Mexborough and Swinton Times August 1, 1925
Denaby Welfare Club.
A Sunday Evening Riot
Amazing Disorder.
Story of Rival Gangs
Baffled Magistrates Severe Comment.
A fracas at the Denaby Welfare Institute on the night of Sunday. May 24th was dealt with by the Doncaster (West Riding) Magistrates on Tuesday. Two well-known men in the public and sporting life of the district were among the defendants – Thomas Hill, checkweighman and Y. M. A. official, ex-councillor and vice-chairman of the club: and Thomas (“Tosh”) Price, the well-known local boxer. He and another man, Jack Butler, a Denaby miner, were charged by Benjamin Hinchcliffe another Denaby mineworker, with assault. Price was charged by George F. Steadman. Bookmaker, with assault.
Mr. A. S. Furniss acted for the two complainants. Hill was represented by Mr. Frank Allen and Butler by Mr. Spencer Baker. Price, at the opening, of the case, asked Mr. Baker to act for him, too, but after consultation with the Clerk (Mr. E. W. Pettifer) and chairman (Mr. Cooke – Yarborough) Mr. Baker refused. The chairman told Prize he had had plenty of time to engage a solicitor, and that he could not expect a solicitor to take on his defence at a moments notice. Price accordingly conducted his own defence and did it rather ably.
The “Signal”
The allegations of Hinchcliffe and his numerous witnesses in the first charge, against Hill and Butler were that on the conclusion of a Sunday evening concert in the large Hall of the club on May 24th, a chair flung across the room – it was suggested, by Price – was the signal for a prearranged disturbance.
Price at oncedashed downstairs first barricading the door behind him to the stairs with chairs to give him and his confederates time. At the foot of the stairs Hill and Butler had prepared another barricade of cases of empty bottles, and each was armed with one of the bottles.
When Benjamin Hinchcliffe went downstairs he was struck on the head with a bottle by Butler and knocked down. On attempting to rise he was given a similar blow by Hill, and that “knocked him clean out.” He was unconscious for half an hour or thereabouts and had to be assisted home and have to receive medical attention. The defendants it was suggested, were acting as members of the “Cross School” a well-known Mexborough gang.
Bottles were “flying about” both upstairs and downstairs. Women were screaming and fainting, and the crowd at the front of the stairs was disperced by the turning on of the hosepipe by Mr. W. E. Narroway, the secretary manager of the club. Trouble had been expected that night and the hosepipe had been got ready beforehand.
Hinchcliffe said he did not know who flung the chair or at whom it was fun but it’s started the hubbub. And there was a rush downstairs. He was going quietly down a little behind the first rush, when he was assaulted. Before hitting him, Butler said “I will kill you, you —–“
After he was taken home, Hill went to the house and apologised and said he was wrong. Witness thought the cause of the attack on him was that he was accused by defendants of being concerned in some trouble at the club the night before. And the members of the “Cross School” fully intended to attack him that night.
The “Big Entry Gang.”
Price: Aren’t you the head of the “Big Entry Gang?” – No.
And hadn’t you planned to make trouble that night? – No. I don’t know anything about the “Big Entry Gang.”
Hinchcliffe said he was wearing a new suit and hat for the first time that night. “I pawned the coat and waistcoat to take out the summonses.
Charles Parker said “bottles were flying all over” in the hall. He repudiated the suggestion that he was a member of a rival gang to the “Cross School.”
Parker was evasive in his answers to Mr. Baker, and was rebuked by the Clerk who said “You are not so silly as you pretend to be. The questions are quite clear and you must answer them.”
George Hinchliffe, brother of the complainant gave a voluble account of the affray, and was told by the Clerk “not to talk so much.” He said he was leaving the club upstairs at 9-55 when he was attacked by Price, who was armed with a bottle, and the blow was awarded off by Alan Fenn, his brother-in-law who was with him. Price then ran downstairs “to warn the others.” Witness and Fenn were the downstairs and at the bottom found Butler, Hill, and another member of the gang named Backhouse. With cases of empty bottles, “waiting for them.” Witness saw his brother assaulted as described. And when witness was rushing to his assistance the defendants and their friends threwh bottles at him. Witness was knocked down by Backhouse and two others, Jones and Gough.
“Blown out” of club.
In cross examination witness said he did not get any chance of rushing out of the club.
“I was blown out by the hosepipe,” he said. Witness said Price pulled the chairs across the doorway after him when he rushed downstairs, to prevent witness and Fenn getting after him.
Price: Was I lame walking with a stick?
You weren’t walking with a stick when you run downstairs!
