Mexborough and Swinton Times February 17, 1893
Another New Denaby Case
Thomas Porter, Tranmere, Denaby, was charged by Charles Cocking, a deputy of Conisborough, for an assault on Sarah Elizabeth Cocking, his daughter, at New Conisborough on February 9.
Mr Baddiley appeared for complainant, and thought the bench would consider it an aggrieved assault.
Sarah Elizabeth Cocking, a young girl, employed as a dressmaker at Mexborough, said the assault occurred as she was coming home, and when she got a little past the co-operative Stores at Denaby and away to Hope View where she lived. She had seen prisoner near the co-operative Stores with his back to the wall. She passed close to him, and when soon after she heard someone running and turnaround she saw him. He came by the side of her, and when she got about 20 yards past the chapel he took hold of her round the waist and threw her down, and dragged her into the middle of the road. She struggled onto the causeway again and under the lamppost she saw it was prisoner. The signal box was on the opposite side of the road. He threw her down again, and she screamed, “Help! Murder! Mother!” and said she knew him.
He then ran away, and she stayed to find her hat and basket. The basket was in the middle of the road, and her hat in the hedge bottom on the opposite side of the footpath. She made complaint to her father and mother. Her clothes were covered with mud. The police were informed of the affair, and about 1 o’clock the next morning the police sergeant brought the prisoner. She said she could not recognise him, but in the daytime she recognised him. She was bothered at the time she first saw him, but when cool she had no difficulty in recognising him.
Charles Cocking, deputy, Denaby Main, said his daughter came home about 8:50 pm crying and dirty on the Thursday in question. He made a complaint, and he went to the signal box and talk to the signalman. He had to go to work at 10 pm, the next day he made out a warrant.
John Sanders, signalman, Low field crossing, remember Thursday night, and it tries on the road opposite his box. He heard a girl cry, “I’ll tell my father. I know who you are.” He could not leave his box, as to trade with you. As soon as the trains past the man ran across the line. Cocking came to box soon after and from what they said together Cocking went searching amongst the trucks and soon a man ran across the line again and into the main road.
Cross-examined by the bench: He thought it was the same man ran back as had run across the first time. He thought it was prisoner, but would not say definitely.
Polly Wilson, a little girl, new prisoner, and on Thursday she sign near the co-operative stores as she was coming with Eliza scales from Mrs scales out. Prisoner was standing with his coat collar up. It was about 8 o’clock.
Eliza Scales, another girl, Firbeck Street, New Conisborough, knew the prisoner as he lodged with her sister. She and Polly Wilson saw prisoner near the co-operative stores. Porter was not in her sister’s house about 8 o’clock while she stayed there some five or six minutes.
George Chapman, dataller, Denaby Main, whom prisoner lodged with, said prisoner came home about 9.15 or 9.30 pm on Thursday. He was wet and breathing hard as if he had been running. Prisoner and not fetched any beer for them that night. As soon as he came in he hung his coat up and went straight away to bed – a most unusual thing.
Sergeant Ambler said that about midnight on Thursday he went to prisoner’s lodgings, and knocking at the door he had a man’s voice saying, “Rose! Rose! There is a Bobby. Tell him nobody was out last night.” He was let in, and all the people in the house were made to get up. He said there have been a nasty case on, and asked for the trousers of prisoner, who produced a pair of moleskin’s which were quite dry. It was raining that night, so he told him those were not what he wanted. Prisoner said he had no others, and are not been out except to Slater’s for three gills of beer for his landlord. This the landlord denied. On searching about the house he saw a pair of trousers in a corner of the house very wet. One leg was dirty from top to bottom in the wet at the knee. Nobody would only trousers, and he therefore may prisoner fit them on, and then prisoner admitted they were his. He took prisoner to the girl’s house, and found the girl in an excited state. He asked if that was the man, and she said “It is like him, but I can’t say.” In consequence of what the father said he took out the warrant when the prisoner was apprehended she at once said “that’s him.”
Cross-examined: The girl did not say she was sure it was not the prisoner. The girl described a prisoner by the curly hair yet at the front, the other brother had lighter hair and not curly.
Prisoner said it was not him.
The Bench thought prisoner guilty of a common assault, and inflicted a penalty of 40 shillings, including costs.