Witney Express
26 Jan 1888 [p.5, col.a] |
The Thames and the Windrush.
(General District News.)
WITNEY.
PETTY SESSIONS, Thursday, Jan. 19.
Before the Rev. R.L. Baker, Captain Wynter, and P. Southby, Esq.
alleged assault on a woman.
Richard Pratley, lodging-house keeper, of Corn-street, Witney, was summoned charged with unlawfully assaulting and beating Caroline Archer on December 28th last, at Witney.
Mr. G. Mallam, jun., appeared for the defendant, and pleaded not guilty.
Caroline Archer deposed - I am the wife of Henry Archer, hawker, of no fixed residence. On the 28th of December I was at Pratley's lodging house in Corn-street. I went to put my children to bed. The police serjeant was there then, talking to Pratley. Pratley said he had given me notice to go. I asked him what I had to go for, as I had done nothing, and had been there three months. After the serjeant was gone, Pratley knocked me against some flour sacks. He then got an iron weight off the corn-bin, dragged me outside the door and struck me on the side of the nose with the weight, leaving a deep cut, from which the scar on my face has come. It was bleeding for an hour.
Cross-examined by Mr. Mallam- I did not see Lizzie Widdows in the morning. I did not say I would break Mrs. Pratley's back or she should break mine. When I was going in, Pratley and the serjeant were standing near the door. Pratley did not try to keep me out. The door was open. He and his wife both laid on me and I struggled. He pushed me on the sacks, but when I got up I was not holding his coat. I was not drunk or excited at the time.
Daniel Barry said- Caroline Archer is my mother. We came from Abingdon yesterday. On December 28th, I was in Mr. Pratley's lodging-house, when I heard a voice calling "Oh, my mother." I went out, and saw Mr. Pratley holding my mother's hands, while his wife was hitting her in the face with her fist. She was struggling. Pratley ran into the room, and fetched a weight off the flour-bin, and struck my mother with it three times on the face, outside the door.
By Mr. Mallam- I saw a young man there, but I did not know his name. I did not hear him say, "That is enough now, get away." I did not kick Pratley; I was helping my mother up. She did not tumble against the door, and she was not drunk nor excited. I did not hear her threaten Mrs. Pratley. Mr. Pratley struck her three times, but there was only one cut. It was a round weight.
Annie Archer, 15, said- On December 28th, I was in the kitchen at the lodging house, when I heard a voice, "Oh, my mother! Oh, my mother!" I and my step-brother ran out, and saw that Mr. And Mrs. Pratley had got my mother between the door and the flour sacks. We helped mother up, when Pratley took hold of a weight and struck her on the side of her face with it, saying, "I have done for you now, you b____ cow."- By Mr. Mallam: I don't know how many times I have said this over before I learnt it. Pratley struck my mother three times with the weight. It was a round weight, about half-a-pound.
P.S. Yates deposed- On December 28th, at nine o'clock, I visited Pratley's lodging house, and as I was coming out, Pratley commenced telling me a tale about Mrs. Archer's children. While we were talking Mrs. Archer came up, and I said to her, "Why don't you go when Mr. Pratley orders you." She said if she went her children would stop. I told Pratley to let her stop that night, and I would turn them out in the morning. Soon after I was gone, a little girl came to me and said "Pratley's killing mother." I went and found the woman on the pavement, with blood flowing freely from her face. I sent for Mr. Kindon, and we had her taken to the Union Workhouse.- By Mr. Mallam: She was not drunk, but was very excited. I do not say she had had no beer.
Joseph Kindon, surgeon, said- I went to see the woman on the night of December 28th. From the appearance of her face and clothes, I should say blood had been flowing very profusely. She had succeeded in stopping it from her nostrils, but not from her face. She was very weak, and I ordered her to have some brandy. The wound must have been caused by a blunt instrument; it might have been caused by a blunt instrument; it might have been a weight. There were several more bruises, which might have been caused wither by the weight or the fist. Both eyes were very black.- Cross-examined: She was bleeding from a short deep wound, the arteries being divided. It could not have been caused by the fist, but it might have been caused by the weight.
This was the case for the prosecution, and
Mr. Mallam, addressing the Bench, said he should bring evidence to show that there was sufficient justification for an assault because the prosecutrix was rushing into the room for the purpose of attacking Mrs. Pratley. He should also show that the wound was caused by falling against a door.
Lizzie Widdows deposed- I live with my father, who is a carter, in corn-street. On December 28 at 10.30 in the morning, I saw Mrs. Archer going up the "fury." I heard her say she would break Mrs. Pratley's back, or she should break hers. I made a communication at Pratley's house about it.
Thomas Beal, factory hand, son of John Beal, Gas-house lane said- On December 28th, at ten minutes to 8, I was outside the lodging-house, in Corn-street, when Mrs. Archer came and put her foot inside the door, and said "Now for Mr. And Mrs. Pratley." She was very excited. Pratley got up and went to the door and tried to push her back. She would not go, and he pushed her back on the sacks. They struggled, and she struck him and he struck her. I was there all the time, and he did not fetch a weight. He struck her with nothing by his fist. I afterwards said to Mrs. Archer, "That will do now," and I said to Pratley, "Go indoors now." As Mrs. Archer was going out she stumbled and fell against the staple on the door, which cut a wound on the side of her face.- By the prosecutrix; I did not see you hit Mrs. Pratley. I saw you hit Mr. Pratley.
The Bench retired to consider the case, and on their return, the Chairman said there had been a certain amount of provocation, and they would not put any penalty on defendant. He would have to pay the costs, 50s. |
Richard PRATLEY, Drusilla LOVERIDGE |