Mexborough and Swinton Times, February 8.
Drunk and Disorderly at Denaby Main
Charles Green, Labourer, new Conisborough, was summoned for having been drunk and disorderly, and also with having refused to quit the Reresby Arms Hotel, Denaby Main, when requested to do so on January 19.
The defendant was also summoned for having committed an assault on Thomas Weston, the landlord of the Reresby Arms Hotel, at the same time and place.
Mr R.A.H. Tovey, who appeared for the complainant, said about nine o’clock on the evening on the Saturday named, the defendant was in the Reresby Arms Hotel, a fully licensed public house at Denaby Main, kept by the complainant. In consequence of the use of bad language, and an offer on his part to fight another man, the complainant went to the defendant and asked him to leave the house. He refused to go, and complainant had to get hold of him, and take him off the stool upon which he was sitting there and turn him out. Just previous to that another man had to be put out for bad conduct. Two waiters were engaged with this man, outside. While that was going on the defendant, when then been taken to the door kicked at the landlord, and got him down afterwards again kicking him on the left breast.
Mr Weston, was present bandaged up, and was under the care of a doctor. The Reresby Arms was one of the best conducted houses in the district. This was the second assault that had been committed on the landlord within seven days, and he was instructed to ask that the defendant in this case should be severely dealt with.
Police Constable Lancaster stated that he received information from the complainant about 9:10 on the Saturday night in question, which led him to go and see the defendant. The defendant then admitted having been at the public out, and he said “I shall very likely have to pay.”
Thomas Weston, the complainant, said the defendant was in the large tap room, which would seat about 400 people, and there would be about 300 in at the time of the assault. His attention was called to the defendant by his very excited manner, and the obscene language he was using towards a man named James Bond. He went to the table where the defendant was, and requested him to leave. The defendant was wanting to fight Bond, and he refused to go.
The complainant then got hold of him, taking him to the door, and then drew back into the room. As he did so a stranger who had been previously ejected came into the room again.One of the waiters tackled the stranger, and they closed and went down. Green was still standing near. The complainant stooped down to pull the stranger off the waiter and the moment he did so, the defendant took a running kicked at him on the breast. The blow was a very violent one and he could scarcely get his breath for some time. He had 14 yards of bandages around him.
When he recovered he made a rush to get hold of the defendant, who bolted up the road. One of the colliery company’s watchman saw the defendant pass a butchers shop window from which there was a big light and the complainant called out to him to stop the defendant.
Just seven days before he had been assaulted and had his thumb badly injured, but not by the present defendant. On the Sunday night following the assault, the defendant came to the Reresby Arms about seven o’clock to beg pardon. He said he was very sorry for what he had done on the Saturday night; he had been in some bother before and he hopedthe complainant would look over it. The complainant told him he could not look over any more assault cases and it was time they were stopped. They were getting too common.
The defendant here denied that he knew anything about the kicking, although he admitted having had to be turned out. He went to ask pardon for having being disorderly, but he knew nothing about the assault.
William Baugh, miner, Doncaster Road, Denaby, who is engaged as an occasional waiter at the Reresby Arms Hotel, said he saw the defendant kick the landlord on the chest.
A watchman employed by the Denaby Colliery Company stated that he stood in the street when he heard Mr Weston call out, “stop that man!” and he saw the defendant running away.
Edward Cartwright, gave evidence onbehalf of the defendant. He said that he was with Green for the greater part of the evening. When Green was ordered out of the room they both went straight off to Green’s house. Green never struck anyone.
Vincent Bell commenced his evidence by saying, “I have come to tell you they have got the wrong man.” Green went out of the Reresby Arms Hotel about 8:50. A little later a “Ginger fellow” had a row with a “cross eyed fellow”, and it was the latter who kicked Mr Weston. The defendant was not there when the bother was on.
The defendant said Mr Weston had tried to get a man named Joseph Prichard, give evidence, but he would not do so, as he could not swear it was the defendant, who did the kicking.
The complainant recalled, said Prichard had voluntarily told him that he saw the defendant kick him. He (the complainant) had asked Pritchard if you will come to Court as a witness for him, and he said he would do so, and there would be no need to summons him. Since then Prichard had declared that he could not swear to Green being the man.
From his (the complainers) experience they would swear anything to get the roughest characters off. There was a difficulty in getting anybody to come and speak the truth.
The defendant was fined 20 shillings, including costs for having refused to quit and 20 shillings and costs, 14s 6d for the assault on the landlord’s