The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1883-02-13 00:00:00

BRI DPORT .
DISGRACEFUL BCENE IN THE POLICE-COURT.

• FIGHT QUBLLID BY MI POLICE.
CONTEMPT OF COURT.

An extraordinary and disgrangul scene occurred In
the Police-court .42 Monday daring the business of the
Monthly C ,unt y &salons. Tne presiding magistrate
was J. M. P. Montagu, Eq., supported by W. Colfox,
Esq., 8.A., Major Gr.,,ves, and W. Hounsell, Esq.
The details of the scene will he beet understo
the case preceding its occurrence be first quoted.
Ellen Harris, a msrrird woman' of Morcomhelake,
Whitshurch Canonicorum, was charged at the instance
of Elisabeth Beans,. woman uell.known to the police
at Whitchurch, with an asuiult on the 17th January.
There wan a cross-Aummons for asaault—Bsavie v.
Harris—which was beard ; hut other chargna, in which

men figured, were witiofriwn. The cros:-liiimmonses
heard were full of detail, unfit for publization, but
giving est louse in the first charge, Miss Bessie elicited
much lanehter by ber excited and emphatic manner.
Speaking of Mrs. Harris, Ml.. Bemis said —"It:
wes in the Sun Inn, Morcombelake, sir. She tried to
strike me, sir. Then she struck me twice, and used
bad language. Ste turned me up likes turnpike-road,
sir. (Loud laughter.) She called me all the
sir She gave me a black eye, sir, I had for a week,
sir! Here I sir (handing a document), I have put the
bed words down, air—too bad to say, sir."
The cross-tummons was then heard, the "ladles"
now having to change places. Mies Beside being now
In the position of defendant, hire. Harris said:—" Her
called I Poll Crock—(isughter)—and all the— she
could lay her t .n.a.ui to. Told I to pay me debts. I
hit her two or three times, but I never gi'ed her no
black eye."
Defendant said you'd chuck mein the well."
Complainant "I didn't."
Defendant: "Oh ! Hellen." (Laughter.)
The Bench : " Both cows are oismbisel 1"
Defendant (to Mrs. H aria) : "There! good J for
. . . . . _

...
Amid loud laughter, Miss lleavis hurriedly left the
dock, and was leaving the crowded court, when suddenly
a panic occurred. The spictators rose to their feet,
many of them clambering over the seats in the wildest
disorder. The Beach, from their elevated position
seeing what was passing, half-rose from their seats,
and the Chairman exclaimed—" Have them all up
here." It was then di-covered that the woman Beane
was engaged in a hand-to-hand combat with a lusty
young fellow named William Rowland. A number of
constables reached the combatants with difficulty, as
the people crowded in upon them, but four constable.
secured the woman, and two others kept back Rowland.
,mething like order was again maintained, and Supt.
Macßae, who bad moved from his chair, exclaimed—
'This I. the most disgraceful scene I ever witnessed."
The Chairman: Place them in the dock. Did any-
one see the cause of title?
I'S. Roper, of Marshalsea I did, sir. I saw that
man (pointing to Rowland) try to trip up Searle."
Then give your evidence
The woman Bemis and the man Rowland were then
placed in the dock, each guarded by const.ble.. The
woman retinae I to be quiet, continually uttering loud
imprecations as to the conduct of Rowland, and as she
continued her interruption, she was led out of the
court into the Council Chamber, in the custody of a
constable. . .

-----
Sergeant Hazzard then thted :—" As this woman
was leaving the court, tVilliam Rowland put out his
foot, and when the woman turned round he stiuck her
In the (we."
The Chairman, addressing Rowland, told him his
conduct was moot disgraceful, striking a woman in that
way. He would be sentenced to "two months with
hard labour? (Sensation in °mut./
Rowland, who looked mu. h too frightened t realise
his position, was hurried out of court to the police.
station, in cnstoiy.