Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 01 September 1893
Alleged Attack on a Conisborough Farmer.
The Magistrates and the Miners.
Strong Comments.
Four miners, named Walter Lidster, Wm. Crabtree, Jno. Hawksworth, and Wm. Crookes, and Wm. Walters, a wood turner, all of Conisborough, were charged with having assaulted Wm. Appleyard, farmer, Clifton, at Braithwell, on August 20th.
Mr. Hall appeared for the complainant and Mr. Hattersley defended.
Mr. Hall said he had had a consultation with his friend, Mr. Hattersley, and he thought there was not need for much time to be taken up by the magistrates on the matter; the case could be materially shortened. Wm. Appleyard had laid informations against the five defendants. It would be remembered that there was a case brought before the court a fortnight previously, when Mr. Ramsden was then in the chair, and some men were then sent to prison for an assault. Mr. Appleyard wanted to have peace on his farm. Two of the defendants—Crookes and Walters—took no part in the assault, and the other three men had expressed regret for having interfered with Mr. Appleyard.
He was sitting on a railing, after an afternoon’s walk on the Sunday, when the offence was committed. His client did not want to have these feuds. They were not living in the back woods of America; but in England, where they wanted peace. He had talked the matter over with Mr. Hattersley and they agreed to leave the matter with the Bench as to what should be done. Mr. Appleyard had no wish to press the case at all, and he (Mr. Hall) hoped this would be a sufficient warning. The men were miners on strike and they seemed to have gone to his farm. Perhaps this would be an end of the dispute.
The Chairman: We shall need to hear some evidence.
The complainant then entered the witness-box. He had a black eye.
The Chairman: The assault case we had before us before was a most serious one.
Mr. Hattersley: This is not so serious as that.
The Chairman: No; I hope not.
Mr. Hall said the object was to have peace, if possible.
The Chairman: We do not want to have the ill-feeling continued.
Mr. Hall: Certainly not.
(To the witness): You gave evidence a fortnight ago?
Yes.
And the men were sent to prison without the option of a fine?
Yes.
The complainant then added that on the 20th August he and a friend were going to Braithwell. It was about three o’clock on the afternoon of Sunday. The five defendants were on the road. Hawksworth made use of observations which caused him (complainant) to jump off the rails on which he was seated. Lidster then came up and struck him and Hawksworth got hold of him. Witness then struck Lidster and Crabtree got hold of his (complainant’s) arms from behind and held him while Hawksworth and Lidster beat him in the face. Afterwards they threw stones at him. The men also made use of disgusting language.
Mr. Hattersley: I take the statement as given, though I should not exactly take the evidence in toto. The summons is withdrawn against Crookes and Walters. The other three men are extremely sorry for what happened, and they express a desire that you will treat them leniently. His friend (Mr. Hall) had held out the olive branch of peace and they wished to meet it fairly.
The Chairman: This must be put a stop to. The Bench do not think a fine will meet the justice of the case. The men must go to prison for one month.
Mr. Hattersley said in that case he would prefer to fight the case through. He had taken the course which he had done at the suggestion of his friend.
Mr. L. T. Baines: If you think you can break the case through, do so.
Mr. Hall: All right. We will fight it out; but it is not a matter like the other.
Mr. Baines: Are they guilty or not guilty?
Mr. Hall: They plead guilty on certain conditions. These are not like the other men and have not done the same thing. I don’t want the men to be sent to prison. But Mr. Appleyard is prepared to fight it. These people are out on strike and we want to keep peace all round. They have expressed regret for what they have done. There is no great harm done in this way. It is not like going on to his property; it was wrong to do as they did, but he struck one of the men and knocked him down. It is one of those cases in which a fine may be imposed, instead of sending them to prison.
The Chairman: In consequence of the way in which the prosecution has conducted the case, we don’t want to send the men to prison. It is the last thing we wish to do, but this sort of thing must be stopped. It is a most disgraceful, outrageous assault, but as the prosecution has interfered so strongly we will not send the men to gaol. The men may entirely thank Mr. Hall for that, for our inclination was to send them to prison. There seems to be ill-feeling between the miners and Mr. Appleyard, but as to why or wherefore we do not know.
A fine of £3, including costs, was then inflicted on each of the three defendants, one month’s imprisonment in default, and the Chairman said to the defendants: “Take warning! any future case will be severely dealt with. Conisborough is in such a state now! You trespass on men’s land, and if they object to that you stone them! It must be stopped.”