Window Smashing Extraordinary.
A Handsworth Bombardment.
A singular charge of window smashing was heard at the Handsworth Police Court, before Messrs. J I Parkes and A Pointon, and Dr Parkes, to-day. The defendants were Sidney Thomas, Margaret Thomas and Edith Thomas, all of 50, Rookery Road, and they were summoned for wilfully breaking the windows in the dwelling-house of William Tredennick. Mr Norris T Foster defended.
Mr J Sutton Sharper, who appeared for complainant, said he was bound to admit that the matter was somewhat mysterious, because up to the present time no reason could be assigned for the raid which had been made upon his client’s house, and which had resulted in the whole of his windows being broken.
Miss Mildred Tredennick said that on Saturday last she went to defendants’, who resided next door, to complain of stones being thrown at her windows, and Edith Thomas slammed the door in her face.
The stone throwing was resumed at nine o’clock on the following Monday. Whilst witness and her brother were watching from an upstairs window, she saw Sidney Thomas throw in the direction of the kitchen window.
Altogether 24 panes, valued at 12s. 8d. were broken. Windows had been broken before, and the people who had done the damage paid for it. One was broken on the previous Wednesday, but she did not think defendants smashed it.
Herbert Tredennick stated that in consequence of the window smashing he stayed at home on Monday afternoon. While watching he saw Margaret Thomas throw in the direction of the scullery window.
Police-constable Taylor said that while at the complainant’s house a piece of coal came from the direction of the Thomas’s house, but he could not say who threw it. Several windows were broken while he was there. He saw Edith Thomas come out of the house, pick up several stones and potatoes from underneath a tree, and take them into the house. Afterwards missiles came from the direction of the scullery window in a line with Tredennick’s window. The throwing was followed by a crash. He had only brought two or three samples of the missiles, as it would have required a wheelbarrow in which to convey them all. He saw Sidney Thomas look round, then pick up a stone and throw it in the direction of complainant’s scullery window. Afterwards defendant walked half-soaked into the house.
Mr Shakespeare: Half soaked? Taylor: Yes. (laughter.) He went and told defendant what he had seen him do. Defendant denied having done anything, and refused his name and address.
All the defendants denied ever having thrown at complainant’s windows. Edith Thomas said that they had several windows broken in their own house. One was broken on Monday, and the stone she was seen to pick up was one she took into the house to show the family. Police-constable Ansell said that the Thomas’s had complained to him of their windows being broken. In fact, while he was talking to them on Monday one was smashed. He heard three crashes next door, but all three defendants were in the house at the time.
The magistrates, after hearing the last witness, dismissed the case.
Birmingham Mail, 3rd October 1902.
Handsworth Window-smashing Mystery.
Despite the vigilance of the residents and the police, the smashing of the windows at the residence of Mr Tredenick, 50, Rookery Road, Handsworth, still continues, and the source from which the missiles come remains as much a mystery as ever.
Birmingham Mail, 6th October 1902.
A Handsworth Mystery Solved.
The window-smashing affair which caused so much mutual recrimination among the residents of Rookery Road, Handsworth, and brought two of them before the magistrates, has at last been cleared up. For some time the police have been watching the house where showers of stones, coal and potatoes came through the windows from an unseen hand, and they have only just discovered the thrower of the missiles.
On Thursday, when glaziers were repairing the broken windows, the throwing recommenced. Police-constable Potts, who was concealed in a neighbouring house, saw a girl throw two pieces of coal. She proved to be the servant employed at the house where the damage was done. She refused to give any explanation for her extraordinary conduct, but no further action has been taken in the matter so far as the police are concerned.
Birmingham Mail, 18th October 1902.
The mysterious smashing of windows which has been taking place at Handsworth recently, and which has caused some people to believe that the destruction was the work of some muscular ghost recalls a similar occurrence which took place at Smethwick many years ago. The premises concerned were a large family residence, and night after night the windows were smashed by some unknown hand, in spite of the watchfulness of the police and civilians. The thing became the talk of the neighbourhood, and thousands nightly went to inspect the house in the hope of seeing the spook which was committing the destruction. But although they were frequently rewarded by seeing the windows smashed, they were not enlightened as to the cause until several weeks had elapsed, when one of the servants engaged upon the premises was caught in the act. Then the ghost scare ceased, and the glazier had no further work to do.
Birmingham Mail, 18th October 1902.