Harry James Charles Dickens

Harry James Charles Dickens was stabbed at a house in West Ham, London after a party.

A 19-year-old sailor was sent for trial but the case was thrown out.

The sailor had been an able seaman on HMS Canterbury. Whilst awaiting trial at the Old Bailey he had been kept on board his ship. He had been refused bail.

Harry Dickens had been a Billingsgate fish salesman from Stratford.

Before Harry Dickens died, the sailor had been charged with malicious wounding, but later with murder.

A policeman said that when he arrested the sailor that he had said that Harry Dickens had tried to take a liberty with his mother and that he had afterwards struck him in self-defence.  The police officer that arrested the sailor said that when he did so, the sailor replied, 'The man tried to take a liberty with my mother'.

The inquest into Harry Dickens's death returned a verdict of manslaughter under great provocation against the sailor. When the Coroner summed up, he noted that the jury could consider passing a verdict of justifiable homicide. However, they returned one of manslaughter.

However, he was later charged with murder, with malice aforethought. When charged, he said, 'There was no malice aforethought. I did not know the man'.

It was heard that the sailor had come home on 30 December 1916 on eight day's leave and that one night at a party held at his house, during which Harry Dickens had been present, that they had been sitting round the fire when it was alleged that Harry Dickens behaved insultingly towards the sailors mother and that the sailor had leapt up and cried, 'Get out of this house!' and that Harry Dickens had then rushed at him and that the sailor had then struck him with a knife and that Harry Dickens had fallen, bleeding from the neck.

The sailor said that when the party broke up that Harry Dickens had asked if he might remain until the 2am train to market. He said that he, his mother and Harry Dickens sat on chairs by the fireside and that his mother fell asleep, but was later aroused by Harry Dickens touching her skirt, causing her to shout. The sailor then said that he said to Harry Dickens, 'I saw what you were doing. Get out of the house and never show your face here again'. He said that Harry Dickens then threatened him and then dashed at him and that there was a struggle during which they fell and Harry Dickens received a wound to his throat from a dagger that he didn't know he had in his hand.

Harry Dickens was taken to hospital but later died.

Harry Dickens had been initially referred to as Harry Freeman, but his true name was later stated to be, Harry James Charles Dickens.