Conisborough Households in Dispute – Charges Made

May 1882

Mexborough and Swinton Times, May 26.

Conisborough Households in Dispute

Alfred Bell, glassblower, of Conisborough, complained that William Grindle and Henry Pye, each of Mexborough, the first a stone breaker and the second a labourer, had assaulted him and Alex Bell averred that Alfred Bell, her husband, had beaten her.

Mr Hall was for Alfred, who is a young man, and appeared with his head plastered. Grindle is his father-in-law, and he said that he went with him to his home after he had bought fish in the street on a Saturday night, and found his wife there, and that directly he got inside, without the slightest provocation, the old man hit him on the head with a stick and Pye, a lodger, with a poker, and turned him out.

He bled like a pig and went home with his wife, and quarrelled with her, and she returned to her father and stayed there all night, but came next morning for her clothes and, after flinging a lamp through the window, left again. She was said to be in bed now, being attended by a surgeon.

The father-in-law called one of his daughters, and she stated that Alfred was drunk, and swore and said he would strike his wife, and pushed her father and took out his knife, and threatened to stab him, and that for this he was hit with the state and turned out.  She was very excited and indignant as she stood in the witness box and giving this version of the story, repeated some very evil terms which she said her brother-in-law used.

She was, confirmed by the old man’s two little boys who said, however, that Grindle hit Bell twice over the head with a stick. The lodger they said, sat on a sofa, and did nothing.

Bell denied that he was drunk.

The magistrates believed that he began the row, that Pye did nothing, and that Grindle acted only in defence of himself and his house so they dismissed the charges.

The father said the wife was at his home terribly bruised and the hearing of the charge she made was adjourned till tomorrow week.