Sarah
Hawkins Genealogy Site
Newspaper
Articles
Taunton Courier. Bristol and Exeter Journal, and Western Advertiser. Wednesday 05 Jul 1905
Page 5 Column 3
BOROUGH POLICE-COURT.
WEDNESDAY. - Before Mr. T. PENNY (in the chair), Mr. J. E. W. WAKEFIELD, Mr. G. SAUNDERS, Alderman W. POTTER, and Mr. A. E. PERKINS.
DURING PROHIBITED HOURS.
When in awkward situations people have been heard to declare that they wished the earth at that moment would have opened and swallowed them up, and some such desire must have come to George HOLMAN, Annie HOLMAN, Robert HAWKER, and Emily HAWKER of North Town and Whitehall respectively, when P.C. WEBB came into the New Inn, Shuttern, at 12 o'clock on the night of June 4th, and found them assembled in the kitchen. No such thing, however, happening, they had to face the matter out, and were summoned for being on licensed premises during prohibited hours. - Mr. W. T. BAKER defended, and the defendants pleaded not guilty, with the exception of HOLMAN, who was ill in bed and unable to appear. - P.C. WEBB spoke of the fact that he was attracted to the Inn by hearing talking and laughing, and found the defendants, as described, in the kitchen, and two other men, a sailor and a man named MARSHALSEA, both of whom were lodging at the house. He questioned defendants, who all said that they were lodgers as well, a statement which the landlord and landlady bore out. He reminded defendants of the fact that they had homes in the town, and then went and fetched P.S. WEST, and on return saw the same six persons again. In answer to Mr. BAKER the constable said there were no eatables on the table, and he did not see any drink about, only cups and glasses. - Mr. BAKER, after a short consultation with the defendants, announced that they had now decided on his advice to plead guilty. It appeared that the sailor was the defendant's HOLMAN's brother, whose native place was Taunton, and when home he stayed at the New Inn, where on the night in question the HOLMANs came to visit him. The other two defendants accompanied them because they had a son who served on the same ship. They believed it was 11.10 p.m. that the policeman came in, and not 12 o'clock, and after his visit they thought they had better take rooms for the night, but afterwards HOLMAN and his wife thought it wise to go home. He asked the Bench to deal leniently with them. - P.S. WEST spoke to visiting the New Inn in consequence of what P.C. WEBB told him, and he informed the landlord he would have to search the premises. He was going upstairs when the landlord said “Not up those stairs,” but he replied “I am a sergeant of the police” and went on upstairs, where he found the sailor, Mr. and Mrs. HAWKER, and Mrs. HOLMAN in different bedrooms. Subsequently he went to the HOLMAN's house in North Town and saw their children, who said they were expecting them home. On his way back he met Mr. and Mrs. HOLMAN returning, and on questioning them the former said “Yes, we thought it better to go home.” - The Bench fined Mrs. HOLMAN, who had been previously convicted for the same offence, £1 and costs, and the other three defendants 5s and costs each.
HE COULD NOT DO WHAT HE LIKED.
That a man cannot do what he likes in his own house seemed to come somewhat as a surprise to Matthew WINTER, of Noble-street, who was charged with using obscene language on the 23rd ult. The fact that he was indoors at the time was the only excuse he made, although he pleaded not guilty, and P.C. DENNING further stated that the defendant on the night in question had driven his daughters out into the street, and was inside swearing at his wife. The neighbours complained that the same man kept them awake by his bad language nearly every night. - Mr. PENNY told him that he could not do what he liked in his own house if he disturbed the public peace, and fined him 5s and 5s costs.
AFTER HE DISCOVERED THE PEDLAR.
George KITCHEN, a boatman, of King-street, pleaded guilty to using obscene language in that much-mentioned thoroughfare on Saturday evening last. - P.C. BARTRAM said that he had to threaten to lock him up before he could get him away. - Fined 5s and costs. It is a curious fact that this same man was the person who discovered the pedlar who hanged himself in the Priory Field earlier in the day.
NEIGHBOURS' QUARREL.
Although living close to one another and sharing the same wash-house, it does not seem that Matilda TUCKER and Mabel Alice OATEN live on very good terms with one another, for it was a regular neighbours' quarrel that caused the former to be now charged with assaulting Mrs. OATEN. It seems that the prosecutrix's little boy went up into the wash-house on the evening of June 20th and was sent away by the defendant, but on his mother's advice went back again. This, however, incensed Mrs. TUCKER, who came out and threw some water over Mrs. OATEN and the baby she was holding, and followed it up by hurling a piece of china in the same direction, which, however, missed its aim. - Ellen COLES, a niece of the prosecutrix, gave corrobroative <sic> evidence, while Mrs. HURLEY, another neighbour, was called by the defendant as a witness. She said she saw Mrs. OATEN knock a bowl from the defendant's hand, smashing it, and afterwards bang at her door with a piece of it. - This Mrs. TUCKER, who gave evidence on oath, bore out, and denied throwing the water, but P.C. READ said that when he came both the woman and the baby were wet. - A fine of 2s 6d and costs was imposed. - A charge for using obscene language against Mrs. OATEN was withdrawn.
