Ex-Soldier Assaulted

March 1917

Mexborough and Swinton Times March 10, 1917

Ex-Soldier Assaulted

At the Doncaster West Riding Police Court on Saturday a discharged soldier, John Coope, of Denaby, summoned Annie Field, married woman,  for assault.

Mr Frank Allen appeared for complainant, and Mr W Baddiley defended.

Mr Allen said defendant was sister to the defendant’s brother’s wife, and since he came back from the Army the defendant had annoyed him in various ways. On March 1 he was standing near the Picture house talking to some friends when she came up and asked to speak to him.

He told her he did not want to speak to her, but she seized his coat and pulled him round. He again told her he did not want to speak to her, but she struck him in the face and called him a “bully.”

The complainant, who lives at 9 Cusworth Street, bore out this in evidence.

Reply to Mr Baddiley, he said defendants husband was at the war. He did not say if she did it again it might provoke him to strike her. He did not say he would give her a ticket to go to the workhouse.

Francis Hallett, 62, Blythe Street and Edmund Henderson, 48 Maltby St, corroborated.

Mr Baddeley said defendant had neither father nor mother, and her husband was at the war. The story of the affair was that she asked defendant quietly to speak to her about her sister. His reply was that he did not want to speak to her, as they had enough with one – – – – Irish dog in the family. The defendant’s parents were Irish. She then said she would make him speak to her, and he put his fist into her face, saying “You had better shift, or I will knock you away.” She then struck him on the nose. One would have thought, said Mr Baddiley, that a man of 22 would not have brought such a paltry case to court.

Defendant said her husband was in Mesopotamia, one of her brothers have been killed, another had been wounded, and one was a cripple.

Another soldier’s wife, Emma Jane Harrison, and a soldier’s widow, Sarah Goulding, was called to say that complainant threatened defendant.

The defendant was bound over.