Wandsworth Common

Ponds on Wandsworth Common have been stocked with tiddlers, and this conversation took place yesterday between a "Daily News" reporter and a keeper.

Reporter: How many tiddlers were put into the pond?

Keeper: About 2,000.

R.: Will there be many boys fishing in the Spring?

K.: About 2,000.

R.: Then the tiddlers have no chance?

K.: That shows all you know about tiddlers.

R.: Will there be many left at the end of Spring?

K.: About 2,000.

Dundee Evening Telegraph — Wednesday 5 February 1930

"Tiddlers" From the Thames.

The Thames Angling Preservation Society has just presented 5000 " tiddlers " for restocking the ponds of Wandsworth Common and Hampstead Heath, two of the most popular youthful hunting-grounds. Attempts to secure a restocking of the ponds were made in Parliament last year by various members without result and the question has been, troubling the L.C.C. ever since. It is to be hoped that the youthful anglers will properly appreciate this gift from older members of the craft. A touch of sport makes the whole world kin.

[Photo with caption.]

Authentics v. Holborn Old Boys.

In Division lll. of the Fulham and District League the Authentics defeated Holborn Old Boys by the narrow margin of seven runs at Wandsworth Common Extension on Saturday.

Winning the toss and batting first the Authentics soon collapsed, seven wickets falling for 21 runs. C. Fulford then made a stand itli F. Price and W. Bredbrooke, and after a real struggle for runs, the whole side were finally put out for 50 runs. Holborn Old Boys fared just as badly as their rivals, losing seven wickets for 94 runs. In spite of a fine innings by Mathison they could not effect a recovery and dismissed for 43. One of the notable points of thin match was the keen and alert fielding of the Authentics, demonstrated by the fact that two Holborn men were run out in attempting doubtful runs.

Scores: — Authenties, 50 (C. Fulford 11, W. Bradbruoke 10; W. Wrixton for 17). Holborn Old Boy., 43 (O. Mathison 13; F. Lambert 5 for 22).

CONVICT HUNT IN LONDON. Car Bandit Stunned By Warder's Truncheon. PRISON INQUIRY?

A fast motor-car and a silk rope ladder were used yesterday in a carefully-prepared plot by two prisoners to escape from Wandsworth Jail.

One of the men was struck down by a warder's truncheon, but the other climbed the rope-ladder, dropped 20ft. down a wall and disappeared.

A Government inquiry is likely to be held into the escape, and a tightening-up of regulations is probable.

SIGNALS ON TIN MUGS. A silk rope ladder, about 17 feet in length, suddenly dropped from the top of the wall surrounding the exercise yard of Wandsworth Prison yesterday morning. A number of prisoners were exercising in the yard and raced for the ladder. One of them was struck down by a warder's truncheon before he could get to the ladder. The unconscious man was carried to the prison hospital, and the other prisoners were ordered to their cells.

SEVEN YEARS SERVED. A roll call was held, and it was discovered that the prisoner who had escaped was James Turner, who was recently sentenced at the Old Bailey to five years' penal servitude and five years' preventive detention. Not until some time later was it discovered that Turner was not the man in hospital. Outside the prison, a motor-car had been seen to stop beside the wall. A window-cleaner's ladder was run up it and a man scrambled up it; Turner ran towards Wandsworth Common and the rope ladder was dropped down the other side.

DASH TOWARDS COMMON. The car went off at top speed and a man was seen to jump over the top of the wall and run towards Wandsworth Common. The fugitive was picked up by a car which made off also. The prisoners had mapped their plot, signalling to one another by tapping on tin mugs. It is thought that they planned to climb the silk ladder and then slide down a rain-water pipe, but the pipe was not strong enough and they had to jump.

Both Turner and Sparks were members of what the Common Sergeant at the Old Bailey described as "a very dangerous gang" — sentenced to five years' penal servitude and five years' preventive detention.

Prisoners released on Friday and suspects questioned of having given information to associates of Turner and Sparks outside the prison.

A bold dash for freedom was made by two convicts at Wandsworth Prison on Monday, and one succeeded in making his escape. The two men — known to the police as James Turner and Charles John Sparks — were committed from the London Police Court and sentenced at the Old Bailey about a month ago to five years' penal servitude and five years' preventive detention as motor bandits. At the trial it was stated that the police searched a house in Oakley-crescent, Chelsea, where Turner's young wife lived, and found six separate sheets of various newspapers containing reports of bandit and smash-and-grab raids.