AN
UNHAPPY HOME.
A “NAGGING” WIFE.
A very sad tale of domestic unhappiness, in which both parties were to blame, was unfolded in the case of Richard SOUTHWOOD, of 16 Court, High-street, who was charged with maliciously wounding his wife, Sarah SOUTHWOOD, on the 26th inst. - Supt. DURHAM said that the wife was not very willing to give evidence, but he thought the case should be heard. - Mrs. SOUTHWOOD then stated that on the night in question she got home about 10.30 p.m. and found her husband gone to bed, where she joined him. Soon after he got out of bed, and saying that she had insulted him got a pocket knife and said that he would cut her head off. She replied, “You had better do it,” and he then struck her a violent blow in the face with his fist. He shut the knife before he struck her. After the blow she felt very faint, her nose bled, and she lost a lot of blood. She subsequently went out and called P.C. BARTRAM, who advised her to go to the Hospital, but instead she went home again, and later on told P.C. SMITH what had happened. On Tuesday afternoon she repeated the statement at the Police-station in the presence of her husband, who was in custody. Her husband did not strike with the knife, and when she said he did at the Police-station it was untrue. She had had not serious quarrel with her husband, and imagined that he struck her because she had spent some money he had left to pay the rent. They had both been drinking on the day of the quarrel, and she had spent some of the money he gave her for the rent in drink. - Dr. JOSCEYLENE stated that on Tuesday he examined and dressed Mrs. SOUTHWOOD's wound. It was across the nose, rather deep, and had been apparently caused by some sharp instrument or hard substance, but he hardly thought, although it was possible, with the fist. It could not be described as dangerous. - Mr. PENNY said that the Bench had decided, after heaing(?) the doctor's evidence, to reduce the charge to one of aggravated assault. - The defendant, in defence, said that his wife was drunk every day, and kept “nagging” at him. This she did on the night in question, and it aggravated him, and he got out of bed and pulled on his trousers. As he did so his pocket-knife fell out, and he then told her that she ought to have her head cut off, and afterwards struck her with his fist. - Mr. PENNY said that the Bench were sorry for him, but they could not forget that the woman was his wife, and the sentence of the Bench was that he should be imprisoned for one month with hard labour, and but for the provocation the sentence would have been much heavier. - Addressing the wife, Mr. PENNY said that the Bench felt that she was very much to blame, and their desire was that this should be a warning to her to keep sober.
COULD DO NOTHING WITH HIM.
Edward COLLINS, a youth, of Princes-street, was charged with indecent behaviour in Viney-street on the 18th inst. - Samuel AUTTON, of Viney-street, and Ernest PARIMAN, of Princes-street, gave evidence, and Mr. C. E. COLLIS, the Police-court missionary, said that his parents of the lad had told him that they could do nothing with him. - Defendant was sent to prison for three weeks with hard labour.
TROUBLESOME MRS. MERRICK.
HER BROKEN PROMISE.
SHE TAKES THE “PEG” OUT.
Only last week Mrs. MERRICK gave her memorable promise to the Taunton Bench to “put the peg in for life,” but unfortunately for her on Tuesday her determination failed her, with the result that the “peg” was taken out, and the usual result followed, namely, the appearance of Mrs. MERRICK at the Police-court charged with being drunk and disorderly. - P.C. HOLLARD gave evidence, and from this it appeared that she was using various doorposts in Station-road as resting-places, and refused to go home. The constable gave her several chances, but eventually had to take her to the station. But the journey, which was made as far as the Parade by tram, involved some difficulty. On arrival there Mrs. MERRICK absolutely refused to leave the car. The resourceful constable, however, was not to be outdone, and carried her bodily from the car, and then with the help of another “man in blue” got her to the station. - Mrs. MERRICK for a wonder had very little to say except that she was not drunk. This the magistrates refused to believe, and sent her to prison for one month with hard labour. - Mrs. MERRICK sat down observing “That will be my last.”
ANOTHER ONE SENT DOWN.
William BURROWS, of no fixed abode, will also join Mrs. MERRICK on her trip to Exeter, for he was fined 10s and costs, or 14 days, for being drunk and disorderly in East Reach on the 27th ult., and as he had no money he had preforce to accept the alternative. - P.C. PERKINS gave evidence in this case.
AN UNWILLING STRIKER.
The excuse given by Albert POOLE, of Taunton, for not paying £3 7s, the amount due for his wife's maintainence <sic>, was that he could not get work. At Langport, where he was employed, the men came out on strike, and he had to come out with them. - His wife, Henrietta POOLE, said that this was not true, as he could have stayed on if he liked, but he refused to keep at any work. - The case was adjourned for a month to allow him to pay the money. If he did not do so a commitment order would be issued.
