Sarah
Hawkins Genealogy Site
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The Western Daily Press, Bristol. Friday 03 Oct 1919
Page 2 Column 7
A MAN AND HIS BAIL.
STRANGE CASE IN BRISTOL.
At the Bristol Police Court, yesterday, before Dr. Colston WINTLE, the hearing of the charge against Ernest Albert OATEN (42), of Lower Ashley Road, was resumed. Prisoner was charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice by paying, or being party to the payment, of £30 to William Geo. READ as an inducement to him to leave Bristol and not surrender to his bail, READ at the time being charged with stealing forage valued at £188 from the Government, and OATEN being charged as receiver of the stolen goods. Mr J. GREEN, from the Town Clerk's department, prosecuted, and Mr A. W. TAYLOR defended.
It will be recalled that the cases were called for trail at the Bristol Quarter Sessions, when OATEN was discharged. READ did not surrender to his bail when the case was called, but he turned up when it was too late for his trial to take place, and it was adjourned until the next Quarter Sessions.
Evidence was given against OATEN at the previous hearing by READ, whose wife was called yesterday, and gave evidence which, in the main, was corroborative. She recounted the conversation between OATEN and her husband with regard to altering prices of forage. She said she heard a sum mentioned by OATEN, and her husband replied that he had told the detective what he had paid. Prisoner replied “That's done it.” Witness also spoke of a visit her husband paid to OATEN's house. When he rturned <sic> he had a roll of 30 one pound notes. Another statement made by witness was that Mr and Mrs OATEN called subsequently and asked where her husband was. She replied “In bed.” Whereupon Mrs OATEN said “I told you so; you may as well have thrown your money in the street.” Witness told them her husband was going away the next morning.
In cross-examination, witness said Mrs OATEN referred to money being returned, but Mrs OATEN did not state that the reason they had called was “about the return of the £30 which OATEN had lent to Mrs READ.” From May 13, when her husband was committed for trail, until July 28, he was out of work. Witness declared that she never went to OATEN's house during that period, and she had not asked either OATEN or his wife for any more money.
A son of the last witness stated in the course of his evidence that certain information having come to his knowledge, he called upon OATEN and told him as he was morally responsible for his father's bail he should see that he turned up at Court. OATEN replied, “I consider it unfair, and the money should be returned.” Witness asked him how much he gave his father, and OATEN replied, “£30, at least I didn't, my brother did.”
Asked by Mr TAYLOR why, if he knew his father had the £30, he did not see that it was returned, witness made no reply.
The case was adjourned to a date to be arranged.
<NOTES: Ernest Albert OATEN son of Frederick OATEN and Clara HORWOOD, married Emma Jessie CLEMENTS>