Aged 15, Sidney George Clements,
Attempting to join the Navy,
By way of an escape from a devious
Crime - as an a office boy,
He had lived on Alpha Road, Millwall
With his stepmother and father -
Along with his young stepbrother,
Hubert Herring, seven years of age.
The boy appearing at the Old Bailey,
Stood before Mr Justice Rowlatt.
The court heard how on 13 January,
That this boy had held a grievance
Against his mother over allowance,
Of a lack of having pocket money.
The stepmother took all his earned
Monies of 8/- weekly, from him
For the families use - occasionally
Giving him small amounts of money -
Which he spent on reading
Trashy books and the pictures -
Possibly to twist his imagination.
Three months before, in October
Sidney Clements seemed to harbour
A thought in mind, with in talking
With friend - he spoke of a hanging
Of a youngster aged 17 – the theory
‘Would a boy of 14 or 15, in killing
Someone, be hanged?’ His friend’s
Reply was no – that for fifteen
years
They would be in reformatory school.
His parents were out on 6 November,
And Sidney was left with Hubert.
On return home, they found Sidney
Left and Hubert lying, stabbed with
A carving knife into the chest.
Taking Hubert to Poplar hospital
The boy told his mother ‘some
nasty man did it’ – he
later died.
His father Mr Clements, received
A letter from Sidney, posted in
Leigh-on-sea – the boy apologised
For what he had done to Bert.
Saying when he had cleaned
The knives and forks, he seemed
To ‘go mad,’ and did what he did.
Sidney said that in trying to join
Navy at Southend to go to Leigh
When they would want a report
From his father – he asked not
To say what he had done -
As he would end up in the cells,
Rather then be able to join navy.
When finally arrested Sidney
Told the officer, that Hubert would
Tell father how he had been looking
For money – knocking Hubert over
He tied a cloth about his eyes, then
Stab him - Sidney said he was going
For a Doctor, but went with savings
Books of his brothers – taking from
Accounts he took two amounts of 10s.
The verdict from the Jury was made
Immediately – guilty - Justice
Rowlatt
Stated how cowardly, cruel and
wicked
Sidney had been in murder of a child
–
If older, he deserved to be hanged.
by Jamie Mann.
Anon.,1915. Fratricide at 15 – Boy
Charged with Murder. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 14 Jan. P.5. Col.4. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11336460/Daily-Telegraph-January-14-1915.html
[Accessed: 14 January 2015].
Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal
communication, 14 January 2015).
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11336460/Daily-Telegraph-January-14-1915.html
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