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At Southwark, yesterday, Walter Morgan, 24, described as a labourer, of Little Hulton, near Bolton, was charged on a warrant with stealing two trunks, containing wearing apparel and other articles, value £66, from Waterloo Station, on the 19th December, the property of Miss Mary Rogers. The luggage included ostrich feathers and eggs, Zulu bangles and beads, specimens of Indian work, a portion of a lyddite shell and cartridges, &c. The prosecutrix was an army nurse at Winburg, and was invalided home through enteric fever. The prisoner served in the campaign in South Africa, and went throughout the siege of Mafeking. He was discharged from the army in consequence of bullet wounds in his thighs and arm. They returned to England in the Oratava, which arrived at Southampton on the 19th Dec. Miss Rogers, who was now living at Egham, stated that she noticed the prisoner on the Oratava and again at Weybridge, where she missed her luggage.

The prisoner was with his wife, and she asked him to look after her luggage when he arrived at Waterloo, and to forward it to her. He promised to do so, but took it to Lancashire instead.

Detective-sergeant Hancock said he arrested the prisoner at Bolton. Most of the contents of the trunk had been pledged, but had since been recovered.

Miss Rogers handed the clerk a letter she had received from a magistrate at Bolton, who remanded the prisoner pending the arrival of Sergeant Hancock to take him to London. He stated that he asked the prisoner to make a full confession, and he promised to write to her to urge her not to press the case.

Mr. Coates (to the prosecutrix): Do you not wish to press the charge severely against him?

Prosecutrix: It was a very bad thing to do, because he knew I was without a home and was too ill to get a situation.

Prisoner pleaded guilty, and was remanded for the other property to be recovered.

Manchester Courier, Friday 18th January 1901


……..The missing luggage was traced to Little Hulton, near Bolton, where it had been deposited by prisoner with relatives. Amongst the articles recovered is a Free State flag. - Detective Hancock said Morgan bore a good character. He had served through the siege of Mafeking, and was shot through both thighs and right arm. - The magistrate described it as a most unaccountable and heartless theft, and remanded the prisoner in custody.

Nottingham Evening Post, Thursday 17th January 1901
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Walter Morgan, 28, a reservist from the King's Royal Rifles, who served with the Protectorate Regiment in the defence of Mafeking, where he was three times wounded, was charged on remand, at Southwark, with robbing Miss Rogers, an Army nurse, of her luggage, value £66 15s. The prosecutrix and the prisoner were invalided home from South Africa, and arrived at Southampton on December 19th, on board the Oratava. Miss Rogers asked the prisoner to look after her trunks at Waterloo, and have them sent to Egham, which he promised to do, but instead of redeeming his promise he claimed the property as his own, and took it home to Bolton, in Lancashire, leaving the prosecutrix in a helpless condition. Mr. Slade said it was a serious theft and a gross breach of trust. He sentenced the prisoner to six months' hard labour.

The Leeds Times, Saturday 26th January 1901

Berenice
Colin Walker's invaluable Mafeking Siege Register shows Walter Morgan - as Bugler, with C Sqn., Protectorate Regt - "Wounded, Game Tree Fort, 26/12/99". Colin's Register also records Morgan was nearby when War Correspondent Parslow was murdered by a Lt. in BSAP on 2/11/99 and that - later - War Correspondent Hamilton's diary says Bugler Walter Morgan was "shot three times trying to bayonet through slits (26/12/99). Was robbed by Boers of three pounds and silver watch. Returned after Hamilton protested".
Current attitudes to a Court conviction based upon findings as "serious theft" and "breach of trust" might be tempered by recognition of probable PTSD.
Best regards
IL.

Great information. Must admit to enjoying the word "prosecutrix" which I had not heard before. Up there with Curatrix - some of my favorite words.

LinneyI wrote: Berenice
Colin Walker's invaluable Mafeking Siege Register shows Walter Morgan - as Bugler, with C Sqn., Protectorate Regt - "Wounded, Game Tree Fort, 26/12/99". Colin's Register also records Morgan was nearby when War Correspondent Parslow was murdered by a Lt. in BSAP on 2/11/99 and that - later - War Correspondent Hamilton's diary says Bugler Walter Morgan was "shot three times trying to bayonet through slits (26/12/99). Was robbed by Boers of three pounds and silver watch. Returned after Hamilton protested".
Current attitudes to a Court conviction based upon findings as "serious theft" and "breach of trust" might be tempered by recognition of probable PTSD.
Best regards
IL.

I find myself wondering if Mrs Morgan had some part in the theft of the trunks. It was reported that she was travelling with him from Southampton, so, at the least, must have wondered at Waterloo where the two extra trunks that he took up to Little Hulton had come from. When they arrived home, did he deposit the trunks with relatives before she saw the female "wearing apparel" that were in them?

Or perhaps I read too much crime fiction.

David Grant wrote: Great information. Must admit to enjoying the word "prosecutrix" which I had not heard before. Up there with Curatrix - some of my favorite words.

Fascinating little story, I'll have to check the Bolton newspaper to see if there's anything additional reported there. I wonder what became of Nurse Rogers; maybe one day a descendent of hers will come across this post.