Alan Fenn said he was the man who was hit by the chair thrown by Price and was knocked down. Downstairs Hill threw a bottle at him and Backhouse attacked him. Price asked Fenn how much drink he had had, and Fenn replied he had only one pint in the hour or so he was in the club.
Price: Do you mean to tell us you can make 1 pint last an hour? – I can make it last two hours if necessary.
Peter Mannion and Harry Turner also gave evidence. The latter was referred to by Mr. Furniss as a quiet independent witness. Turner said he was assisting a woman who was fainting because of the disturbance with the bottles. And he was struck with bottles wielded by Butler and Jones
“Were you hit?” Turner was asked.
“No.” He replied. “Because I was sober.”
You were hit because you were sober? –
Yes, I was “qualified” to get out of the way of them (laughter.) Turner said he did not see Hill in the disturbance.
Dragged out by neck.
In the charge against Price, Steadman said that just before “time” was called in the room upstairs, Price questioned him about a disturbance which took place at the club the night before. Witness said he knew nothing about it, and Price said, “you’ve no need to get frisky about it, or you’ll have your name down for the Cross School and they’ll make it warm for you.” Witness left it at that.
On leaving the club he heard a scuffle behind him and heard someone say. “That him!” Price then seized him by the throat and struck him in the face. Witness lost his balance, whereupon Price dragged him out of the club and stood over him as he was on the ground. Then two other men Cook and Marshall interfered, and Price desisted.
Witness rose bleeding from the mouth, and with his shirt badly ripped was helped home where he had to have medical attention. Price, after assaulting him said was very sorry. He had got the wrong man and would buy witnessing a new shirt.
Steadman said he saw no men with bottles at the foot of the stairs.
While cross-examining Steadman, Price said.” I own to touching him, and he deserved it. I hit him on the chin for calling me a certain name.”
Steadman said that Price had that (Tuesday) morning asked him to withdraw the case.
Price denied this saying that he had been told that Steadman wished to withdraw the case.
Harry Marshall described the assault on Steadman, and said Price passed him on the stairs. Witness saw Butler at the foot of the stairs, but no bottles.
Ernest Cook also gave evidence.
Rival gangs?
For Hill, Mr. Allen submitted that the club management had had warning of trouble and had prepared for it. The trouble matured when the Hinchcliffe family entered the club. They were, he suggested, the ringleaders of a rival gang to the “Cross School.”
It was strange that Ben Hinchcliffe who was “knocked out” at minute or 2 to 10, and was “unconscious for half an hour” was attracting the attention of the police at five minutes past 10 for using violent and abusive language! Turner, suggested Mr. Allen was the one witness upon whom they could place reliance fully, and he did not see Hill there.
When there had been an arrangement to tell a lie repetition of it by a long string of a witness did not make it the more convincing. Hill, as a member of the management of the club and one forewarned of the likelihood of trouble, was doing his best to preserve order and he never had a bottle in his hand.
It is a deplorable thing,” said Mr. Allen, “that this court should be continually worried by these warring gangs who have been going on for a quarter of a century, to my knowledge. Under the circumstances, I suggest is not a deplorable thing that Cliff’s head was cracked. The most serious thing about the case is that men can form themselves into a clique and upset the harmony of the neighbourhood in this fashion.” The whole business, he suggested, was a concerted effort to upset the club.
Action of Club and Colliery Company.
Mr. Furniss objected to these remarks. He said that the efforts of the solicitor previously acting for Hill to get the cases withdrawn took away all the weight of Mr. Allen’s remarks
Mr. Allen retorted that the Colliery Company and the Club had done their best, for the sake of the club, to keep the cases out of court, and if the police had not – very properly – refused to withdraw theirs, they would not have been there that day.
The Chairman: But we should not have allowed any of the cases to be withdrawn.
Hill said he overheard conversation among a group of men that gave him warning of trouble to come. He heard men say they were “after the Red Brotherhood.” Witness at once offered the men out. Among them where Fenn, Geo. Hinchcliffe and the man named Thompson. On the blowing of the whistle for time witness saw the man he could not identify it Price in the middle of the back with a bottle. Then bottles “began to fly about” and Whitney shouted to Price to get downstairs. He saw that Price was the centre of the disturbance, and if he got him downstairs that would draw the trouble outside. Price went downstairs and witness followed. George Hinchcliffe was armed with a pint pot, which witness tried to get from him. But Hinchcliffe got away with it and the pot was found next morning in the cricket field adjoining the club. Downstairs witness was hit with a bottle and Mr. Narroway then put on the hose. The first witness saw of Benjamin Hinchcliffe was at 10.20. when he saw him lying on the ground.” Witness never had a bottle. And did not strike anyone.
“Tom Hill Gang.”
