A Cowardly Assault on a Denaby Woman

Herbert Bowers, collier, Denaby was charged with assaulting Mary Anne Wright, married woman, of Denaby at Mexborough on the fifth inst.

Mr C Hall appeared for the prosecutrix.

Mrs Wright stated that her husband was a deputy employed at Denaby Main Colliery. On the night of the fifth she was marketing in Mexborough. She went into a shop to make some purchases. The defendant came along and called her and her companion two black sheep, and used bad names towards them. He asked them to get off the causeway, and drove them before him.

Her companion asked the defendant if he knew that he was insulting Mr Wright’s wife, Annie immediately turned on prosecutrix and kicked her violently several times. She was attended by Dr Sykes assistant for injuries. During the Denaby strike her husband went into Staffordshire for the purpose of obtaining men to work at Denaby Main.

In cross examination by Mr T vanity, who appeared for the defendant, the prosecutrix stated that she and her companion, Mrs Miller, were not the worse for liquor. She did not slip off the footpath onto the road. When the defendant kicked her she shouted out. The affair happened in Hirstgate. She was kicked off the causeway right into the middle of the street. Mrs Miller was not on the ground. They were afraid of going home until they met a man named Froggatt. After she had been assaulted she walked from Mexborough to Denaby.

Re-examined by Mr Hall: she had not tasted drink that evening; she went to the doctor next morning.

Maria Miller said the language used by the defendant was disgusting. She was in company with Mrs Wright. When the defendant kicked Mrs Wright her marketing things were strewn about the road. Defendant first sees Mrs Wright just under the throat, and kicked, and when witness remonstrated with him he struck her also. Witness was perfectly sober. She had seen the bruises which were inflicted upon Mrs Wright by the defendant. Mrs Wright complained that her spine was injured. They had not been in a public house at all that night.

Dinah Potts corroborated the evidence of the two previous witnesses.

Sofia Wright stated that the defendant knocked the prosecutrix down and kicked her.

Mr Verity, for the defendant, contended that there was no assault on a serious character. He called John Holcroft, who said that he was near Hirstgate on the night in question. He saw Mrs Wright and Mrs Miller, and also the defendant. Witness heard the defendant said to the woman, “Stand out o’t road” and he saw nothing further. He heard no bad language used. There was a drop of a foot from the path to the road.

The Chairman said the assault had been committed without any provocation whatever. The defendant will be committed to prison for two calendar months with hard labour, and in default of paying the costs, £1 12s , he would have to suffer a further term of imprisonment of one fortnight.