Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 22 February 1913
Conisboro’ Miner Fined
A young Conisboro’ miner, named William Naughton, against whom a warrant was issued the previous day, was charged with having obstructed the police in the execution of their duty on the 25th January.
P.C. Rutter and P.C. Barnes gave evidence that at 10.15 on the night in question they were apprehending a man named Crome in Blythe Street for being drunk and disorderly when the prisoner came up and said, “You won’t take him.”
He tried to get Crome away from them, and a crowd collected. A man in the crowd came forward and said he would help the police, whereupon the prisoner struck him in the face, knocking him down.
Replying to Mr. Frank Allen, who defended, Rutter said the defendant’s father came up and took him away.
Mr. Allen suggested that the police had hold of the wrong man. The prisoner denied that he had attempted to release the man in custody, and said he was going home when he saw a little disturbance.
He admitted he hit the man, but said he did not fall to the ground. The man was drunk.
The prisoner’s father said he took his son home, and that the previous morning he went to P.C. Rutter’s house, and the officer told him the prisoner need not go to Court.
Mary Jubb, a married woman, who lives at Blythe Street, was called, but said she did not know the man who came forward to help the police, and could not say whether it was the prisoner who struck him.
Other witnesses gave evidence. The prisoner had been convicted three times before, including once for obstructing the police.
He was fined 20s. and the costs, £1 0s. 5d.