Severe Sentence on a Denaby Miner

William McGuinness, collier, employed at Denaby Main, and living at Mexborough, was charged with being drunk and refusing to quit the Miners Arms, with assaulting the landlord, and also with assaulting two police officers while in the execution of their duty.

Thomas Williams, landlord of the Miners Arms stated that the prisoner entered his house in an intoxicated condition on the Saturday night previous and demanded a quart of beer.

Because he would not supply the liquor the man struck him in the face, and kicked him as he was trying to make him quit the house. The prisoner behaved like a madman.

Cross-examined: The publican said the prisoner drank the beer of several men in the room, and when remonstrated with he struck the men in the face.

John Crawford, collier, and Charles Cooke, collier gave corroborative evidence.

Police Constable Webber and Police Constable Ambler also gave evidence. They stated that the prisoner was handcuffed on the licensed premises, but was so violent that it required four men to take him to the police station. On the way to the cells he struck the officers and kicked them repeatedly, and tore Webber’s trousers from top to bottom. He also assaulted the two men who were assisting in his arrest.

The prisoner denied that he was drunk, and said the case was concocted so as to protect the landlord.

Lord Auckland said it was a very difficult thing to know how to deal with the prisoner. It appears that nothing took effect on him. He had been fined for drunkenness at Epworth, and also at Denaby and at Pontefract. Since 1883 he had been fined and imprisoned 12 times, four of which were for assaults on the police. On the last occasion he was before the magistrates he was sentenced to 7 months imprisonment for like offences to the present.

The prisoner was now ordered to pay the costs for being drunk and licensed premises, and for assaulting the landlord, and for the assault on the police he was sentenced to 6 months, imprisonment with hard labour.