Taunton Courier 20 Aug 1902 Taunton Borough Police Court inc James CRIDLAND Black Horse Lane Francis VICKERY COOMBS King Street DAY and SKINNER Wood Street

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Taunton Courier. Bristol and Exeter Journal, and Western Advertiser Wednesday 20 Aug 1902

Page 5 Column 2


TAUNTON.

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BOROUGH POLICE-COURT.

WEDNESDAY. - Before the Mayor (Alderman A. E. PERKINS), Alderman W. A. WRENN (ex-Mayor), Major-General EMERSON, Alderman W. POTTER, and Mr. G. SAUNDERS.

OBSCENE LANGUAGE. - James CRIDLAND, coal haulier, of Black Horse-lane, pleaded not guilty to using obscene language to Elizabeth BICKNELL, a married woman, residing at Black Horse-lane, on the evening of the 6th inst. - Mrs. BICKNELL gave evidence in support of the summons, and Francis VICKERY, residing in the same locality, corroborated as to the bad language used in the presence of other women and also children. - Defendant made a statement to the effect that the complainant accused him of taking eggs, and used bad language to him, and he lost his temper and retaliated. - There was a previous conviction against the defendant for the same kind of offence, and he was now fined 5s and 7s costs, or seven days in default.

TRAVELLING MUSICIANS AT VARIANCE. - Sarah Jane LEALE?, a stylishly-dressed young woman, described as a travelling musician, also pleaded not guilty to using obscene language towards Minnie SHAW, at Whitehall, on the 9th inst. - Complainant, a married woman also a travelling musician, gave evidence that she found the defendant with her husband the previous Saturday night at Whitehall, Taunton, and because she expostulated about it, defendant used bad language towards her and threatened to knock her brains out with a musical instrument. Witness further complained that the defendant was co-habiting with her husband and that she had previously had occasion to summons her at Bournemouth for her language towards her. - Defendant, on oath, denied the charge, by admitted that she was with the complainant's husband, who was separated from his wife, and allowed her 10s a week. Defendant added that the summons against her at Bournemouth was dismissed. - The Bench, for want of corroborative evidence, dismissed the case.

ORCHARD PILFERING. - William SPRATT and Walter SOUTHWOOD, little boys, of High-street, pleaded guilty to stealing a quantity of apples, to the value of 3d, from the orchard of Mrs. Mary GOODMAN, at Sherford, on the 6th instant. - Bertie COOMBS, another boy, of King-street, also pleaded guilty to stealing apples from the same orchard on the 3rd instant. - P.C. GUPPY stated the facts in each case, and said that the boys had done a good deal of damage to the trees by breaking the branches. - Defendants, after having been cautioned, were ordered to pay 2s 6d each as costs.

BOYS IN MISCHIEF. - Percy DAY, Fred DAY, Frank DAY, and Henry SKINNER, boys of Wood-street, were charged with stealing a quantity of scrap iron, value 3d, the property of Mr. T. S. PENNY. - Tom LANGFORD?, residing at Clarence-street, stated that he was in the employ of Mr. PENNY as blacksmith, and on Sunday, the 3rd inst., he saw the boys, who were the defendants to the best of his belief, in Mr. PENNY's yard. He spoke to them and caught them running away with a quantity of scrap iron. There were other boys there, and he saw them throw some of the iron into the river. - P.C. STEWART spoke to having afterwards seen the boys, and they admitted that they had found the iron on the river bank. - Defendants were dealt with under the First Offenders' Act, and bound over to come up for judgment if called upon.

CONTRADICTORY EVIDENCE. - May Gay WOOD, a middle-aged married woman, residing at Somerset-place, was charged with assaulting and beating Samuel NORTH in the East Reach Recreation Ground. - Complainant stated that on the evening of the 4th inst. he went into the Recreation Ground for the purpose of looking for his boy, and on reaching the spot he found two boys, one of whom he afterwards found was the son of the defendant, fighting together. He advised the boys to stop fighting, when the defendant rushed at him, struck him in the mouth, and knocked his pipe out of his mouth. His wife came up and defendant threatened to serve her the same. - Richard HAYWARD corroborated. - Defendant gave evidence, saying that she was a stranger to the town, having recently come to live in Taunton to look after her parents. She said that because her boy was a stranger other boys set upon him, and on this occasion it was so, and she alleged that complainant urged them on to fight. In rushing in to separate them she accidentally knocked his pipe out of his mouth, for which she apologised. - The Bench believed that an assault had been committed under some provocation, and fined defendant 1s and costs.

MONDAY. - Before Alderman POTTER and Mr. G. SAUNDERS?.

THEFT OF A HOSPITAL BOX. - William WHITTAKER, labourer, was charged with having stolen a collection box, valued 3s 6d, and 1s in money contained in it, the property of the governors of the Taunton and Somerset Hospital, from the bar of the Seven Stars Inn, East Reach, on the 16th inst. It appeared that the prisoner had several drinks at the inn, but did not pay for them, saying he had no money. Immediately after he had left the money box was missed, and it was found that the prisoner afterwards spent some money. He was found by a constable lying on a seat in Victoria Recreation Ground, and he denied any knowledge of the theft. He was taken into custody, and next morning he said, while in the cells, “This is a pretty old mess I've got into, all through the drink. It isn't for what I got by it, for there was only 1s 2½d in the box.” When the constable searched the prisoner there was only 3¾d? in his possession. - Prisoner pleaded guilty, and expressed his sorrow. - The Bench said the charge was a serious one. Fortunately for the prisoner there was no record against him, and he would be sentenced to a fortnight's imprisonment with hard labour.

YESTERDAY. - Before the Mayor (Alderman A. E. PERKINS) and the ex-Mayor (Alderman W. A. WRENN?).

REFUSING TO WORK. - Charles TURNER, a tramp, was charged with refusing to do his allotted task as an inmate of the casual ward of the Taunton Workhouse on the previous day. - Defendant pleaded guilty. - William Charles YANDELL, porter at the Workhouse, said they found the defendant smoking a pipe in one of the wards, and because they took it away from him – smoking being against the rules – he refused to do his work. - Defendant was sent to gaol for seven days, with hard labour.


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<NOTES: James CRIDLAND son of Thomas CRIDLAND and Jane DYER, married Elizabeth BAKER

Francis VICKERY son of Joseph PARSONS and Mary VICKERY, married Julia ROGERS>