Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 28 May 1904
Domestic Case from New Conisboro’
John Ridgill, a fireman, of Mexboro’, was charged with having assaulted his wife Esther, at Conisboro’, on the 15th inst. He was further charged with having deserted her. Mr. F. Allen appeared on behalf of the complainant, and Mr. G. W. Andrews represented the defendant.
In opening the case, Mr. Allen said the parties were married in the year 1896, and had lived together for some time at Conisboro’, there being two children, a son aged five, and a daughter aged three, of the marriage. For some time past the husband had expressed himself as being jealous of his wife, but there was no justification whatever of it. He had struck her on one or two occasions.
On the previous Sunday morning defendant, who was a fireman at the colliery, was on what was known as the long shift—going on duty on Sunday morning and coming home on Monday morning. He made his wife get up and prepare his breakfast. He picked up a strap and told her that if she were not out of the house before he returned on the following morning he would knock her neck out, and made use of other threats in the kitchen.
Defendant also put the children into the garden, and picking up a tin can, he struck her twice on the head with it. She screamed “Murder,” and the neighbours and a man named Hall and his wife came to the door, and saw the defendant holding her by the shoulders and put her through the doorway.
Since that date the complainant had been living apart from her husband, and had received nothing from him since. She applied for a separation order and the custody of the children.
Complainant, Thomas Crookes, and Jane Elizabeth Crookes gave evidence in support of Mr. Allen’s statement. The complainant declared that she was afraid of the defendant, and dare not resume cohabitation with him.
In the witness box the defendant admitted that on the previous Sunday he both ordered his wife out of the house and struck her on the arm. That was because he had reason for supposing that she had had a man in the house the previous day. On April 7th, about 12 o’clock midnight, when he returned home, he heard the sound of kissing in his house, and went round to the front door in order to try and discover the identity of the parties. He was unable to do so, and when he mentioned the incident to his wife she denied that any such thing had taken place.
The Chairman said in the case of the assault the defendant would be bound over to keep the peace for six calendar months. They would grant a separation order, the defendant having to contribute to his wife and children’s maintenance 15s. a week, the wife having the custody of the children.