Testimony from William Westcoatt, police officer on patrol, 23 February 1820 (catalogue reference HO 44/4/90)
Transcript
(i)
William Westcoatt of No 13 Simmons Street, Sloane Square, Chelsea. One of the conductors of the Patrol for the Chelsea Division maketh oath and saith:
That last night the 23rd February inst. This deponent went with a Party of Peace officers to Bow Street to Cato Street, Edgware Road. This deponent and the whole party went into a stable in Cato Street. George Ruthven conducted the party. In the stable there was a ladder fixed to go up to a loft. As soon as the party got into the stable Ruthven, Ellis and Smithers went up the ladder as fast as they could. This was between eight and nine o’clock. As soon as they had mounted the ladder this deponent heard a great noise of firing of pistols in the loft and a scuffle. Immediately after this deponent observed the prisoner Ings at the foot of the ladder attempting to go away. This deponent seized him and he resisted and was about to pull something from his side when this deponent knocked him down with a blow on the right eye. This deponent was about to put handcuffs on him when this deponent observed Mr. Thistlewood rushing down the ladder. He fired
(ii)
fired right down as he was descending and when he reached the bottom he turned round and presented a pistol at this deponent’s head and fired. He then made a cut at this deponent with a sword – upon which this deponent made a spring at him under the sword and at this instant deponent was knocked down by some person unknown to him and the light was put out. This deponent saw Thistlewood rush out at the door of the stable it being moonlight. After this there was a great scuffle in the stable and this deponent went into the loft and saw Smithers lying dead. Many shots were fired in the stable and thus deponent upon examining his hat when the business was over, found it was penetrated in three places with ball and he also found that his head had been grazed by a shot which passed through the sleeve of his coat.
William Westcoatt
Sworn before me the 24th of February 1820
Robert Baker