Sheffield Independent – Tuesday 21 October 1890
A Violent Man at Cortonwood.
Thos. Turner, miner, Cortonwood, was charged with assaulting Morrell Normany, miner, and Eliza Bradbury, at Denaby on October 4, and Ann Parkes and Ann Hill, at Cortonwood on October 14th.
Normany said on October 4th, about 11 p.m., he was in Mrs. Pendergast’s house, Denaby, and prisoner asked him about a quart of beer of which he knew nothing. Prisoner then struck him with his fist, and dealt him two blows on the head with the poker. He was under the influence of drink. Normany was rendered unconscious, and had been under medical care for a fortnight.
A girl named Pendergast gave corroborative evidence.
Prisoner denied that he struck Normany with the poker, and said the latter struck him. He called Ann Hannory, and she said they were in Pendergast’s honse drinking beer, and Normany was very drunk, and struck prisoner, and also rushed at him with the poker. A scuffle ensued, and witness was knocked down.
Mrs. Bradbury stated that she was fetched to Pendergast’s’ house, being told that her son had been killed. When she got there she asked the prisoner what he had ill-treated her son for, and he answered that he would give her as much. He struck her in the month, loosened her teeth, knocked her down and struck her again. She lost a quantity of blood and had two black eyes. For four days she was totally blind, and she was in the hands of the doctor for a fortnight.
Prisoner’s defence was that Mrs. Bradbury struck him with the frying pan.
It was then stated that prisoner had absconded from Denaby, and whilst at Cortonwood assaulted his landlady, Ann Parkes. He had been drinking on Oct. 14th, and on going to the house he uttered bad language, and struck Parkes on the head with a poker. He also struck her with his fist. She screamed “Murder,” and Mrs. Hill, a neighbour, came to her assistance.
When Mrs. Hill went into the house, prisoner was breaking jugs and everything he could get hold off. He struck her on the side of the head, knocked her down and kicked her, causing serious injury. He also ill-used her son to such an extent that he had since been confined to bed.
Prisoner said it was a scandalous shame if the bench allow people like the witnesses to come to the court to tell such confounded lines. He added that on the day in question Mrs Park struck him on the head with a teapot, inflicting a wound, which was dressed by police constable Midgley.
The Chairman said the prisoner was scarcely anything better than a beast, and committed him to prison for four months.