Brown, Sarah | Day 9

Sister of Joseph (Joe) Brown. She took the summons to him on Saturday night and last saw him on the Sunday night. Examiner suggested he had disappeared following receiving the summons to avoid appearing.

Witness Type: Other

Witness Testimony:

  • 10012.

    And you saw him on Sunday ; do you mean that the subject of your having taken this paper in and given it to his wife was not mentioned ? — No.

  • 10013.

    It was not an ordinary thing for him to be summoned anywhere, I daresay, was it ? — It was an unusual thing.

  • 10014.

    Did it not excite a little interest in your mind sufficient to induce you to speak to him on the subject, and ask him what it meant, his being summoned ? No, I gave the paper to Mrs. Brown.

  • 10015.

    (Mr. Jeune.) You do not mean to say that he had this summons, which was an unusual thing, and that nothing was said about it in the family ; there must have been something said ? — No, nothing was said, not by me.

  • 10016.

    By him ? — No, not by him.

  • 10017.

    By his wife ? — No.

  • 10018.

    Did she not make any mention to you of the fact of her husband having been summoned to come here ? — No.

  • 10019.

    Do you think it seems very likely that such a thing could have occurred in a family (you are the sister you see) as that he should be summoned here to come and give evidence, and nothing be said about it ; now do you not know very well that he went away in order to avoid coming ? — No, I do not.

  • 10020.

    Was there any conversation in the house that you heard upon the subject of his being summoned ? — No.

  • 10021.

    No one said anything in your hearing ? — No.

  • 10022.

    (Mr. Turner.) When do you expect Mrs. Brown back from Maidstone ? — She went for a month.

  • 10023.

    Are you going to stay there with your mother until she comes back ? — Yes.

  • 10024.

    (Mr. Jeune.) Now do you really mean to tell us that you do not know why Mr. Brown went away, and that you have never heard ? — No.

  • 10025.

    This is a serious thing, you know — you are upon your oath ? — I am quite aware of it.

  • 10026.

    And if it turns out afterwards that you did know anything about this you will find yourself in a considerable difficulty ? — I do not know anything more than what I have stated.

  • 10027.

    I will give you a last chance, and if you do not choose to avail yourself of it the consequences will rest on you ; do you really mean to say you do not know Mr. Brown went away upon Sunday night ? — I do not know.

  • 10028.

    And you never heard ? — No.

  • 10029.

    Do you mean also to tell us, that upon Monday morning you did not have any conversation with his wife as to why he had gone, or anything about him ? — No.

  • 10030.

    You did not ? — No.

  • 10031.

    Do you mean to swear that ? — Yes. He has often gone away for two or three days, and perhaps longer.

  • 10032.

    (Mr. Holl.) That may be, but here, you see, you have taken in the summons and given it to his wife, which was not an usual thing — are you quite sore that you did not yourself have any conversation with him or his wife about this summons having been served upon him, and about his going away, and where he was going to ? — No.

  • 10033.

    (Mr. Turner.) Have you no notion where he is ? — No, I have not.

  • 10034.

    (Mr. Jeune.) Are we to clearly understand that you do not know where he is ? — No, I do not.

  • 10035.

    Or where he went to ? — No.

  • 10036.

    And you do not know where his wife is, further than you have told us, that she said she was going to Maidstone ? — I do not know anything further than that.