Yorkshire Oddities, Incidents, and Strange EventsBaring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
History
Yorkshire Oddities, Incidents, and Strange Events
Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Legends -- England -- Yorkshire; Yorkshire (England) -- Miscellanea
Mr. Pardoe, the active police officer of York, was employed to ascertain
to whom the shoemaker's pincers belonged, and they were owned by Mr.
Lawn, at whose house Martin had lodged. Other circumstances formed a
chain of evidence so complete and conclusive as to leave no doubt that
Jonathan Martin was the incendiary, and hand-bills were issued on
Thursday offering a reward for his apprehension. Pardoe had been
despatched to Leeds in pursuit the previous day, with a warrant from
Archdeacon Markham, which on his arrival was instantly backed by the
Mayor of the borough. For the rest of the day and during the night
Pardoe and the whole force of the police were employed in endeavouring
to find a clue to the retreat of the incendiary. They were not
successful; but on Thursday morning his wife was taken into custody
while vending the "History of his Life." When discovered by the
officers, she expressed her surprise at the charge against her husband;
and after admitting that he left that town on Saturday morning, said
that she understood, on his departure, he was going into the
neighbourhood of Tadcaster; that she had not heard of him since; and
that she had experienced great uneasiness at his long absence. She added
that his place of concealment, or anything further connected with the
affair, was totally unknown to her. She was kept in custody at Leeds, in
her own house, in the charge of two constables, who obtained possession
of all Martin's books and papers.
On Thursday morning information was received which caused an express to
be sent off to the neighbourhood of Pontefract, where an active and
diligent search was commenced. A clue was obtained, which led to the
belief that the incendiary had passed through Pontefract on the road to
Wakefield. The Mayor of Pontefract ordered the police of that town to
afford every assistance to the gentlemen in pursuit, and he was traced
to Polston toll-gate. From the information there obtained it was
supposed he had taken the direction to Heath; and the pursuit was
immediately followed up in that direction, and continued through most of
Friday. It was reported in the evening about seven o'clock that Martin
had been captured about five miles from Bedale, and would be brought
into York by the Carlisle Express coach. The coach was half-an-hour
beyond its time, and the streets were filled with crowds of anxious
spectators, who waited in the expectation that the incendiary would
arrive by it. Many persons went out of Micklegate Bar, and ran alongside
of the coach till it stopped in Coney Street. It was then found that the
report was an erroneous one, for Martin was not there; nor was it true
that he had been captured.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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