Ladder Against Wall

Careful plans had been made for the escape.

While a number of prisoners were at morning exercise, shortly after eight o'clock. a ladder was thrown over the prison wall. A car drove up to the wall outside the prison and, apparently, a window cleaner's ladder was placed against the wall. A man went up it and threw a rope ladder down the other side. Turner and Sparks us to the ladder, and the either in followed. Ile was in time to stop ISparks, but Turner went up the wall like 'lightning. According to a statement made at the officio of the Prison Commissioners. Turner ran towards Wandsworth Common when be had descended the ladder outside the The tolling of the prison bell and the 4 of warders and people living the who had heard of the WM* ev , deritly made him change his WM, Anti lie turned at = angles lain garden. climbed an wall, and disappeared into some shrubbery. were rushed to the vicinity, and with warders began an intensive comb-out for the fugitive. Whether Turner able to get away later in his friends' motor car is not known. Efforts were made to trace the direction taken by the car which drove up to the prison wall. Turner and Sparks were in the " star " class of prisoners " good conduct" men who work in parties on various tasks about the prison. They were attached to a building party engaged on decorating and repairing work.

This was their second bid for freedom within a fortnight. On one occasion Turner was caught in his attempt to escape. Just before that unsuccessful bid for freedom Turner and Sparks had been working with n party who were repaint!ng the Governor's house in readiness for its occupation by the new Governor. When prisoners are employed on this type of work they are not always under immediate supervision, and the two hid themselves for a while in the houee. Some little time afterwards a warder saw a man dressed in clothes belonging to the Governor walking across the prison yard. The warder was not deceived, and challenged the well-dressed man whore clothes did not fit. It proved to be Turner. Both he and the wood man were very useful at the type of work allotted to them, and, following their first attempt, although they were not allowed beyond the actual prison buildings, they were again employed on building work.

Clapham-common bandstand used to be a rallying place for unbridled hooliganism. It looks as though Wandsworth Common in the neighbourhood of the may become as bad as Clapham his been.

Last Sunday witnessed a deplorable manifestation of bad manners. The band performance varied by vocal solos. A lady vocalist was loudly cheered by a crowd of young people, whose purpose was not to applaud the singer, but to make as much noise as possible.

Presently jeering laughter mingled with the ironical cheers as a parliamentary journalist would call them.

The lady stopped and left the bandstand. Shortly afterwards, with her friends who included a couple of gentlemen, she left the common. It was an unpleasant experience.

We sympathise with the lady, and hasten to assure her that her singing was fully appreciated by all the decent people who were in the vicinity of the bandstand.

One naturally asks whether the County Council is promoting the public weal by bringing together crowds who do not know how to behave themselves.

Wandsworth Common has a well deserved reputation for quiet; its beauty is unrivalled. It would be a pity if so lovely a place should vulgarised, not of course by good music, but by the presence of mobs of young people who are never so happy as when they are interfering with the pleasures of others.

There is the possibility that local residents, in whom the urge of primitive instincts are strong, go far afield on cycle, 'bus, car or train, and that they may not be too proud to pick up a rabbit if they can lay hold of one by the ears.

In times past, expert poachers have hailed from Battersea. Should any of their spiritual descendants be with us we hope they will take their pleasure and their ground game humanely. A humane snare for rabbits will be forwarded to any reader who cares to send two penny stamps to the society's offices.

Local interest attaches to the discovery of the body of Andree, the Swedish explorer, and those of his two companions. The balloon in which they made their fatal attempt to reach the North Pole more than 30 ago, was the Passe Partout. That balloon was inflated for the first time at Wandsworth Gas Works. We remember the occasion well. A ha. crowd watched the process of filling the as bag which was the biggest ever constructed up to dial time. We could have gone oa the firell. trip, but we hinted it, to our subsequent regret. There were enough without us, however, so many that after the Passe Partout had ascended a few yards it had to be hauled down in order that some of the excess passengers might jump out. The aeronaut on this occasion was a French count, a very polite gentleman lavishly hospitable ,with champagne and sandwiches.

[Note: Friction with the men in blue — see separate entry?]