Story of a rescue from the River Lee

Hertfordshire Mercury, 14th August 1915

Transcript

At Cheshunt Petty Sessions John Thomas Pearson, of Putney Road, Enfield Wash, plumber, was charged with being drunk and incapable at Eleanor Cross Road, Waltham Cross, on August 3. The defendant at first did not appear.  P.C. Brown deposed to finding the defendant leaning against some railings in Eleanor Cross Road near the railway bridge.  He was drunk and afterwards fell down in the road.  He took him into custody.  Mr Jessopp (the Clerk) asked : ‘Do you know if this man had been into the river and rescued someone?’  ‘No, but his clothes were muddy.’  ‘Did he say anything about it?’  ‘No.’ The Clerk said the man had written a letter to the court in which he said that he got into the river to rescue a small girl who had fallen in, and that he was given some brandy afterwards.

At this stage of the proceedings the defendant appeared, and the Constable’s evidence was repeated.  The defendant admitted he did not tell the Constable anything about the rescue from the river.  In reply to the Bench he said he knocked off work, and had two or three drinks.  Going towards home he heard a man shouting.  He looked round, and saw a child in the water by the Barge River Bridge.  He ran into the water and got the child out.  The man took the child in his arms and ran away with it.  Another man got him a drop of brandy, and not being used to it he was overcome by it.  The Chairman said that under the circumstances the case would be dismissed.

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