Penistone, Stocksbridge and Hoyland Express – Saturday 02 February 1924
Vicar Knocked Down While Peacemaking
Five Denaby youths, William Smith, Cyril Hodgson, Frederick Redfern, John Smith, all miners, and Harry Taylor, a greengrocer, appeared at Doncaster on Tuesday on a charge of being drunk and disorderly.
Sgt. Elliott said that in all his fourteen years’ experience he had never seen such fighting and struggling. The men came out of the “Alma” Club, and began to fight on the road side. Many people intervened and tried to separate the men, and the Vicar of Conisborough, the Rev. W. A. Strawbridge, tried to use his influence, but was knocked down. Only two of the men appeared at the court. John Smith and Harry Taylor, whose trading name was Hall. Taylor denied being drunk, but said the men knocked him senseless on one of the other men, who had since apologised. Sgt. Elliott said Taylor was just as much concerned in the fracas as the other men, all of whom were quarrelling and struggling on the road side.
The magistrates considered it was a serious case. William Smith and Taylor were fined 25s. each, Hodgson and Redfern 30s., and John Smith, who had previous convictions recorded against him, was fined 35s.