The night of Sunday 15 September 1907 was a quiet and peaceful night in Mexborough, as three police officers met near the Prince of Wales theatre around 10.30 pm. It was a regular meeting place at the top of the High Street, where these officers could have a quiet smoke before continuing with their night time shift. This informal meeting place also gave Sergeant Matthews a chance to have an update with his men during their night patrol. Accordingly, he handed round his cigarette packet to his brother officers, Police Constables Haigh and Burrows. However they barely had time to take a first drag before a man approached them.

Sergeant Matthews quickly noted that the man was waving a gun about in a menacing manner.
To his horror he saw the man stop and take aim at him and from almost point blank range the sergeant was shot. As he registered what was about to happen, he automatically turned away, thereby ensuring that the bullet entered the side of his body. At the same time, PC Haigh quickly lunged at the assailant as he too became a target. Thankfully the bullet aimed at him was deflected by a button on his tunic, glancing off his wrist in the process. A third shot simply went through PC Burrows tunic sleeve, before he threw his police lamp at the assailant, hitting him in the face.

The man, who was later identified as Harold Carr, a twenty two year old miner who lived with his mother in Flowitt Street, Mexborough, made off and ran down the High Street. However he had not got far before a fourth officer, PC Ellithorn appeared on the scene. He had been attracted to the spot by the sound of gunfire. Ellithorn too, threw his lamp at the fleeing man, who was quickly overpowered and dragged down onto the floor. There, he was disarmed and handcuffed, before being summarily marched to the police station. By this stage the noise of the shots had reverberated around this quiet night, resulting in several local people gathering around the three offices.

A cab was called, which quickly conveyed Sergeant Matthews to the Montague Hospital.
Police enquiries quickly established that Carr was well known to the Mexborough Police and just a few weeks earlier had threatened to ‘do for’ Sergeant Matthews, who had recently summoned him for using bad language in the street. However that amiable and popular officer had taken little notice of Carr’s threats. Meanwhile the gun was examined and it was found that three bullets out of the six chambered weapon had been fired. When taken to the police station and searched, the prisoner had a further seven bullets in his pocket, indicating that the attack had been pre-meditated.

The prisoner was informed that the following day he would be taken before the Doncaster Magistrates Court, charged with attempting to murder Sergeant Matthews and Police Constables Haigh and Burrows. Accordingly, the following morning Carr was brought out of the police station and stepping outside, was was astonished to see a large crowd assembled in front of the entrance. They were made up of local people all anxious to see the prisoner. The prisoner was still handcuffed as he was placed on the 10.17 am Doncaster train. Once in court, Carr showed no remorse as he stated that he was just sorry that he had not killed the sergeant.

One reporter described Harold Carr as being ‘a thickset youth who appeared to be labouring under the impression that he had been very badly treated by his victim.’ For many days after the attack, the condition of the sergeant was looking quite serious. The surgeon treating him, Dr Dunlop stated to a reporter that the officer was doing as well as could be expected under the circumstance. He said that no effort had been made to extract the bullet, which was situated on his right side just above his liver. However he added that it was hoped that the patient, once he was fully recovered, would be operated upon to remove the bullet.

Meanwhile, Carr was brought into the magistrates court at Doncaster where PC Haigh was the first witness who described the events of the previous night. He stated that there was no attempt to disguise what the prisoner was about to do as he approached them and stood in the middle of the road. He shouted ‘Now Matthews, I have come to kill you’ as he lifted up the gun to take aim. At this point the prisoner interrupted and denied saying anything of the sort. Nevertheless after hearing from other witnesses, the bench found Harold Carr guilty and sent him to take his trial at the next Assizes.

Carr experienced two more remands over the next couple of weeks although thankfully, by the end of September 1907, it was reported that the sergeant had finally had the bullet removed. However prior to this, on Wednesday 9 October it was announced that the four police officers, the sergeant and the three constables had received a Merit Badge for their courage in the attack. (This badge was the equivalent of a Victoria Cross). The four officer had been given this prestigious award from the Chief Constable himself, Captain Metcalfe. However it was not until Friday 11 October that the case was finally brought before the Doncaster magistrates,

Superintendent Hicks acted as the prosecution and he outlined the facts for the bench and described the desperate struggle which had taken place to finally subdue the prisoner. Sergeant Matthews was in attendance and gave his own evidence. That officer stated that he had known Carr for about three years and that he was a man who had been in the habit of taking too much drink. When sober, he was a quiet and inoffensive man who usually drank to excess at the weekends. After hearing the accounts of all the officers involved, the prisoner was committed to take his trial at the Assizes. Accordingly Harold Carr was brought before the judge, Mr Justice Phillimore at the Leeds Assizes on Monday 25 November 1907.

It was reported that the prisoner did not give the impression of being at all disturbed by finding himself in such a serious position. When asked if he had anything to say, he simply stated that he was ‘so drunk he did not know what he was doing.’ The prosecution, Mr C Yarborough told the court that ‘it was the most deliberate attempt to kill a man that they had ever heard of. It was only by mere chance that Carr was not facing a more serious charge.’ After outlining the case for the jury, Mr Yarborough added that the conduct of the police officers was ‘the pluckiest that had come to their knowledge.’

He stated that each officer knew that he was risking his life in tackling the prisoner, but that not one of them had hesitated. Dr J Huey described how, when the sergeant arrived at his surgery that his belt was full of blood. He said that blood was also coming from the wound and that they had difficulty in finding the bullet. In the end an x-ray machine had to be used to locate it. The x-ray specialist then gave evidence that the bullet had travelled eight inches from the point of entry and was found embedded in the muscles of the patients back. However the prisoner still used the same excuse to defend himself. He claimed that he had been ‘boozing solid’ for two weeks before the incident. Mr Justice Phillimore told the jury that excessive drinking could not be used as an alibi.

However he did asked the jury to consider what was the prisoners state of mind at the time of the shooting. The jury did not hesitate to return a verdict that Harold Carr was guilty of shooting with a clear intent to kill. They added a recommendation that the police officers concerned should be recommended for their bravery in following the armed prisoner. It was only at this point did it seem that Carr expressed any remorse for his actions as he pleaded for mercy. The prisoner added that he was glad that the sergeant had ‘been able to get about again.’ But it was all too late. The judge sentenced Harold Carr to 15 years imprisonment for intentionally shooting at three officers with a deliberate intent to kill them all.