X Cheshire Observer - Saturday 10 January 1857COUNTY POLICE COURT. - Saturday.William Higginson, railway porter, Bishops Fields,was brought up on suspicion of being connectedwith robberies committed at the General RailwayStation. K. L. Jones, Esq., manager, said that heheard that a basket had been cut open during thenight of the 2nd instant, and a pair of bootsextracted there-from, and knowing that robberieswere not unlikely at the station, he requested Mr.Hill, Superintendent of Police, to cause thehouses of the men who were on duty the night inquestion to be searched. Mr. Hill complied, andthe second house searched was the prisoner's,where was found a box, containing miscellaneousarticles in the shape of hardware, bottles, etc,as well as three silk handkerchiefs, which he feltcertain had been abstracted from time to time fromparcels passing along the railway. Charles Speed,Sergeant of Police, deposed to searching theprisoner's house on the 3rd instant, and findingthe box, containing the hardware, etc which heproduced, as well as three spun silkhandkerchiefs.Mr. Bridgman, solicitor, who appeared for theprisoner, said that the handkerchiefs belonged toprisoner's brother, who lived in the same housewith prisoner, and with respect to the hardware,he would be able to prove that it was left withprisoner about five years ago by a hawker, assecurity for 15s., and some provender had by thehawker for his horse, and when he had brought outthese facts, he felt confident the Bench woulddismiss the case.John Higginson said he was brother to theprisoner, and lodged in the same house with him.The handkerchiefs produced, he said he bought at asale in Park Lane Liverpool, about five monthsago. About five years ago, he said he lived withhis brother at Hornes Mill, near Helsby, andrecollected a hawker calling there at twodifferent times. Both times he had provender forhis horse, and the last time he called he borrowed15s. from his brother and left hardware similar tothat found in his brother's house as security farthe same.Remanded until Saturday (this day) to enablefurther inquiries to be made. Cheshire Observer - Saturday 12 January1861TOWN COUNCIL MEETING. A special meeting of thecouncil was summoned lastWednesday..................................................The next business was to consider recommendation,that Police-Sergeant Charles Speed be granted asuperannuation allowance of 12s. per week. Ald.Griffith proposed that the recommendation beadopted. Speed had been in the force 23 years andhad been a sergeant for 16 years. Mr. Salisburywanted to know if Sergeant Speed had not beenbrought before the Watch Committee several timesfor drunkenness. He asked the council to maintaintheir character as honest men, and discountenancemen who were not deserving of promotion. He, if hestood alone, would vote against this thing, unlesson some good authority he learned that the chargewas untrue. Major French knew nothing of thecharge against Speed, but he had been 24 years inthe force. On a question put by Mr. Parish, thetown clerk read from the 22nd and 23rd Vic.section 9, by authority of which thissuperannuation allowance was made. Twocertificates were also read, one from the surgeonstating the cause of Sergeant Speed's being nolonger able to be active in the force, and theother from the chief constable. Mr. Parish movedas an amendment that the matter be referred backto the Watch Committee for further consideration.It seamed to him that they were going further thanthey ought If they gave Speed this pension therewere others who might be expected to come forpensions too, and they would have the principal ofthe fund from which these pensions were to besupplied eaten up. He did not say that Speedshould not have a pension, but he wanted thematter to be fully and fairly considered beforethey decided what that pension should be. Afterfurther conversation, in which Major French, Mr.Butt, Ald. Griffith, and Ald. Roy, took part, Mr.Salisbury ascended the motion that it be referredback to the Watch Committee, and he gave noticethat at the next council meeting he would ask Ald.Griffith if there were not charges of habitualdrunkenness against 10 or 12 of the policeofficers, and if the men who would go to class onein the new arrangement would not be the drunkards. Cheshire Observer - Saturday 30 March1861CITY POLICE COURT. SaturdayBefore the Mayor, Dr. P. Jones, Col. Lloyd, andE.C. Walker, Esq.Ex-Sergeant Speed. - Charles Speed, late sergeantof police, and to whom the Town Council recentlygranted 18s. per week, was charged with assaultinghis son, Thomas Speed, a boy of between 15 and 16years of age. From the boy's statement it appearedthat on the 2nd of March, he went to his dinner atthe usual time, and after dinner went to wash himwhen his father began to speak to him about a pairof shoes, which he was to take to be mended. Theboy said he would take them that night, and had nosooner got the words out of his mouth than hisfather pulled off his coat, rolled up his sleeves,and then struck him violently, as well as pulledhim about the house. One of the boy's eyes wasmuch blood-shot and inflamed, and the Mayor askedhim if that was the result of the assault. He saidit was. The Mayor and other magistrates on thebench commented on the case, and repeatedinformation which had been laid before them on aprevious occasion. From that it appeared thatSpeed had turned the boy out of the house, withthe intention of forcing him to maintain himself,though the lad was receiving but 3s 6d per week.Mr. Hill (Chief