The Dispute at Denaby Main Colliery

Serious Disturbances by Women

At Rotherham Police Court, yesterday, Mary M‘Cabe, Denaby, was charged by Bridget Clarke with using threatening language at Denaby on the 20th inst. The complainant said she was going to fetch some pork, when the defendant threatened to run a knife into her.

Mary Ann Street and Caroline Quigley corroborated the complainant’s statements. Mr. F. Parker-Rhodes said he was instructed by the Denaby Main Colliery Company to defend. The real facts were that on the day in question the defendant was at home, her husband was at work, and their house was attacked by 20 or 30 women. The windows were broken, the sash was driven in, bricks were thrown into the house, a child was knocked down, and its head was cut open. The woman and child were obliged to take refuge upstairs. The case was dismissed.

At the same Court, Richard Birks, Morris Dunn, James Padgett, William Peace, George Russell Venables, and Alvin Webster, all colliers, of Denaby, were charged with breaches of contract. Mr. Parker-Rhodes prosecuted, and said that the company claimed 10s. damages from each of the defendants. When the notice given for a reduction of wages expired, the defendants continued at their work, but on the 13th inst. stated they suddenly stopped work, and had not been near the place since.

Padgett, Peace, and Webster said they did not like to go to work because there were strangers in the pit, and they were in danger of their lives. Dunn said it was not a nice thing to meet 200 or 300 men in a body threatening to take his life. Mr. Rhodes said they did not press the charges against those men who were afraid to go to work. He advised them to go to work, and said that on behalf of the colliery company he would guarantee that if they were assaulted the assailants should be made to pay for it.

On the suggestion of the Bench all the defendants promised to return to work, and the cases were adjourned for a month to give them an opportunity of doing so.