Sequel to “Fair” Fight – Bottle Used at Conisbro

August 1911

Mexborough and Swinton Times August 26, 1911

Sequel to “Fair” Fight

Bottle Used at Conisbro

The sequel to a quarrel between two pit lads was seen when Edmund Tuffrey, a haulage hand living at Conisborough, appeared with a bandaged head in the witness box to charge William Fletcher, another haulage hand with assault.

Mr F Allen, who represented Tuffrey said there had been a series of disputes in the pit between the lads, and as a consequence they were going for a prearranged fight in the direction of the Crags at Conisborough. Tuffrey was walking with his friends a little in advance of Fletcher, when the latter knocked him down and standing with a blow on the back of the head with a bottle. There was no physical disparity between the lads; they were both pretty much of a size, and he contended that this was an offence which merited something rather more than an ordinary find for assault. Defendant could not have used a more dangerous weapon.

Tuffrey, who lives at Earnshaw Lane, Conisborough, confirmed this statement. He had known Fletcher about nine months, and during that time they had various little disputes down the pit, and had occasionally fought after they had left the pit premises. Then all been fair fights except on one occasion, when the defendant kicked him in the shins. On 12 August they were in the pit, and the arranged to fight the defendant. When they were going over the Station Bridge defendant threatened to hit him with a bottle but he took no notice.

When they got beyond the colliery offices, however, the defendant, who was behind him, struck him on the end with the bottle, and he fell down, stunned. As a result he had been off work ever since.

Mr Philpott (for the defendant): You seem to have a bit of a pugilistic disposition?

Mr Allen: If you were “Iron” Hague himself you would not want smacking on the head with a bottle? – No.

If you had a good hiding in fair fight, you would not have minded? – No.

Joseph Scott, of 30, Northcliffe Road, Conisborough, was one of the large crowd of young men present at the time, told the story of the assault