Appears at the Old Bailey 29th May 1899 for feloniously shooting at Albert Handley.
It's a bit more exciting than that!
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Western Mail , Cardiff. 15th May 1899.
A DESPERATE FIGHT
Francis Sage, 35, giving an address in Ramsay-street, Bethnal Green and Charles Stewart, 19, coster, of Dorset-street, Spitalfields, were charged at Worship-street Police-court on Friday with being concerned with assaulting Detectives Handley and Tobutt, rescuing a prisoner from lawful custody, and Sage, further, with feloniously shooting at the officer Handley with the intent to kill and murder him. The story told by the officers aroused considerable interest, it appearing that they had arrested a man for being concerned in the recent attempt to rob a clerk named Titterton of a bag containing £150 at Stratford, when they were set upon, and the man rescued.
The detective, Handley, deposed that shortly after six o'clock on Thursday evening he, accompanied by Detective-sergeant Tobutt, went to a house in Octagon-street, Bethnal Green, and there arrested a man wanted for felony. On the way to the station, the prisoners and two other men came up, Sage saying to the man in custody, "What's the matter, Bill?" The answer was, "Some ---- had shopped me for that job at Stratford, and these two splits are going to take me to the nick." Sage said, "My oath, they're not. Open order, lads, Stick to me." He then caught hold of the man in custody, who wrested himself away from witness, and the same moment witness received a blow in the back from a heavy stick, (produced) dealt by the prisoner Stewart. He also received a blow in the face, and then drew his truncheon. It was, however, wrenched away from him. The man rescued ran off, and witness pursued, but the prisoner Sage ran close in front of him and, turning, presented a revolver at him, saying, "Stand back, or I'll put one through you." Witness, however, continued to run on, and Sage, turning again, fired, at the same time saying, "Take that, you ----." Witness heard the shot whizz by his head.
Mr Cluer: Did he aim at you?
Witness: Yes, pointed the revolver direct at me. Witness ran into a boot shop and seized an iron last as a weapon, then continued the chase through Coventry-street. Seeing that the rescued man had the stolen truncheon in his hand, witness threw the iron last at him, caught him in the back, and brought him to the ground. The man, however, was quickly up and off again, but left the truncheon on the ground, witness recovering it. Then he blew his whistle and saw two or three persons attempt to stop the men, but Sage always presented the revolver and scared them off. At the bottom of Caulfield-street two constables in uniform appeared, and Stewart, who throughout had kept up close with the other men in the flight, was captured, and Sage was knocked down by a blow from the truncheon of Police-constable 105J. (The prisoner Sage appeared in the dock with his head bandaged.) Witness was quickly upon him, and wrenched the revolver (produced) from his right hand, although the prisoner again presented it and said he would put one through him. At the station Sage repeatedly uttered threats of what he would do when he got out.
On being asked if he wished to put any questions to Handley, the prisoner Sage displayed considerable temper, and said he could have shot all the police if he had liked, but he asserted that he had fired in the air.
Superintendent Weston, J Division who was present on behalf of the police, said the revolver jammed, one of the pins catching.
Mr Cluer directed that it should be examined by a gunsmith.
The prisoner called the detective a liar and scoundrel, and was threatened with the cells until he got cool.
Corroborative evidence was given by Detective Tobutt who said he was set upon and beaten with sticks by the other men, but he saw Sage fire at Handley, and continued the pursuit till the arrest.
Inspector Wallace, J. Division, said that when he examined the revolver at the station he found five loaded cartridges in it, and one which had been recently discharged. It was his opinion that the weapon jammed.
The prisoners, who were both in an angry mood, were remanded.
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That's about the first seventh of the article. If I can be bothered later I'll add more*. It's an amusing one, "The prisoner called the detective a liar and a scoundrel and was threatened with the cells until he got cool".
*Done.
