Brutal Assault

14 days imprisonment was a well merited punishment meted out by magistrates at Doncaster on Monday to John Lewis, a Denaby miner, for a violent assault on Mary Westwood, at Barnburgh Street.

The complainant head was swaithed in bandages when she appeared in court. She stated that she visited the prisoner’s house at 10 Barnburgh St on Saturday last. When she arrived at the house prisoner and his wife were having a quarrel. Witness asked them to be quiet. She picked up the poker so that prisoner could not get it.

The prisoner took it away from her and hit her on the back of the head, knocking her to the floor. He did not say why he had done it.

A policeman came into the house and dressed the wounds.

Dr Twigg, was called in and attended to her. He said he examined the wound and found it to be 2 inches in length. It was right down through the skin of the bone. There were two wounds on the finger which might have been inflicted by someone biting the finger. The wound on the head could have been caused by a poker. The wound would be dangerous until it was entirely healed up.

PC Glithro stated that he heard a disturbance, and proceeded to the house of Mrs Westwood. He found the prosecutrix was bleeding profusely from a wound in her head and he cut the air from around it and bathed it. Later, he charged the prisoner with unlawful wounding Mary Westwood by hitting her on the head with a poker. The prisoner replied “Me! Well, lock me up; I am ready to die tonight.” He was under the influence of drink.

Mr Huntriss said there was no doubt that the prisoner had committed a violent assault on Mrs Westwood, and he would be committed to prison for 14 days hard labour