Cigarettes Out!

[jim_davies]

Thought ther following article from the Stamford Mercury of 28 April 1916 might be of interest:

"CIGARETTES OUT DURING AIR RAIDS

A charge of using abusive and threatening language was preferred against Bernard Edinborough, 31 Broad Street, at the Borough Police Court in Saturday. Special constable Wyles said there being an air raid warning he requested defendant to put out his cigarette. As he failed to do so witness attempted to take the cigarette from him, and failed, and defendant said he would know his head off when he was off duty. Mr. Pugh (for the defense): He (witness) denied that he was aggressive to the defendant or scratched his nose in attempting to take the cigarette from him. He did not know whether he had any legal authority to request defendant to extinguish his cigarette, but he had acted on instructions from the superintendent of police. Special Constable A.F. Denning said he heard defendant tell the last witness he should not oput out his cigareete out for him. Defendant put it out when he (witness) informed him of their instructions. Evidence was given by defendant and his mother. Mr. Pugh pleaded that it was very annoying to the defendant to be treated in a high handed manner by Wyles. After the latter had scratched his nose, he told him as an Englishman he would punch his head when he was off duty, and did not think the Bench would consider that was very abusive or threatening. He (Mr Pugh) had yet to learn it was an offence to smoke a cigarette during an alarm. Defendant had been at the front 14 months, had been promoted corporal there and had been through the battles of Ypres, Neuve Chapelle and Hooge, and he, Mr Pugh suggested that it was very childish to take up the bylaws to prosecute defendant for such a trival thing in times like these. The Mayor said the case would be dismissed, an annoucement which was received with some applause in the court.

Thomas James Hennessey, moulder, 4 Church Lane, was charged with using insulting language in High Street, St Martins on the 24 April. Mr H.T. Daniels JP, who was acting as a special constable on the night in question, said he saw defendant and another young man smoking cigarettes and respectfully requested them to shade them. Defendant threatened to punch his head and began to take off his coat. He refused his name and address, and witness had to ask the assistance of PC Chapman. When he asked defendant to shade his cigarette, he said it was all d___ rot and he did not care a d___ about any special constable. PC Chapman also gave evidence, and defendant who denied he threatened to strike Mr Daniels or used bad language, was fined one pound."

Samuel Bernard Edinborough, (Cpl 633 Northants Yeo) was later commissioned into the Lincolnshire Regt, winning the DSO and MC, becoming the one of the town's most decorated servicemen. His younger brother, Harry was killed in action in July 1918.

Tom Hennessey could have done with Mr. Pugh's services. He had been a prewar member of the 4th Lincs, had a brother KIA in July 1915, and been severely wounded during the attack on the Hohnzollern Redoubt in Oct 1915, which resulted in his discharge as medically unfit.

Stamford does not appear to have been targetted by air raids during the war.

Jim