Sarah
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Taunton Courier. Bristol and Exeter Journal and Western Advertiser. Wednesday 28 Jun 1905
Page 3 Column 4
TAUNTON BOROUGH POLICE-COURT.
WEDNESDAY. - Before the Mayor (Councillor Josiah LEWIS), the ex-Mayor (Councillor A. VILLAR), Councillor H. J. Van TRUMP, and Mr. G. SAUNDERS.
TWO GENTLEMEN BICYCLISTS FINES.
NO LIGHTS.
Captain KINGLAKE, of Wilton House, Taunton, and Mr. Wallace SHAW, a gentleman visitor to the town, staying with him, were summoned for each riding a bicycle on the night of the 8th inst. without having lights. - Mr H. Byard SHEPPARD appeared for both the defendants, and apologised for their inability to attend the Court. He explained that Captain KINGLAKE and his friend had ridden to Exeter on the day in question, intending to return by an early train, and consequently they did not take their bicycle lamps with them. They were unable to come back by the train they intended and when they reached Taunton, about ten o'clock at night, they had an idea that they could ride within the borough boundary without a light. - P.C. READ gave evidence that he was on duty in North Town on the night of the 8th, when he saw Captain KINGLAKE and his friend riding bicycles without lights. He knew Captain KINGLAKE, and he called to them. His friend, Mr. SHAW, got off his machine, but after walking about 20 yards got on again. - By M. SHEPPARD: The streets were perfectly empty at the time. - The Bench inflicted a fine of 5s each and costs. - The Magistrates' Clerk: In default, a distress warrant – (laughter) – or seven days. (Renewed laughter.)
KING-STREET ONCE MORE.
A MAN WHO IS A REGULAR NUISANCE.
Thomas CLARK is a labourer, and lives at King-street – that delightful neighbourhood which has been described as the Taunton Belgravia. The police know it well, and it is a familiar official phrase “While I was on duty in King-street.” These were really the opening words of the evidence of P.C. HOLLARD, who went on to say that at 7.20 on the evening of the 7th inst. he found the defendant there, shouting to his wife and making use of obscene language. The wife appealed to the constable to protect her from her husband's violence, and although the former tried to protect the wife, the husband, in his presence, succeeded in smacking her on the face, and ended by kicking her in the stomach. This was outside their residence in lively King-street. “This man,” added the constable, “is a regular nuisance at King-street, and he is always insulting the police.” Defendant looked quite surprised after this official announcement, and he made a statement to show that his wife was at fault. He asked the constable if he did not see where his wife had thrown water over him, but P.C. HOLLARD emphatically said he saw no water. - Unfortunately for defendant there were previous convictions against him, and he was now fined 5s and 6s as costs, or seven days in default.
A REPENTANT DEFENDANT.
Henry PERRY, of No. 7 Court, High-street, was in a repentful mood when summoned for being drunk and disorderly on the night of the 15th inst. near his residence. - He pleaded guilty to the offence, and it was the old story of having been out with some “friends,” as they are called, and had got too much to drink. He now expressed his regret, and, as it was his first offence, he was ordered to pay 5s as costs.
WHAT
MRS. MERRICK HAS PROMISED.
“I WILL PUT THE PEG IN FOR LIFE.”
This is the promise that Mrs. Helen MERRICK made to the Taunton magistrates, and during her broken sobs she said that she would never drink any more the longest day she lived. She meant, of course, that she would never take any more intoxicating drink, which has been her great weakness in the past, and has led to her frequent appearance at the Court on charges of drunkenness, having also been to prison for the same. Since she last came out, about two or three months ago, she had been a teetotaler through the influence of some Taunton ladies, including Miss WESTLAKE, who, she said, had lent her books to read. At Whitsuntide, however, she gave way to the drink again, caused, she said, by boys assaulting and calling after her in the streets. They had also thrown stones at the windows of her residence in Kingston-road. The previous Wednesday night she was found by P.C. JENKNS at East Reach. She was staggering drunk at the corner of Haydon-road, with a crowd of about 40 people round her, whom she was threatening. He tried to induce her to go home, and had forcibly to remove her. - Mrs. MERRICK, weeping bitterly, told the magistrates that she would not hurt a bird, and she was quite willing to go home and be a good woman if they would let her go.