LICENCES TRANSFERRED.
On the application of Mr. W. T. BAKER the license of the Staplegrove Inn was transferred from the name of Peter WHITCROSS (deceased) to his widow, Margaret WHITCROSS; that of the Dolphin Inn, Taunton, from R. S. ROBINSON to Albert WHITTON; and that of the Nag's Head, Taunton, from R. McAULAY to R. S. ROBINSON. The second transfer was a temporary one.
THURSDAY. - Before the Deputy-Mayor (Councillor A. J. VILLAR), Alderman W. POTTER, and Mr. G. SAUNDERS.
NOT SOBER FOR A WEEK.
“He has not been sober since last Wednesday week,” this was what Mrs. BISHOP, wife of Edwin BISHOP, of 20, George-street, Cheddon-road, said in giving evidence in the case in which her husband was charged with threatening “to do” for her. He did this on June 23rd, when he was very drunk, and also tried to strike her, but her daughter got between them. - P.C. EMERY said that defendant was drunk when arrested. - The only defence BISHOP could give was that he did not remember anything about it. - The magistrates bound him over to keep the peace for six months in the sum of £10, and another surety of £10, or two of £5.
THE CURSED DRINK.
While Frank MILES, a hawker, of 17, Paul-street, was in the Devonshire Inn, on Wednesday, a man came in, and after having some drink exclaimed, “I am going to have a go at that cupboard.” MILES advised him not to, but the man climbed up on to the counter, opened the cupboard, which was locked, with the key in it, and took out some money. MILES then rapped at the table, and the landlord and landlady, Mrs. HUISH, came in. The former caught hold of him, and took 2s 6d, a 6d. and eight pennies from his hand. He then asked him to go, but he refused to, and eventually P.C. HANN was called, and, finding him very drunk, had to thrown him down to handcuff him, and, with the assistance of P.S. WE T(?), took him to the Police-station. When the landlord asked him what he was doing on the counter the man replied “Getting change.” As a sequel to this the man(?), whose name was Frederick GREEDY(?), of 8 Court, High-street, appeared at the Police-court, and as he had not been there before he was let off with a fine of 20s and 14s costs, or in default a month in prison. The only thing he could say in defence was that he could not remember anything about it, not even going to the Devonshire Inn. He had never been there before. - The ex-Mayor said that if it had not been for the cursed drink he would not have been there now.
MONDAY. - Before Mr. T. PENNY (in the chair) and Mrs. C. J. GOODLAND.
Walter MARCHANT and Jno. MARCHANT, two brothers, who had visited Taunton on Saturday for the purpose of joining their Regiment of Militia at the Depot preparatory to the annual training, failed to reach there owing, to their having indulged not wisely but too well in the cupthat <sic> is supposed to cheer. The hot weather appears to have got the better of them, for Walter was found in Upper High-street so drunk that he could not move. - He told the magistrates that he had met some of the old Somersets, and they had been mallicking(?). John was found in a similar state in Mary-street, and all he had to say for himself was that he had never previously been before the magistrates. - They were both discharged on payment of the costs, 3s 6d each, so that they will still have an opportunity of doing their Militia training.
IRISHWOMAN GETS A MONTH.
Despite her protests that the language attributed to her had never been used, and that she was only half drunk, an Irish pedlar, names Margaret O'CONNOR, was sentenced to a month's hard labour for being drunk and disorderly in East Reach on Saturday night. - P.C. LOVELL proved the case, but prisoner denied that she used any bad language. She said some boys “pipped” her in the car with what she believed to be a rotten orange, and she merely asked them how they would like their mother to be treated like that.
Superintendent DURHAM said the language she used at the lock-up was of the very worst. She was let off in March last on promising to leave the town, and on the following day was sentenced to a month at Wellington for a similar offence. When sentenced prisoner turned to the magistrates with the remark “Thank you, very much, gentlemen !(?)”
REFRACTORY WORKHOUSE INMATE.
Alice PRESCOTT(?), a young woman inmate of the Taunton Union Workhouse, was given a day out on Saturday, and when she returned she was in a drunken condition. To prevent her associating with the other inmates the porter, William YANDALL, put her in a female tramp ward. She danced around and as she appeared to be in a good humour he left her, but a minute later heard someone banging at the door. He returned, and found she had bashed in four panels of the door with a stool. She also struck Elizabeth(?) BOBBETT, one of the female officials, in the face. She was now charged with the damage to the door and assault on Mrs. BOBBETT. - As she was said to behave very well when in the House, the Bench adjourned the case for three months to see how she conducted herself in the meantime.
<NOTES: Matthew George WINTER son of Joseph WINTER and Jane FACEY, married Rose GRIGG
Mabel Alice OATEN is Mabel Alice PAUL daughter of John PAUL and Mary Maria SPENCE, married William OATEN>