Another Neighbours Quarrel from Conisborough

Lucy Wood and Annie Wood, mother and daughter, were summoned by Juliana Ackroyd, wife of a glassblower and living at Conisboro’, with a common assault committed at that place on the 3rd May.

There was also a cross summons by Annie Wood against Mrs Ackroyd.

Mr C. W. Hall, solicitor, appeared for Mrs. Ackroyd and Mr. J. W. Hattersley, solicitor, of Mexboro’, for Lucy and Annie Wood

Mr. Hall said Lucy and Annie Wood were mother and daughter. From the effects of the assault Mrs. Ackroyd was very ill, and was confined to her bed from the Thursday to the following Monday, and attended by Dr. Hills, who lad charged a guinea for his services. Her husband went over to Doncaster and laid the information, and he (Mr. Hall) had heard that on the Thursday following a cross summons had been taken out by Annie Wood against Mrs. Ackroyd.

The facts of the case would show that at 8 o’clock on the evening of the 8th May Mrs. Ackroyd heard her little boy crying in the yard. She went out to see what was the matter, and in consequence of what the boy said she went into the homes of a Mrs. Barker, and there she found Annie Wood behind the door. She asked her what she had been striking her child for, and Annie Wood said she would do it again. The complainant then told Annie Wood to come out, who thereupon struck her several times in the face. She pulled her hair and struck her until she reached her house, and struck her also in her house. Then, it seemed that Annie Wood went to speak to her father, and her father used some expression telling her to go and pull her out of the house.

The girl then rushed into Mrs. Ackroyd’s house and pulled her out by the hair of her head, and when they got outside, she struck her again, making her eye black and her face bleed. Lucy Wood, the mother, at this point interfered, and also assaulted her. From the effects of the blow she was knocked down, and then fainted.

Mrs. Ackroyd bore out Mr. Hall’s statement.

By Mr. Hattersley : She did not tell Annie Wood in Mrs. Baker’s that she would slap her in the face.

In reply to the Bench, Mrs. Ackroyd said she hit Annie Wood in Mrs. Baker’s, but nothing near so hard as Annie hit her.” (Laughter.) She went into Barker’s house to fetch Annie out, but she did not intend to do anything to here

Samuel Martin said both Lucy and Annie Wood pulled Mts. Ackroyd about the yard by the hair of her head, and eventually Mrs Ackroyd was knocked down.

By Mr. Hattersley : He did not see Mrs. Ackroyd fall over a clothes prop ; she was knocked and pulled down.

Mary. Jane Martin corroborated what her husband said.—Emma gable also corroborated, and said, in answer to Hattersley, that the clothes-prop was there, and the complainant might have fallen over it.

Ellen Ackroyd, sister-in-law to complainant, was sent for during the scene of the encounter, and reached there a little after 8 o’clook. Her sister was very weak, and had black marks all over her; her hair was also pulled out.

Mr. Hattersley contended that the evidence had not borne out Mr. Hall’s opening statements, In the first place, by the complainant’s own showing, she was the first aggressor, and Annie Wood was justified in resenting her. Was it probable, too, that the young girl could do all that the complainant had alleged she had done. The whole of the testimony in relation to the commencement of the assault was on the side of the Woods, and their witnesses who saw the assault in the yard would give the affair a different complexion,

Annie Wood said she heard her little sister, three years of age, crying, and she went out. He found Mrs Ackroyd’s little boy hitting her sister in the passage. She told him that if he hit the little girl again she would it him, and he therefore ran and told Mrs Ackroyd that she had hit him. Witness went into Mrs Baker’s, and Mrs Ackroyd followed and said she would hit witness in the face, which she did, three times.

The second round started by Mrs Ackroyd hitting her again in the face by her own door, and it was totally untrue that witness pulled her out of the house. Witnesses mother did not lay a hand upon Mrs Ackroyd.

Charles Sinnington, glass blower at Kilner brothers, said he lodged at Mrs Baker’s, and deposed to the assault committed on Annie Wood by Mrs Ackroyd in Mrs Baker’s house.

Thomas Dainty, labourer at Kilner brothers and Sarah Taylor corroborated, and stated that the balance of provocation was on Mrs Ackroyd part.

The Bench said the case of Annie Wood against Mrs Ackroyd would be dismissed, also that of Mrs Ackroyd against Lucy Wood.

Annie Wood would be fined 10 shillings and £1.15s costs.