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Hello. On FMP newspapers dated 27 May 1918 in the Hartlepool Daily Mail is an article for Frederick Mincher who was arrested as a deserter. Could someone please take a look at the article for the fully story etc. Thank you.
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It’s very long article
Essentially, he was arrested at 31 Alexandra Street, where his wife lived. He was hiding under a bed. He was 22 years of age
His grandmother was a Mrs Nesbitt - apparently
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Thank you Erika, I had two Fredericks, father and son, although father would have been in his forties. Young Frederick had a brother Henry Nesbit Mincher, so that sorts that out. Thank you again for looking.
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From BNA, manipulating without a sub, therefore it's a mangled computer transcription -
Police Court.
Henry Nesbitt (31) was charged with concealing an Army deserter.—Mr. A. Geipel appeared for the defence. P.C. Mahoney stated that he was on night duty March 3I, when he observed light in the window of Walter Wilson's shop [?] Musgrave Street. He entered the defendant’s yard, which was adjoining, and saw a man on the roof of an outbuilding. Defendant came out of his house with a lighted candle, and attired only in his shirt, and called to the man on the roof, “Where are you? Come away, man; get down here.” Then he went into the house and up to the staircase window, from which he called to the man who was escaping. “Away through here.” The man jumped, from the roof on which he had been lying, to the scullery roof, and went through the staircase window. Witness ran upstairs and asked where the man was. Defendant replied. “He stunned me and got away.” In witness’s opinion, however, defendant was only feigning being stunned. Added that he knew defendant's nephew, Fredk. Mincher, to be a deserter.
Mrs. Nesbitt, mother of the defendant, stated that she could not swear to this, she did not see his face. She merely jumped to the conclusion it might be he, but she had no right do so.
P.C. spoke of arresting Frederick Mincher as a deserter at 31 Alexandra Street where his wife lived. He was hiding under bed. Witness added that it was from Mrs Nesbitt that he first learnt that Mincher was a deserter. Mr. [?] submitted that there was no case for him to answer. Defendant lived with his mother in Bark Musgrave Street, next door to Wilson’s shop. Shop was broken into; man was seen on roof of some outbuildings; and Nesbitt hearing the disturbance, came down, met the police officers at the door and did what he could to help them calling to the man “ Come out of that, it’s a fair cop.’* He then rushed upstairs to the window.
The man jumped through this very window, knocked defendant on one side and, passing through the old people’s bedroom, made his escape through window the front. Nesbitt was arrested for assisting in the shopbreaking, but was released in consequence of the death his father.
He was, however, before the magistrates several times, the case on each occasion being adjourned, and finally the charge being dropped. Now the police brought this charge against him. There was, however, contended, no evidence to support such a charge. It was not known even the man on the roof was deserter. All that was known was that Mincher, defendant’s nephew, a deserter, but there was nothing show he was there. The magistrates dismissed the case.
Mr. Geipel then applied for costs against the police.
Supt. McDonald urged that this would be unfair, so the Mayor intimated that the magistrates considered that the police were quite justified in bringing the case and not, therefore, grant costs. Frederick Mincher was then charged with being deserter, and was aunsanded [remanded ?] to await an escort.
Supt. McDonald intimated that in view of the case that had just been heard, would [oner no cone] on further charge against shopbreaking. This charge was accordingly withdrawn.
Published: Monday 27 May 1918
Newspaper: Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail
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Thank you for copying the above Argyll, I appreciate your help.
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