Story of a Denaby wedding

Two buxom Denaby women figured in an amusing assault case, Harriet Ann Baxendale was the complainant, and Amelia Smallman the defendant.

Mr F. E. Hall conducted Mrs Baxendale’s case the defendant conducting her own case like an experienced lawyer.

Both parties, said Mr Hall, reside in Wadsworth street. About 7 o’clock on Easter Monday evening, the complainant was standing at the door when the defendant came up in a drunken condition, with others who were drunk, and commenced to use very abusive and very filthy language towards the complainant what for he could not say. Without any provocation whatever, she took hold of the complainant and struck her two or three times over the right eye. The complainant did nothing, but got into the house as best as she could, and locked the door.

The date the defendant got the summons she again threatened complainant. Complainant bore out this statement, saying defendant called her all the names she could think of, and threatened to kill her before she had done with her.

Defendant when I came across the street did you throw a jug of water in my face? I had a pint in my hand and said I would throw it out to if you didn’t leave me alone.

Did you insult my daughter as she came from church? – No.

Did you say you were vexed that the lodger had left to marry my daughter? No.

Alice Bell and Charity Cassidy gave corroborative evidence.

Mrs Smallman, giving evidence in their own behalf, said on the Sunday morning her daughter was married, and the young man she had married had been lodging with Mrs Baxendale.

For the last two months, since complainant had known her lodger was going to marry witness’s daughter, she had tried to pick a quarrel in any shape or form. They did everything on Sunday to keep peace.

On Monday she had been to the castle. On returning she was told there had been a bother with her daughter, she asked the complainant, in a quiet way, what difference there was between them, she asked her why she insulted Laura, her daughter saying her clothes were not paid for.

She said she know perfectly well “the ring wasn’t paid for, never mind the clothes.”

Witness perhaps said a few words she ought not to have said, but as to hitting the complainant, the woman never came out of the house at all. She had lived in Denaby 23 years and that was the first time she had been in court. As to the bruise complainant spoke about she got them from a fall when she was dancing somewhere.

Defendant called Ellen Cooper and Annie Pearce as witnesses and the magistrates dismissed the case.