A Hackney Road Mystery.
Henry Chick, 41, newsagent, Bethnal Green road, and Edward Thomas Hunt, 24, clerk, Old Church road, Stepney, surrendered to their bail, at Worship-street Police court on Monday, to answer a charge of having been on enclosed premises for an unlawful purpose. Mr Wells, solicitor, prosecuted; Mr George Kebbell defended Chick; and Mr Young appeared for Hunt.
A few days ago a man named Wright was charged with a lad with throwing stones at the warehouse of a trimming manufacturer, named Warden, in the Hackney road, and was fined £5 and bound in sureties to keep the peace.
It was now stated that the stone throwing had gone on ever since, causing the Prosecutor to discharge some 25 workpeople and stop a portion of his machinery. Every effort had been made to detect the persons throwing, but without success, although it was stated by Inspector Cudmoor that six detectives were employed to watch the place. Nevertheless, showers of stones, brickbats, &c., descended on the roof and against the windows.
It was alleged for Mr Warden that the offence had been continued since the penalty inflicted on Wright, out of revenge. The prisoner Chick was a witness for Wright, and one of his bail. Wright’s premises joined those of Warden, both being approached at the back by a yard, which it was admitted Wright used all day, but which Warden claimed to be entitled to lock up at half-past six at night. It was in this yard, after it had been locked up by Warden’s foreman, that the prisoners were found, and it was said that just prior to their being found there a heavy shower of stones had fallen on to the roof of Warden’s warehouse.
Chick and Hunt denied having thrown any stones, and Hunt said he had been employed by Wright to endeavour to discover the perpetrators of the nuisance.
Horatio Wright said that he had let Chick into the yard, therefore there was no pretence for saying that either was a ‘suspected person.’
Mr Wells said that notwithstanding these prosecutions the stone throwing went on on Saturday and Sunday and even that morning.
The Magistrate (Mr Montagu Williams) said that whether there was a question of right over the yard mentioned or not, it was clear that the nuisance to which Mr Warden had been subjected was intolerable, his life a misery, and his business injured. There was an offence known as conspiracy against person and property, and it looked to him (the magistrate) very like a conspiracy to injure the prosecutor in his business and prevent him carrying on his trade. He had hoped that the fine he had imposed on Edwin Wright and a boy would have had the effect of putting a stop to the nuisance. If a case of conspiracy were proved before him he would send the accused for trial.
Mr Kebbell and Mr Young said that they were prepared with witnesses to prove that a man was seen running away from the premises, and that it was impossible for the prisoners to have thrown.
The Magistrate said that whatever his opinion might be – and his opinion on the matter was very strong – he was bound to dismiss this charge. He hoped the persons concerned would take warning from what he had said.
The prisoners were then discharged.
Hackney and Kingsland Gazette, 28th November 1888.