Cross. She admitted that she had been at Doncaster on Sunday last with two men, but she stated that she went there to find out where the prisoner had been.
Thomas Brown said he was a miner, living at Clay Cross, Derbyshire. The last witness, Elizabeth Brown, was his daughter. She was born on 17 June 1884. He had been in the habit of visiting the prisoner´s house. They had drinks together in the house, and passed the time away. He knew that his daughter was nothing but a mere girl. He knew the prisoner´s wife and had spoke to her when she had passed down the road. On 25 April in consequence of what he heard he went to Clay Cross station, but he did not find his daughter. Then he went off to Alfreton police station, and got a warrant for the arrest of the prisoner. He saw his daughter on the Wednesday morning last on the 6th inst. He received a letter from his daughter, and then he went to Conisborough, and got the acceptance of Sgt Brown and another policeman. The Sgt took him to the house, where they had been living. There was no one in and the door was fast. From there they went to Conisborough Crags and they found his daughter and John Wood, the prisoner on the Crags. He brought his daughter to the police office in Doncaster. He never gave consent for his daughter to go away and nobody was given permission to take her away.
Police Sgt Brown said he was a sergeant stationed at Conisborough. On Monday last, 5th of this month, he went to number 6 Scoresby Street at 11.45. He had P C Barnett with him. Through the back window of the house he saw the prisoner, a man named Hawkins and Elizabeth Brown. Wood, the prisoner was the tenant of the house. He heard the girl say “I shall sleep with Jack.” Hawkins said ” I don’t care who tha b—- well sleeps wi; I shall sleep wi thee.” He saw them all go upstairs. They remained upstairs about 10 min, when everything was put in darkness. They were there altogether, about half an hour. He went to the house again the following day about 1:30 o’clock in the afternoon (Tuesday). They found both the doors unfastened and they went in, and then shouted upstairs, and they came down. Wood said, “We have been having a lie down. He asked Wood if the girl was his wife, and he said that the girl’s name was, Elizabeth Brown and used to live at Clay Cross a few yards from where he lived. He said that she had been living with him as his wife. The witness asked him how old she was, and he said 18. And then shook his head at Brown and said “aren´t you 18?” And she said “yes”
The next day the girl´s father came to the witness, and said that the girl had deserted her home. They went to the house, but found no one in, and then went to Conisborough Crags and overtook the girl and Brown. He went to Bashforth near Nottingham, and had received the certificate from the registrar for the birth of the girl Brown.
Elizabeth Brown, senior, said she was the wife of Thomas Brown, and mother of the witness Elizabeth Brown. She knew the prisoner. He had been in the habit of going to their house before 25 April. There had some conversation with regard to her daughter. He had asked her how she was, and she told her that she would be 16 on 17 June 1900. She did not know that the girl had got away with Wood and she did not give permission for her to go. She left her house about 3:45 PM and the girl said” mother, I am going to fetch a coal ticket from the office for Mrs Cook.”
The magistrates committed the prisoner to the Assizes where he was sentenced to 18 months hard labour