DFHG Peasenhall Murder

Coventry Evening Telegraph, Friday, 13th February, 1903, page 3

STRANGE SEQUEL TO THE

PEASENHALL CASE.

ALLEGED THEFT OF A LETTER.

A remarkable sequel to the Peasenhall murder trial was investigated at Saxmundham Sessions. Christiana Hurren, assistant postmistress at Peasenhall, was charged with stealing letters containing postal orders addressed to Mrs. Gardiner, wife of William Gardiner, who was recently liberated after having been twice tried on the charge of the murder of Rose Harsent.

The accused’s duties were to sort letters, and it was alleged that test letters were found in her possession. She subsequently produced thirty-eight letters addressed to Mrs. Gardiner, thirty-six of which contained postal orders amounting to £9 18s. One of the principal witnesses was Mrs. Gardiner, who travelled from London, and whose address was not made public. She said she did not authorise the accused to detain her letters.

Prisoner, who had a number of hysterical fits in court, was committed for trial, bail being allowed.

[Hurren came up before the court in Bury St. Edmunds on 5th June 1903. “Mr. Justice Wright said that this was a very serious offence. He, however, would take into consideration the defendant’s good character and that she had not intended to steal the orders. In the circumstances he would order her to enter into recognisances to come up at the next assizes for judgment and to be of good behaviour in the meantime.” (The Citizen, Gloucester, Saturday, 6th June 1903, page 3) No further mention of this has been found.]

Diss Family History Group