Constable) said that from what hehad heard he should have felt bound to havebrought the case before the bench if it had notbeen brought to notice otherwise. Speed denied thetruth of the boy's statements, and asserted thathe was unruly and mischievous. The boy said hecould produce a witness to testify that he had notdone as his father had said. It was further statedthat at his work he was a well conducted boy. Hewas asked if he would return home again. He saidthat he scarcely durst do, as his father hadthreatened what he would do if he entered thehouse again. After some severe strictures on hisconduct, and a hint that if he was brought upagain his pension might be taken from him, Speedwas bound over to keep the peace for 12 months,one surety in ten pounds and himself in £20. Cheshire Observer - Saturday 13 April1861TOWN COUNCIL MEETING.Mr. Farish rose to put a question of which he hadgiven notice, viz.: To ask the Town Clerk whetherthe Council had the power to rescind theresolution passed on the 19th January last,granting a pension of 12s. weekly, to CharlesSpeed, ex-Sergeant in the Chester Police Force. Hesaid he hoped that no one would go away with awrong impression as to what his motive was inputting this question. His reason was that havingseen in tie newspapers a report of a case in whichex-sergeant Speed was charged with refusing tomain- tan his son, and which report also statedthat if he (Speed) was brought before the benchagain as he was at that time, the magistrateswould see if his pension could not be taken fromhim. He had asked this question of the Town Clerkbefore, but thought it would be better to put thething thus formally, that the town's people mightknow more of a matter in which be was aware theytook considerable interest. Mr. Walker (TownClerk) said that circumstances might arise whichmight justify the Council in rescinding thepension, but none such had occurred yet. Mr.Bowers would then ask what circumstances wouldgive the Council that authority. The Mayor thoughtthis second question was one which could notproperly be put. Mr. Dowers would be glad if suchcircumstances would occur as would give theCouncil the requisite authority. He was sure iffacts which were well known to them now, had beenknown to them when they were asked to grant thepension, they would never have granted it. He hadasked Mr. Hill about a statement made before theCouncil by Mr. Walker, to the effect that Sped hadappeared before the bench in a state ofintoxication. Mr. Hill had said that this was notthe case. Mr. Walker said that what he had beforesaid was true. Speed was drunk, and he (Mr.Walker) spoke to Mr. Hill about it at the time.After a few words from Major French on the sametopic, the meeting closed.Cheshire Observer - Saturday 7th February 1863THE LATE FIRE AT THE CHESTER TOWN BALL. THECOMMITTEE OF INVESTIGATION.This very lengthy (full page) article relates to afire in the Chester Town Hall, and which, wassupposed, had commenced in the police office. Thefirst witness to give evidence was Charles Speed:(Only his evidence to the Committee has been shownhere due to the great length of the report, and isincluded as it shows Charles was now workingagain.)EVIDENCE Charles Speed, a pensioned officer, butnow an earthenware dealer in St. Werburgh Street,was the first witness called. He said on the 30thDecember, about 20 minutes past six o'clock, hewas standing opposite to his shop door in St.Werbugh-street, when he perceived stroke issuingfrom the top of the Exchange. He ran across to thePolice Office and saw Snell (pc), and told him theTown Hall was on fire. Snell said it could not. Heimmediately got the fire bell rung, and a crowdgathered. Police-constable Diggery rung the belland he (witness) used the hose. Saw the fire atthe top of the roof. Saw it when he left his ownshop door. Saw the flames before he left. Thewaterman came in a few minutes. There was a goodsupply of water. Saw Snell and Diggery and a greatmany other people present. Did not see Mr. Levies,the surveyor. He (witness) stopped below. Did notgo up stairs. By Mr. Owen- lt was not five minutesfrom the time he saw the fire before the reel wasin use. By Mr. J. Jones- When the reel was readythere was plenty of water. By Mr. Littler- He sawthe fire first on the front side of the building. Cheshire Observer - Saturday 29 October1864CHESTER CITY POLICE COURT. SATURDAY; (Before theMayor, J. Clemison, Esq., Major French, Aid.Trevor and J Williams, Esq)Assault on a Woman. - Charles Speed, an ex-policesergeant, was charged with assaulting Mary Cullum,wife of a joiner, at Spitalfields' Walks, near theWaterworks. Mr. Churton prosecuted. Mrs. Cullumowed the defendant a small debt, for which she hada set off. Some dispute had arisen and legalproceedings were threatened by the defendant OnSaturday evening last he went to Mrs. Cullum's, ina state of intoxication, and asked for some money.Mrs. Cullum would not give it him in consequenceof the set off, and he then made an assault uponher. To protect herself from being kicked, Mrs.Cullum got hold of the kettle, when defendantstruck it and smashed it. He behaved veryviolently, and came back three different times,frightening Mrs. Cullum and her five smallchildren. Defendant was ordered to pay 10s. andcosts, or fourteen days hard labour. Cheshire Observer - Saturday 3 August1867CHESTER CITY POLICE COURT SATURDAY.Charles Speed, ex-sergeant of the Chester police,Abbey Buildings, was charged with being drunk anddisorderly in the Mug Market on Saturday night. -Fined 5s and costs or 7 days.