Mexborough and Swinton Times May 30 1908
Denaby Man in Trouble
Serious Charge Preferred.
Barnsley Girl’s Experience.
Mr. W. J. Huntriss and Mr. E. W. Jackson on Thursday, at the Doncaster West Riding Police Court, investigated the serious charge preferred by Rose Southall, a Denaby young woman, against Robert Bennett (23), filler, of Denaby, of criminal assault on the night of the 20th May, at Mexboro.
Prisoner was represented by Mr Frank Allen.
The complainant said she was a housemaid at present out of a situation. She had been staying with Mrs Wright, at 15, New Clifton street, New Conisborough, but was now living at Barnsley. On Wednesday the 30th, she went to Barnsley, and returned to Mexboro’ at 11 o’clock, and she found that the train did not stop at Conisbrough. She went into the town with the object of catching car to Denaby, and saw prisoner near Montagu Square, walking towards Denaby.
The lamps were lighted, ‘but she did not know him. She asked him if it was likely that there would be a tram-car to Denaby, and he replied that the last car had gone, that he himself had missed it, and was walking from Swinton station to Denaby. She asked if he had any objection to her walking along with him, and he replied, “Not at all.” During the walk prisoner told her that, he was living at Denaby with a man named Dutton. When they reached the Ferry Boat Inn he asked her if she minded going’ alone the canal side, as it was the nearest way?
She replied that she would rather go along the main road After passing the Miners’ Inn, and before they reached Don View, prisoner got hold of her round the waist, and told her not to walk past and the told him she must be getting home, as her friends would be waiting for her. He pulled her up against the fence, and struck her in the face. She struggled with him until she could struggle no longer, she shouted and screamed several times, but no one came. Prisoner assaulted her, and then made of in the direction of Mexboro’. She continued to scream, and P.c. Middleton came up. She told him that a man had assaulted her. She told the officer where the man had said he lived, and then she went home, and got there about 12.30, telling Mrs Wright what had happened. Her belt was broken, her skirt torn, and her hair disarranged, shortly afterwards P.c. Middleton came and accompanied her to Denaby to the house of a man named Dutton. There she found Mr. Dutton and five other men, including prisoner, whom she identified. On the following day she was medically examined.
Replying to Mr. Allen, witness said she had no doubt as to the identity of the man. She had had one bottle of stout that day. She admitted that she had been dismissed from the Montagu Hotel, Mexboro’, but not for any wrong-doing, but because of unpleasantness in the house.
During the time that she was struggling and shouting with prisoner a man passed, and took no notice of her screams.
Mr. Allen: Did you allow the young man to clasp you round the waist ?—Yes.
Was that a proper thing to do?—No, it was it.
What possessed you to do it ?—He seemed so respectful that I thought I should be all right.
Elizabeth Wright said the complainant had lived with her. She had known ‘her for ten years to be a respectable young woman. On the date in question she went to Barnsley, and she expected her back about midnight. When she came in about twenty minutes past twelve she was crying, and her hair was down.. She was also sick. She told her the same story as she had told the Court that day.
PC Middleton said at 11-I5 on the night of Wednesday the 19th, he was on duty a quarter of a mile away from Don View, when he heard a woman scream as If in great distress. He and P.c. Walker ran towards the direction of the screams, and saw at Don View prisoner’s father and mother, and his brother in-law, Mr. Dutton, and Mrs. Dutton. He had some conversation with Mr. Dutton, and then they went in the direction or Denaby, overtaking the girl, Rose Southall, who made a complaint to him. She was in an exhausted state, and her hair was hanging loose about her hat which was on one side.
They took the complainant to identify the man and she at once identified Bennett.
Reply to Mr Allen, witness said he did not notice any signs of a struggle about the prisoner. His boots were dirty, as though he had walked along distance. When he heard the screaming did not see anyone between the Minor In and the Don View.
Doctor Viner Graham gave evidence of medical examination, and in reply to Mr Allen said that appearances were not consistent with the assault having taken place the previous night.
PC Walker, of Mexborough said that on the date named, at 11:15 PM, he was in company with PC Middleton in Church Street, Mexborough and corroborated the statement. Prisoner in reply to his charge and said, “It wasn’t me; I’ve been to Melton.”
Mr Allen asked the bench to look upon the evidence for was a good deal suspicion, the case rested entirely upon the uncorroborated statement of the prosecutrix, and it would be upon the evidence that he would be convicted, if convicted at all. He put forward the prisoner as an innocent man, and if you were convicted on such evidence then no man was safe.
The prisoner, Robert Bennett, said that on the night in question he called at the Prince of Wales in Mexborough about half past eight. Subsequently he called at the Golden Flitch, and from there he went down Ferry Boat Lane to the Denaby Lock, and went forward to Cadeby, and walk round by Melton, coming back to his father’s home at Don view shortly after 12, his wife and sister, and Mr Dutton being there. Therefore went on towards Denaby, when PC Middleton met them, and called his brother-in-law aside. Later he was charged with the offence by PC Middleton, and told him the same story had told the Court. He denied having walked with any woman that night.
Superintendent Hickes: isn’t it a fact that on the very night, Wesley, the 20, you were with two men, Taylor and Barnett, joiners of Cadeby, and were drinking there at the Station Hotel Swinton until 11 o’clock.
No sir.
Do you know a man named Guest? – No.
If Guest were to say that he saw you coming with two men Taylor and Barnett, at 11:10, is that a lie? – Yes.
Were you in any public house at Swinton that night? – No.
The bench committed prisoner to take his trial at the Assizes, with a personal surety of £20.