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An unjust sentence? - 1915
Loughborough Herald - 29th April 1915
Letter to the Editor from George White
Sir - Much as I dislike "rushing into print", there appears to me no option in this case, especially as I occupied a prominent position in your columns last week as having been fined 10s for keeping two dogs without licenses. This is the bald statement in the press. No mention whatever was made of the letter of explanation I wrote to the chairman of the Bench of Magistrates, and therefore in justice to myself, I must ask your permission to state the following facts, which were epitomised in the letter referred to.
I am not the owner of the dogs; in fact, I have never had a dog. Two of my sons have joined the Army, one of whom always took out and paid for the dog licenses. One son is in France, on active service, and the other is training at Epsom, and I presumed that under these exceptional circumstances the question of the licenses was entirely forgotten by them. When the local police constable told me about a month ago that he believed the dog licenses had not been taken out I was very surprised, but upon inquiry found that his statement was correct. Within an hour I took them out to save my boys any annoyance or trouble. I ought not to have done so, as the sequel shows.
A week later I was summoned for keeping dogs without licenses. When the case came before the Bench no mention was made of my letter, and it was therefore made to appear as if I had deliberately attempted to cheat the revenue. I consider that it was an unnecessary straining of the law to inflict a fine under the circumstances, and in any case my letter of explanation ought to have been laid before the Bench.
I am, sir, yours faithfully.
Geo. White
Quorn 27th April, 1915
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Submitted on: |
2010-12-07 |
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Submitted by: |
Kathryn Paterson; |
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Artefact ID: |
1010 |
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Artefact URL: |
www.quornmuseum.com/display.php?id=1010 |
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Print: |
View artefact in printer-friendly page |
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