Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 24 January 1902
A Denaby Colliery Official Threatened.
At the Doncaster West Biding Court, on Wednesday, a New Conisboro miner named Edward M’Grath was charged in custody with using threats towards James Myers, another miner, employed by the Denaby Main Colliery Co.
Mr. Gichard (Rotherham), instructed by the colliery company, appeared for Myers.
It appears that on the 6th inst. Myers was appointed an under-manager to search the men as they descended the mine. In making the search Myers discovered matches in a man’s pocket, and reported the matter, with the result the miner, named Stephen Sculley, was fined at the Doncaster Police Court on the following Saturday.
It seems that there was some ill-feeling amongst the miner, on account of men having to perform this duty, and Myers, on leaving work on the morning of the 13th inst., about seven o’clock, called in the Denaby Main Hotel for a drink. The prisoner and a man named Burke were there, and seeing Myers, came accross to where he was sitting. Prisoner said, I’ll knock your brains out. You are nothing but a cur for reporting Sculley.” Burke said, “If you don’t do it, I will.” Burke then put his hands on to Myers shoulders and butted him on the nose with his bead. Myers was rendered unconscious for nearly an hour. His nose bled profusely, and he suffered much pain for several days, besides which his face had been permanently disfigured.
The case was such that he (Mr. Gichard) said he thought he was justified in asking the Bench to compel the prisoner to find sureties to be of good behaviour. Prisoner was bound over to keep the peace for six months, himself in the suns of £10 and two sureties of £5 each, or, in default, a mouth’s imprisonment.
A warrant is out for the arrest of Burke, who, it is alleged, committed the assault