Mr. SAUNDERS: Is there any truth in these complaints of annoyance?
The constable replied that he saw none of it at East Reach, where she was drunk. The woman lived at the other end of the town.
P.S. WEST corroborated as to her drunken condition on the night in question.
Mrs. MERRICK continues to weep copiously while in the dock, and once or twice became quite tragic in her promises to lead a reformed life.
The Mayor: The Bench have decided to adjourn your case for two months to see how you behave yourself, and I hope you will never get drunk any more.
Mrs. MERRICK (with dramatic emphasis): I will never come here any more; I will put the peg in for life. (Laughter.) I hope you will watch my house to see how the stones are thrown at my windows while I am reading my books. (More laughter.)
Mrs. MERRICK then left the Court in a breezy manner, and with an apparent determination to keep the “peg in,” as she had promised.
The Bench called the attention of the police to the complaints of annoyance that had been made, and Superintendent JENNINGS said he would pay attention to it.
THE COMPLAINTS OF DISORDERLY BEHAVIOUR.
THE POLICE ON THE ALERT.
In view of the complaints recently made by the Taunton Vigilance Society as to the misbehaviour in the streets of Taunton, the suggestion of the magistrates that police in plain clothes should be on duty at different places at night-time has been carried out by the police authorities, already with good result. - Emma SPARKES, a woman of King-st., appeared to a summons for loitering late at night at Castle Bow. - P.C. SMITH stated that about 10.20 on the night of the 14th inst. he was on duty in plain clothes at the Castle Bow, and he saw the defendant come from Castle Green and accost a man. They remained talking for about five minutes. The constable said he had frequently seen the woman at night walking the streets. - Defendant, in defence, said that it was somebody she knew to whom she was speaking, and he had promised to meet her. - As there seemed to be some doubt about the case the defendant was discharged with a caution, the Mayor saying that the police were quite right in bringing the case forward.
DISORDERLY YOUNG PEOPLE.
Nora SHEARN, of 3, Middle-street, Lily SHEARN, same address, Laura BICKNELL, St. James's-street, Sidney VIRGIN, Kingston-road, all young people, were summoned for wilfully obstructing the foot-way in North-street on the night of the previous Thursday. - P.C. SMITH gave evidence that while on duty in plain clothes on the night in question, about 9.10, he saw the three young woman and the young man all laughing and shouting together for quite ten minutes. When he spoke to them they ran away. He had cautioned the girls before, and nearly every constable in Taunton had done the same.
The Mayor said that the magistrates were determined to support the police in keeping better behaviour in the town, and he hoped that it would be generally known. As this was the first time the defendants had been before the Court they would be each fined 1s and 2s 5d, as costs, each.
Arthur BROWN, 15, George-street, Albert GIBBS, 15, Albemarle-road, Kate WILMINGTON, 29, Wood-street, and Millie LEE, 6 Court, North-street, all young people, were also similarly summoned for an offence in Fore-street. - P.C. HOLLARD stated that he was on duty in the borough in plain clothes for the purpose of trying to stop the disorderly behaviour in the streets. He watched the two young men and two young women on the night of the 14th inst. in Fore-street, where they assembled, and were obstructing the free passage of the footway for about 15 minutes. He told them he should report them for it. He had cautioned the lads several times about this sort of thing, especially on Sunday nights. When spoken to on this occasion they ran away, and had not since been seen. The young women, who were present, were very respectable, and he had not had to complain of them before. - The Bench decided to deal leniently with the young women, and ordered them to pay 2s 5d each, as costs, with a caution. - Mrs. BROWN said she had not seen her son since the previous Monday.
Mr. SAUNDERS said it was intolerable that respectable people could not walk through the streets, especially on Sunday nights, without meeting with this disorderly behaviour. - Defendants were each fined 2s 6d and 3s 5d each, as costs, or seven days in default.
<NOTES: Lily SHEARN daughter of Zachariah SHEARN and Elizabeth Jane HUBBARD, married Francis George SAUNDERS.
Nora is probably Laura SHEARN, daughter of Zachariah SHEARN and Elizabeth Jane HUBBARD>