Mr. Furniss: when did you firstborn your “Tom Hill gang?” – Never.
Has it not been a matter of talk for some time what a man your supposed reputation had been doing consorting with a man of Price’s callibre? – No.
Why were you so interested in Price that night? – Because I saw 20 or 30 of them setting onto him.
Isn’t it true that these summonses were returnable a month ago. And that they were held up at your request?
No. They were held at the request of Mr. Harrison. The chairman of the local trustees of the welfare fund. He wanted to hold an enquiry into the trouble and keep the matter out of court. The men had been stopped attending the club because they were connected with the trouble.
Have you been stopped? – No
Magistrates Stricture.
The Chairman: Do you mean the men were condemned before the case had been tried? – Yes.
The Chairman: What nonsense!
Mr. Furniss: And because you were the committeeman you were not suspended.
Hill said Butler was holding the door down stairs. He did not hit Hinchcliffe. Fenn and George Hinchcliffe were the men who had caused trouble.
After a good deal of cross examination, Hill proffered as an explanation why as he alleged, the witness had lied against him, that the feeling arose against him following a dispute over the coming of a Roman Catholic doctor in the township. The men who attacked witness belonged to the same church. And had turned the dispute into a religious fued.
The Police Story.
- C. Bowden said he was called to the club at about 10.05. Among the men who were creating a disturbance were the two Hinchcliffes, Fenn and Turner.
Mr. Allen: Did Ben Hinchcliffe show any signs of having been unconscious for half an hour? – No
In reply to Mr. Furniss; Bowden said it was 1:30 before they finally got the crowd dispersed. He saw Hinchcliffe “on and off” until 1-30.
Mr. Narraway, the secretary of the club, said he had a hint that night of trouble to come and got the hose ready just before ten o’clock. He was in the concert room when the trouble started, and at once went downstairs. A little later Ben Hinchcliffe tumbled against him from behind, he did not see who struck Hinchcliffe, but it was not Butler, for witness was facing Butler all the time Butler had no bottle in his hand then. Witness did not see Hill anywhere about. A crowd had gathered, but witness saw nobody holding a bottle.
Questioned about the suspensions. Witness said that was the usual practice, pending enquiries of proceedings.
The Chairman: don’t you think you would have done better to wait until these proceedings were over?
Mr. Narraway said they had done nothing unusual in this case.
Cross-examined Mr. Narraway said Butler was holding the door open to get the people away quicker at witnesses’ request. Witness Butler with a bottle in his hand after Ben Hinchcliffe had been taken away. He had heard of the “Tom Hill gang.”
Clerk’s Rebuke.
Mr. Narraway further questioned about what he saw of the other incidents by the previous witness, was cautioned by the Clerk Hill said. “You are not telling us you know.” Mr. Narraway said the people were frightened about something. But he did not know what. He did not Butler do you anything with the bottle.
Jack Jones said he shoved George Hinchcliffe down because he fought there was going to be trouble. Hinchcliffe had a pint pot in his hand.
Butler said he had no bottle in his hand until after Ben Hinchcliffe went away. He held the door open as requested. Bottles were being thrown into the doorway from outside, and witness closed door while Mr. Narraway turned on the hosepipe. One bottle lodged against the bottom of the door and witness picked it up. But did not do anything with it. He did not touch Hinchcliffe. He did not see Price hit Steadman. He never saw any trouble inside the club.
The Clerk: What! You asked the Bench to believe that!
Problem of Conflicting Evidence.
Price said Geo stop Hinchcliffe and Fenn told him they were out to “show Tom Hill and Backhouse who were the bosses of the club.” They asked if Price was “with them,” and he said “no.”
Somebody hit Price in the back with a bottle and he went downstairs. Steadman pulled him up as he was running away from Geo. Hinchcliffe and Fenn, and witness thought he was going to hit him. So witnessed struck first. When witness got outside he was attacked by “six of them.” And he went back into the club – it being a case of “any port in a storm.” He had never heard of the “Tom Hill gang.”
The magistrates retired and were some time in reaching a decision. On their return the chairman said: “We have had great difficulty in coming to a conclusion. The evidence is like that we had in a case heard here last week from Mexborough. It is similar in many respects and very conflicting. It is almost impossible in these circumstances to arrive at a conclusion on the matter.
It would not be safe on the conflicting evidence in this case to go so far as to send to prison, or even to fine, any of the defendant. But it is disgraceful that, in a place like this design for the welfare of the miners, scenes of this sort should occur. If only we could be sure of getting at the right parties we should deal with them very severely, we do not think the evidence sufficient to convict Hill and the summons against him is dismissed. Butler and Prize will be bound over for 12 months and must find two sureties of 5 pounds. Or one of £10.