Taunton courier and western advertiser Wednesday 28 November 1917
GIPSIES AND THE ARMY.
DESERTER S FALSE REGISTRATION CARD.
WILLING TO JOIN UP.
At the Yeovil County police court Wednesday morning, before Messrs. John Vincent, William Burt, and E. B. Bellamy, James Loveridge, alias Thomas Hibbert and many other names, was charged on remand with being an absentee from the Array. The man had been captured by a smart P.C. Hillman on the previous Sunday. Supt. House said when the man was arrested on Nov. 18th he had a registration card on him in the name of Thomas Hibbert clothes peg maker, Combe St. Nicholas. He had time to investigate the matter, and he found that this Thomas Hibbert was aged 44 years, and was a deserter from the Army, having deserted at Yeovil on May 18th, 1916. He was satisfied that the prisoner in the dock was not the Thomas Hibbert wanted as a deserter; his name, as far as was known, was James Loveridge. He (the Superintendent) asked to be allowed to withdraw the charge against prisoner of being an absentee from the Army, and to charge him with being absentee under the Reserve Forces Act. Prisoner, in answer to the charge, said that his name was Thomas Hibbert, and he had never been in the Army. P.C. Hillmart repeated his evidence, and said that he was of the opinion that Loveridge, whom he had known for years, was no more than 33 years of age. He used to be clean shaven and the whiskers he had were a disguise. Supt. House said that about six o'clock on the previous evening he saw Loveridge in the cell and told him he had made enquiries respecting the registration card he had produced, and that it belonged to a young man named Thomas Hibbert, at present a deserter. Prisoner said that he had never been to Chard register and had never registered under the Act, but he was told that he could get a card if he wrote to Chard Workhouse for it. He could not read or write, but he got a letter written and sent to Chard and got the card sent on. Witness then told him that he was liable to be charged under the Defence of the Realm Act for not being registered and that he was liable to six months' imprisonment. He said that he could not produce a card, but he was fit for the Army was willing to join. Witness told him that he was known to his companions as” Jim” but he denied it, and said that his name was Thomas Hibbert. William Henry Miles, employed at the recruiting office, proved that prisoner was not the Thomas Hibbert described on the registration card. Prisoner, on oath, adhered to the statements he had made. He added that he was willing to join the Army if he was fit. —Questioned by Supt. House, said his age was 45, but he had no certificate to show. Although he was born near Rending, he did not know that his birth had been registered. Supt. House said that if prisoner was sent into the Army he should be satisfied and would not charge him under the Defence of the Realm regulations. He added that the man had given a lot trouble. He had kept away from the Army all this time, and he now asked that P.C.’s Hillman and Willment be recommended to the Army authorities for reward. Prisoner was remanded for handing over to the Army authorises. On Wednesday night Supt. House received a telegram from depot of the Devon Regiment to the effect that the man Loveridge had been traced as being a deserter from Devon Battalion stationed at Plymouth.
