The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1882-03-14 00:00:00

BOROUGH PETTY SESSIONS.
MONDAT.
Before be 11(sycie (A. Emsse, Eq.), Pearl jdlsrd. Esq.,
F. Lock, EA., J. Tudor, Esq , sad 14 Daysnisb.

Till assacur IT £IIILLSIITYIOI.

Thorns& Kasten. MLA., and Richsrd Manner&
R.H.L. were !summoned for assaulting Bessie Crocker,
dauehter of the landlord of the 13 elphin Inn. Keegen
was also charged with assaulting William Hoary Crocker,
and with wilfully damaging • table, the property of
William Henry Crocker, at the sione time, vi, the Ind
of Kush.
Mr. R. N. Howard prosecuted, and Hr. T. A. Herons
defended. Lieut. Gllllll9f. LELA., witched the case on
behalf of the artillerymen.
Basis Crocker stated that her father kept the Dolphin
Inn in this town. Her in ether we/ deed, and she took an
active peel in the Mosinee& On Thors ley evening, the
find of Meech, about half-put ten, she was in the large
room at the beck of their premises, and while serving •
irliwith beer two soldiers, not the defendants, came
tsey ordered beer, and she went to get it. Oa her
returning with the beer, the two defendant, cause to with
two other soldiers They all had whips, which they were
flourishing. She heard one one of thous say they WWI in
for • row. Toey all then went into the tarn room.
She went into the room in front of them with the
beer. After she had served the b .er they all helped drink
it. She had served the other two artillerymen. After
she had reeved the beer she stood in the do Cr way. The cup
NU from the table to the floor, and she went to pick lisp.
Keegan tried to strike at the cuo with hi. foot, but instead
of striking the cup he strock her ionic it. She said
nothing about it, and treated it as en ecci lent. She
took up the cup i gave it 'A her deter, and ehi returned
to the door of the big room. The four sol Hera
defendant., were in the centre of the room polling one
another about, the other two were sitting on the table.
After th it Keegan went and lay down on a earn in front
of • table, and stayed there about flee minutes, Soddenly
Keegan get up, and puilial the table into the centre of
the room, stamped, on it, and broke off two sides of it.
The table (produced) sea the one. She went to him, and
told him to leave the table alone, or she would get the
police for him as he had kicked her in the leg before. He
took her hold by her hair, and tried to iii. her, but she
pushed him beck Stemmed then cone up and tried to
do the come; neither of them heist her, but when sbe
pushed Keegan back he struck her in the face, and said
Take that you —," he struck her with his open
hand. Her father came into the room iss Keegan struck
her, and Stannard said be would do for him a. wed
They went at her father to strike him, hut be defends
' himself, and struck them. She then run out of the
p She cane bock throats the
rars,sfersndfoesr the
aute.tbroogh she met Keaton with •
leg of • table in his hand. He said he would kill all the
• lot. He struck her with his fist on her chest, and
knocked her beck over the table. He then hit her on the
head and right arm with the leg of the table. Previous
to being knocked with the leg of the table she screamed,
and her sister came, but when she was knocked on the
head she became insensible. When she came to hereelf
again she heard • scuffle in the passage, and saw her
father and IC•egen struggling loge or. She tried to set
he. (ewer ewer Ihregan. bu• she soistrliea
father and Keegan went entailing up She street to the
corner, when the police mane up. and her father gave
Keegan in charge She had been ill ever since from the
effects of the blow. When she was kicked in the leg by
Keegan, the spur cut her stocking and made a slight
• wound in her leg.
Croseeexemined by Mr. Hume: She was quite sure the
out in her stocking was mate by the spur. There were
two civilians and a girl in the room, in addition to the
artilleryoonn. She couldn't say there were not three men
present. They were not there the wh its time. They
left when her brother went for the police, which we.
when Keegan struck her in the two and broke up the
table. She couldn't say two of the welchers went foe the
police, she knew two of them left the house when they
were breaking up the table. She would swear she did not
see two soldiers come down from the Town Hall with the
police when they were at the corner. She knew her
father struck Konen on the head with a life-preserver.
She did not me whet he struck Stanard with. When
Keegan broke the table she did not say "Ton brute what
did you do that for r She did not bear G
unnerWhite
say you
mind,Klas Caseker, I will pay for any damage
they do." Her father did not snatch away the whip from
Staanard and strike him across the bead with the butt ml
of it She was in bed suffering from the injuries until
last Wednesday evening.
By Mr. Howard; She did not draw any beer for these
men from the time they came till the time they went out.
Dr. Aldridge atsted that on the morning of the 3rd of
Mach he went and saw the complainant. Ho found her
In bed suffering from a greet deal of nervous excitement.
He examined her and fount a disodouraU n on the
I=part of her chest. Iler right arm showed considers.
diecolouration. She complained of pain in her
head, but he mold find no mark. She complained of
great pains. He attended her several days, the marks he
saw showed she had sustained severe b10w... There was a
slight abrasion on her right leg each es might have been
caused by • spur. There wore the marks of • severe blow
on her chest, and if it iusd been a little lower down it
might have prov.d very serious.
Kr. F. Holland stated that on the evening of March find,
about ten o'clock he was in the Anneals Hall. He left t
go home up Durogateetreet. As be went up be met about
a dozen soldiers rushing down the street; he couldn't Rey
defendants were 11331008 them.
Mr. Crocker, landlord of the Dolphio who corroborated
his daughter's es ideate, stated that before he struck
Stenuard and Keegan with the life-preserver. Keegan
Malls towards him with a ing of the table, in a threaten-
ing attitude. He saw Keegan strike his daughter once.
Chastise %killer, who was lodging at the Dolphin Inn on
the 2nd March, cerroboretall the Previous WitWani.
evidence.

".61;;:brocker, stater 0 the complainant, stated she lived
at the D dlphin with her father. Oa Teuroday evertins.
the Sad Match. atm heard some soldier some through the
passage ; atm could not tell how many. Some time after-
wards oho beard her mow icreagabig ; dot wool to gm