Gipsy Dan Boswell

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                                   Coventry standard Friday 15 September 1916


                                        POLICE RAID ON A GIPSY ENCAMPMENT
 

Elias Smith, gipsy, of no fixed abode, was charged' with being an absentee under the Military Service Act. Inspector Tuckwell said Sunday last, at 6.15 a.m. in company with Sergeant Ross, P.c. Spiers, and P.c. Padbury, visited a gipsy encampment at Lea Marston. They to a Went to a van and called the prisoner’s father up, and told him he had reason to believe that there were three or four young men of military age in the camp. The father denied that this was so, and after the van had been searched in vain the prisoner was found with two others in an old trap with a tent rigged around it. The prisoner was very excited, and gave the name of Eli Smith, and said his age was 17. He had lost his registration card, he said. On Tuesday last the inspector was shown by the prisoner’s sister a baptismal certificate of Isaiah Smith, dated November, 1899. On being further questioned the prisoner’s mother said Isaiah died by drowning some years ago, and they had since then called Eli Isaiah'. The prisoner made the statement that he was not old enough, but if he had got to go he would go. Mary Smith, mother of the prisoner, said her son was 17 years age last June, and produced a baptismal certificate of Isaiah Smith. The Magistrates told the witness it was the birth certificate which was required as evidence. Being asked by the clerk if the prisoner was not a big youth for 17, the witness replied, “ He was always fed well, and had little work.” (Laughter.) The Magistrates made the order for the prisoner to be handed over to the military authorities. John Smith, a cousin of the last prisoner, who was found at the same time and place, was also charged. Inspector Tuckwell,  in his  evidence, said the prisoner claimed to  be 18 all but for two months, and the father and mother also state he  would be 18  next November. The inspector said the prisoner’s father brought a letter from the Rev. IT. H. Malleson, rector of Castle Bromwich, who was well known among the gipsies. The rector expressed his opinion that from what had been told the prisoner was born in 1899.and Was not quite 17. The inspector said he had informed the rector that the letter could not be accepted evidence. The prisoner’s registration card was issued at Birmingham, but the authorities at the Curzon Hall, when appealed to, said they had no trace, and the prisoner should be dealt with where he was found. Edward Smith, father of the prisoner, said his permanent address was 17, Halford Road, Witton, and the registration card was filled in at Witton. The witness said the boy was only 17; and he had two other sons in the army, and now in the trenches. The eldest was 21, and the next 19. In reply to the chairman the witness said he might be able to find some record of the birth of his son. The Chairman asked the military representative, if the Magistrates ordered the prisoner to be handed over to the authorities, whether he would be released providing the birth certificate was produced to prove he was not 18. The military representative replied in the affirmative, and the Magistrates accordingly made the order for prisoner to be handed over.

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                                          Western times Friday 23 February 1917


                                       AT MORTETONHAMPSTEAD POLICE COURT


James Stanley, William Stanley, and Thomas Stanley, were charged with being absentees under the military service act, p.c.Broad, Changford, said observations had been kept, and on February 13 in company with a constable in plain cloths he proceeded to the moor near Lettaford north Bovey and succeeded in arresting the men .
p.c. Osmond, Morton, said the defendants had given a lot of trouble to the police, and had been wanted a considerable time.
The bench fined the defendants 2 pounds each and ordered them to be handed over to the military authorities; they also complimented p.c.Broad on his vigilance.

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                                   Sheffield evening telegraph Wednesday 2 October 1918
 

                                                                 Today’s Cases.
                                                         

                                                             Raid on Van Dwellers.


The Sheffield Police Court, to-day. Before Mr. E. Wild and Councillor Blanchard, Thomas Wiltshire, of March Street, Atterlife, was charged with failing to report for military service. His brother, Henry Wiltshire, of the same address, was charged with a similar offence. The defendants were hawkers, and dwelt in vans. Early this morning the vans, huts and tents at the end of March Street were raided by Detective-sergeant Cannock and Detective officer Garnham. They apprehended the prisoners, who could not produce cards exempting them from military service. The defendants, who admitted that they had no exemption cards, were fined 40s. Each, and ordered to be handed over to the military authorities.

