Sheffield Evening Telegraph – Monday 31 August 1908

A Violent Trio.
Constable’s Teeth Knocked Out.

Violent behaviour in connection with a projected tram ride at Swinton led to police court proceedings at Rotherham to-day.

Ted Coffey, Denaby, Wm. Whitehead, Mexbro’, and Wm. Elliott, Denaby were charged with having been drunk and disorderly and assaulting the police.

At 8.30 o’clock Friday night the three defendants attempted to enter a tramcar of the Mexbro’ and Swinton Tramways Company at Milton Road Swinton. They were drunk, and the conductor refused to admit them.

P.-c. Miles, who was on duly in plain clothes, came up and lent his aid in preventing them from riding. The car having gene away, the constable asked Coffey his name, but that defendant declined to oblige him with. He then attempted to lock him up, whereupon he (Coffevl called on the others to assist him. The constable was rushed, and in the struggle he bad two teeth knocked out and his watch broken. He sustained a sprained wrist and an injury to his thumb.

Another tramcar came up, with Arthur Rowling as driver and Albert John White as conductor. These employees helped the constable to get two the men on the car for the purpose of conveying them to the lock-up. Elliott got away. Coffey was very rough, and had to be held down on the floor of the vehicle. Four men were afterwards required to effect the transference from the car to the police station.

Each defendant was fined 40s. and costs.