Stories from the Beds and Herts Saturday Telegraph: March 25th, 1916.

A man with only one eye appeared in the dock at the Luton Borough Sessions this morning charged with being an absentee under Section 15 of the Reserve Forces Act. He pleaded not guilty.

Major Orde said Bert Fensome, an iron moulder of 6 Burr Street, Luton, was 29 years of age and single. He had received notice to present himself on March 11th, but as he did not comply a second order was ordering his appearance on March 13th. That was returned through the Dead Letter Office.

Fensome said he had been up to the enlisting office three times and had been told they could not accept him because he had only one eye. On the first occasion he went down there at 12 o'clock and was told he must wait to see the Major for exemption. He waited until 4 o'clock and then went away as he could not stand there not earning a living. Major Orde said he could not keep account of everyone who went to the office.

Fensome was handed over without other penalty for military escort to Bedford.

• One man discharged by the court was Sidney Green, of 38 Park Street, Luton, who was said to be 34 years old and single and had not reported as ordered to the Recruiting Office in Manchester Street. He said he had been there and was told he was over age, and he produced his birth certificate in court which showed he was born in Dunstable on November 6th, 1875, and was therefore not liable under the Act.

• Frederick Dean, of 44 Vernon Road, Luton, did not report as ordered because he considered himself a time-expired man to whom the Military Service Act did not apply. The 34-year-old single man was fined £2 and remanded for escort after being told the fact that he had been in the Royal Garrison Artillery from 1906 to 1913, when he bought himself out for £18, did not constitute being time-expired.

• Herbert John Odell, a single man aged 22, of 25 North Street, Luton, who had failed twice to win an appeal to a Tribunal as a conscientious objector, was fined 40s and remanded for escort. The same penalty was given to Alfred Moore, a single man aged 33, of 73 Cowper Street, Luton, who had claimed he did not enjoy good health but was told that was for a doctor to settle.

• Derby recruits just arrived at the No 6 Artillery Training School at Biscot Camp were to be welcomed as comrades just as cordially as if they were veteran artillerymen, Col Griffiths said at a concert at Luton Town Hall on Thursday to greet the new men. He added that this had been impressed upon the 3/3rd London Brigade, Royal Field Artillery.

• Cpl Edward 'Teddy' Grice, 1/1 Eastern Mounted Brigade Field Ambulance, R.A.M.C., eldest son of stationmaster Mr R. Grice, of Midland House, Luton, and a member of the Luton News/Saturday Telegraph staff until he enlisted, has been invalided home. After returning to Egypt from Gallipoli he went into hospital with enteric fever, and later an operation for appendicitis was found necessary. Following this he has been sent home and arrived this week in a hospital at Manchester, where he is doing well.

• Slackness of trade was blamed at Luton Bankruptcy Court for the failure of Arthur Panter, lately trading as Panter & Co, fancy hat manufacturers, of Guildford Street, Luton. The firm, which had traded for 37 years, showed a deficiency of £760 9s 6d. The hearing was adjourned to give an opportunity to go into the firm's books.

• Exception was taken by Luton Chamber of Commerce to a suggestion that straw plait should be included in a list of goods which were considered luxuries by Lord Devonport, Chairman of the London Port Authority. The Chamber decided it would take action should a proposal to restrict the import of straw plait become a concrete one.

• About eight o'clock yesterday morning a horse attached to one of Messrs J. W. Green's mineral water vans was left standing in Church Street by the driver, Arthur Samms,when it suddenly bolted. It had a long and exciting run, traversing John Street, Silver Street, Bute Street, George Street, Manchester Street, Bridge Street and Guildford Street before colliding with Mr Urban Norwood's office in Guildford Street, where it was seized and held to recover from its fright. The animal was severely cut about the legs, the van shafts were broken and Mr Norwood's office door was damaged.

• Luton Town again had to field something of a makeshift team for their London Combination match against Clapton Orient played at Millfields Road, Homerton. Two goals in each half gave a 4-0 victory to the home side, although Luton were not outplayed to the extent the scoreline suggested.