A Gunshot

Jack Prescott
(Internet Published) Oct 2000

The power and discipline of the East End Tippler clubs was incredible. The duly elected presidents ruled with rods of iron. When the presidents said, "Jump" the members could only ask "How High?" On the foundation of such discipline the British Army fought, often against overwhelming odds. Nowadays, everybody is a free thinker and nobody actually does what he or she is told. I'll tell of a case, noted and recorded by my grandfather, along with many others.

It was on a Sunday morning in the Whitsuntide period, that a complaint was made against a certain man of Brampton Road in the Parish of Attercliffe-Sheffield England, 1909. He as George Thomas Boles, an iron foundry worker, 32 years old and at that particular time, unemployed temporarily due to injuries, at his place of work. The tribunal was conducted at the Carbrook Hall Inn, less than 1/2 a mile from the Parish of the Attercliffe. This Inn, still stands to this day and is in fact, supposed to be "haunted."

Case No. 5 on the agenda was, indeed, that of George Thomas Boles. The complaint was that Boles successfully dropped his five hen Macclesfield light prints within the bounds allowed. He also succeeded in getting 4 of them inside of the loft within the allowed one hour. Unfortunately, one of the hens remained on the roof of his house and despite his best efforts, simply would not budge.

Faced with disqualification Boles produced a small calibre rifle and shot the pigeon dead, there-after recovering the pigeon and taking it inside of the loft for the Band inspection by the referee, John Henry Jakes.

Due to this action Boles won the contest and stood to gain 2 guineas and several sponsored prizes. Rather a "pretty penny" in those days. The time being 15 hours 10 minutes on a rather nasty day. The objection was the shooting. The defense was that there was no rule that said that he could not do this.

Then spake Benjamin Stamp saying "This is a disgrace-there may not have been a rule but there certainly is now and I do proclaim Mr. Boles to be admonished and disqualified". Case dismissed, next case please.

Boles had nothing to say and accepted the judgment without question. Ben Stamp was a giant-said to be diabolically strong. Nobody argued with Ben Stamp.

[Internet Published Oct 2000 at http://www.tipplers.com/jack/]