Wakefield Express – Absentees October 1917
Absentees taken before the Petty Sessions and included in the Wakefield Express issue of 27th November 1917.
Not everyone gets a chance to scan the pages of the Wakefield Express for the war years as they are not available online – sadly, they are only on microfilm. If you live too far away to access the film, I am sorry to say that you are missing a fantastic resource. To try and bring Wakefield closer to you here are a few extracts from the aforementioned issue.
Wakefield Petty Sessions. City Court – Saturday before Ald G Foster. A Violet Deserter – William Moorhouse, Belle Vue, was charged with being a deserter from the KOYLI. Sergt., Sheard and P.C. Gardner visited defendant’s house in the early hours of Saturday morning and found him in hiding. The man became very violent and struck the sergeant in the jaw. Prisoner was remanded to await escort.
Thomas Allen, Barnsley, was charged with being an absentee under the Military Service Act, and he was ordered to be handed over to the military authorities.
The following Monday more absentees were before the courts:-
Percy Tew
City Court – Monday – Before Major Bolton (presiding), Ald W H Kingswell, Mr Fred Simpson, Ald G A Moorhouse, and Mr C Mellor. An Absentee in ‘Civvies’ – John Henry Harrison was charged with being an absentee from a Labour Battalion connected with the Lincolnshire Regiment. Prisoner, who appeared in the dock in ‘civvies’, was arrested in a house in Union Square, Kirkgate, by P.C. Kirby shortly after midnight on Saturday. The man admitted he was an absentee, and said he had done away with his uniform. He was remanded to await escort, and the officer was recommended for a reward of 10s.
West Riding Court – Monday. Before Mr Percy Tew (presiding), Mr W Briggs, Mr T P Robinson and Cr A Johnson. Absentees – William Thomason, Normanton, and Alfred Arundel, Newton Hill, were charged with being absentees from the Lancashire Fusiliers and the Norfolk Regiment respectively, and they were remanded to await escort.