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                                   Exeter and Plymouth gazette Monday 10 April 1916


                                                                ABSENTEES


John and Edwin Orchard, brothers, were up brought for failing to report themselves under the Military Service Act. Accused were arrested earlier in the day at, Boyton, where with other gipsies, they were encamped. Both defendants stated they could, not read, and, consequently, were unable to learn what the proclamation was about. Captain Coode, Recruiting-officer, said, although this might be so, they could have applied to the proper authorities. Each defendant  was fined 40s and handed over to the escort.

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                                                  Wells journal Friday august 1917



                                                                   Absentee.


Jesse Hughes, alias John Loveridge, was charged with being an absentee under the Military Service Act. Prisoner pleaded guilty. PC. Whittier deposed arresting the prisoner near Burnham-on-Sea. He was with a gipsy named Penford. Fined 2 pound and remanded in custody pending the arrival of an escort.

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                               Sheffield evening telegraph Wednesday 13 september1916



                                                            GIPSY’S EXCUSE.



Two absentees under the Military Service Act were before Alderman G. A. Eastwood at Chesterfield, to-day. George Henry Knight (21). Travelling hawker was arrested as the result of a round-up of a gipsy encampment in Green Lane. Stoney Houghton, by Sergeant Rowland and Constable Humphrey. The camp was first observed late on Monday night and the police, waiting until daylight, approached the van dwellers and found that Knight had not attested or presented himself for medical examination. Knight’s excuse for not joining up was that “he was no scholar and didn't know anything about it.” The police, however, saw a brother of the prisoner in the encampment who had been medically exempted. Other prisoner was Willis Brown, single, labourer of Hardwick. was apprehended by Sergeant Howland and his excuse was that, having registered, he thought he would be notified before being regarded an absentee. At the request of the military authorities, both men were remanded till the week-end.

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                                    Nottingham evening post Thursday 14 1917



                                                    A DERBY ROUND-UP.



                                      VAN DWELLERS EVADING MILITARY SERVICE.



 As a result of a round-up of van dwellers by military and police at Derby, three young men were brought before the magistrate’s to-day -for failing to report themselves for military service. Two of them were John and George Green, brothers, aged respectively 22 and 23. And it was stated that they belonged to a family of travelling hawkers, numerous attempts to find them had been made by the police since they were gazetted last autumn as absentees from the Army Reserve. They were discovered in a van' on the Holmes,

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                                              North Devon journal 14 September 1916
 



                                       GIPSIES ARRESTED UNDER MILITARY SERVICE ACT.



                                            FINED AND HANDED OVER AT BARNSTABLE.

Fined and handed over at Barnstaple. Before Messrs. F. W. Hunt and R. Clogg, County magistrates, at Barnstaple Friday, Wm. Birch and Robert Birch, gipsies, were charged under the Military Service Act with being absentees without leave. Both defendants pleaded guilty, William, however, qualifying this by saying he had previously "volunteered,"

whilst Robert (a picturesque figure wearing long whiskers)

 declared that he “did not know right from wrong!” P. S. Champion, of Parracombe, spoke to receiving information that certain gipsies were encamped at Brendon, and, with Mr. H. P. Woodcock (military representative) tracing them to Northmolton, where he spoke to them at 11.30 the previous night. Defendants, asked if they had any documentary proof or papers to show why they were not serving the Army, replied" No." Robert Birch first said he was 42 years of age, and that then he did not know how old he was. His mother's age was afterwards given as forty-seven. The younger man said he volunteered at a meeting at Teignmouth about eighteen months ago; but the doctor said he was no good for the Army. Attention was called to the Army notices recently published, but each man said “I am no scholar; I cannot read." Mr. H. P. Woodcock, military representative, corroborated P S. Champion's evidence. The search was made following complaints about young men of military age loitering about Brendon Lynton Commons, and running away when people approached. The Chairman said defendants must have known that men of military age were liable for service. “We knew nothing about it," responded Robert Birch. The Chairman pointed out that each defendant could be fined up to £25. They ordered each defendant to pay the minimum fine of 40s, and that they should be handed over to the military.

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                                             Liverpool echo Monday 24 august 1914


                                                        CALLED HIM A GERMAN.
 


"Calling a man German whos not a German is one of the most serious and criminal offences at the present time," said the solicitor defending Arthur Smith, gipsy, Blackpool.

Smith was charged with splitting open the  head of John Stevenson with a beer bottle after discussions on the war. He said that when called a cad he did nothing, but when called a German he struck Stevenson. Smith was sentenced to two months' hard labour, and ordered to forfeit £5 surety.