Digging in the Dark by Ben W. Johnson

Author:Ben W. Johnson [Johnson, Ben W.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Europe, Great Britain, General, True Crime, Con Artists; Hoaxes & Deceptions
ISBN: 9781473878174
Google: ysafAQAACAAJ
Publisher: Pen & Sword History
Published: 2017-01-15T00:28:54+00:00

Part 3 – Uncovering the Cargo

Yeardley and the woman (who, unfortunately, remains unnamed but was posing as the wife of William Yeardley) were soon taken to the nearest police station for further questioning, but during the short journey had regained enough bravado to continue their silent refusal to answer any of the questions posed of them. Meanwhile, with Samuel Howarth still present, a group of constables, including Gamble, began to search the room, and the rest of the premises for any further signs of illegal activity. It would not be long before a telling discovery would be made.

As the scant collection of mismatched furniture in the room was searched, a number of suspicious items were located, having deliberately been hidden from the prying eyes of any unsuspecting visitor. One by one, these were laid upon the bare floorboards, and written down in the notepad of Constable Gamble. Amongst the items found were a shovel with a deliberately shortened handle, screwdrivers, crowbars, and a couple of iron hooks, which were attached to a length of rope. These ominous findings bore all the hallmarks of being the tools carried by those who made their living from a gruesome and distasteful trade.

The tools of the grave robber were easily identifiable. The short handled shovel which could be easily concealed under a long coat, the screwdrivers and crowbars used to prise open the lids of newly buried coffins, and the hooks used to drag their haul back to into the world once again. Handily, for Constable Gamble, the box was not to be opened until later that day, when the couple were hauled before the Barnsley magistrates, in this case being The Reverend Dr Corbett, and Mr Joseph Beckett, who faced a similar wall of silence as the police had experienced while questioning the couple. On the orders of the magistrates, and with great care, the box was opened in the courtroom. Its contents hushed those present into a shocked silence, as the lid was slowly and carefully removed. This was a sight that nobody, especially the dumbstruck Yeardley, would have welcomed. On initial inspection, the box appeared to be full of hay, but as the hands of the court assistant delved deeper, it became painfully obvious that that the real cargo lay beneath. Inside, packed tightly to avoid any movement during transit, was the naked body of a small child.

The child, a boy, was so small in fact, that his body was immediately judged to have been around 2 years old, nothing more than a toddler. The hearing was quickly adjourned, and a police surgeon was sent for to perform a more thorough examination. Luckily for the couple who had inhabited the dock, the child was found to have died from natural causes, meaning that a murder charge would not be forthcoming. This was one small mercy for which everybody was thankful, not least William Yeardley and his anonymous accomplice.

However, the two defendants were still in extremely serious trouble. Unwilling to explain from

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