Motoring Incidents

From The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia

Motoring Incidents is an article published in The Daily Telegraph on 5 june 1905.

Arthur Conan Doyle paid a fine of £5 for driving too fast and having failed to produce his driving license.


Motoring Incidents

The Daily Telegraph (5 june 1905, p. 6)

Sir A. Conan Doyle, of Hindhead, was summoned, at Guildford, on Saturday, for having driven a motor-car at a speed exceeding twenty miles an hour on the Portsmouth-road, at Shalford, on May 20, and for having failed to produce his license when requested. The evidence of Police-inspector Jennings and Police-sergeant Devine, was to the effect that Sir Arthur's car was timed over a measured quarter-mile, which it covered in 30 sec, equal to a speed of thirty miles an hour. There were four people in the car. When told the rate at which he was travelling, Sir Conan Doyle remarked that he did not think that his car was capable of doing thirty miles an hour, because he had often tried to make it do it and had failed. On being asked for his license, he said he had left it at home. For the defence, it was submitted that Sir A. Conan Doyle was a very considerate driver, and did not exceed six or seven miles an hour when passing through a town or village. A fine of £5 was imposed, the Bench on this occasion taking no notice of the failure to produce the license.

At Dorking, Mr. D. G. Gilmour, of Mickleham Downs House, near Dorking, was fined £5 and his license endorsed, for riding a motor bicycle to the danger of the public. He was also charged with not having a bell or horn on his cycle. It was stated that defendant rode round a dangerous corner at a speed of from sixteen to twenty miles an hour. Leave to appeal was given.