The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-07-18 00:00:00

BRUTAL ASSAULT ON A NYINE AT
WEYMOIJTIL

Joint fin ssford is in custody for a most violent
assault on his wife, the well.known Caroline Hans.
fool, and at present the w an's life in in danger.
The parties exist in Wellington-place, an off street of
small houses from Scrambridge-bill, on the Weymouth
side. It appears that, about 20 minutes past 11 at
night, P.C. Bartlett was on duty in Trinity-road and
found Mrs. Bamford knocting at Dr. Nathan's door.
She was completely covered with blood, and, after the
doctor had seen her, the constable accompanied her
heme. She complained to him of being assaulted by
her husband with a great stick. P.C. Bartlett went
to the house, found the husband in bed, and told him
what the woman had complained of. The husband
admitted having "given her • thrashing," but said
that his wife on coming home came upstairs and
began to beat him with the dick, which he took from
her, and with it "gave her a thorough good thrash.
ing " but he did not know where he hit her. The
sticic in a rough fir bludgeon, about a yard long, three
and • half inches round at one end, and five inches
at the other. The woman is very ill, and we under.
stand that Dr. Nathan is afraid, from the state of
her constitution and the hurts she has received, that
e.gripelas may set in, in which case the woman may

'life assault was committed on Tuesday night.
Hansford was apprehended under a warrant. and on
Thursday morning brought up before the Mayor (Mr.
CL B. Welsfor i), 31r. W. Talbot, Mr. T. Abbott, and
Mr. H. Ragget, charged with the assault. -The
constable stated that Dr. Nathan said that it would
be dangerous for the woman to appear, as she was a
likely subject for erysipelm-Her dress WM produced,
with • very large clot of blood on it, and it was stated
that there war another dress much stained with
blood.- -Superintendent Vickery said that he under.
stood the women had been drinking very heavily on
the day of the assault, the man also, and yester-
day she went out and had • glass of porter. -
ittnaford said that his wife brought up the stick
(=led) to beat out his braine-Remanded till
y . -Mr. Knight asked that the man might be
admitted to bail. H. WAN willing to be bail to any
amount; Hansford had worked for him for ekht
months, and never neglected his work a day. -The
Bench to thkA Mr Knight's bail in 00, and
HansforTs.r! a similar amount.

BOROUGH PIM' Bnewsk &turd2o—Before tbe
Mayor (Mr. G. B. Welatsed), Mr. W. T sad Mr. J.
Jahn Harsaftwd appeared from bail for assaulting his
wife Caroline on Tuesday Lat.—The wife appeased. and
NM that on the evening of the 10th she went down on

the Quay to see if any mackerel had come in. Went
home • few minutes after 10, partly undressed herself,
and took hold of the quilt to put it straight before she got
Into bed. Her husband, who was in bed, got out and
kicked. She went downstairs, partly dressed herself,
and went to Mr. Edward's workshop. After about two
or throe minutes she went back straight to the bedroom.
Her husband came at her, and she went out and sat in
the stairs, because she was afraid he would strike her
again. Ile went downstairs and locked the door, and her
husband with the stick produced beat her all over her
body, over her head, legs, and arms, from the effects of
which she bled • great deal. She was sober at the time,
and gave her husband no provocation for assaulting her.
Could not say where he got the stick ; she had not taken
Into the bedroom. After being struck she went down the
stairs herself. The stairs were not as wide as the stick
WA lons, but it was while she was in the stairs that her
husband beat her, and be was below her at the time.
, Previous to striking she had disturbance with her husband.
' —Hansford being asked, said he would not speak to his
wife as long as he lived. She brought up the stick, and
said. 'You —, kill you."—Dr. Nathan spoke to
I Mrs. Hansford coming to his door. He went down, and
found her there looking most ghastly, and her clothes
saturated with blood. He had her into his house, and
examined her, and found a contused wound on the bleed,
just over the temporal artery, which was wounded by a
i blow that had penetrated. It looked as if it had been
I struck by some blunt instrument, and the cut itself Was
deep, but not large. He dressed the wound, placed a
; strong compress over the artery, and gave the woman in
I charge of P.C. Bartlett. He slid not apprehend any
danger now; the only danger WWI from syncope coming
on from Ices of Mood. There were contused WOIIIIIII over
; the head, legs, and anon, and various parts of the body.
I The woman had been drinking, but was not drunk. The
, frock and various other garments were produced, freely
stained with blood. —P.C. Bartlett Saw a lot of blood at
; Dr. Nathan's door, and after enquiry went in and found
Mrs. Hansford, whom Dr. Nathan gave into his charre.
She was covered from bead to foot in blood, and in a very
weak state. He atterwards fount Hansford, fastened in,
in a garret. He was not the worse for drink. A bedstead
In another room was broken all to pieces. Hansford
admitted having beaten his wife with a stick, which he
said he had taken away from her. She went downstairs,
; got the stick from a corner, and said that she brought it
;to beat him with. He took it away from her, and gave
her a good warming with it. Haripreviously heard • row
In the house, and recognised Mr. Hansford's voice: it was
common for her townie home drunk, and kick up a MS.—
! Rumford said he was in dsnger of his life when the woman
' I came home drunk. She beat the bedstead to pieces.—Mr.
' Webb said the man worked tor him about twelvemonths,
' and he had known him Li to 20 year. While be worked
for them he was a very quirt, good servant, respectable,
I willing and honest; • more humane man to the animals
' I under his charge could not be; but they Were obliged to
I discharge him as his wife was always coming to the place of
business drunk and abusing her husband; and she assaulted
' him. No doubt the man would have been in their employ
now, if it had not been for the tremendous annoyance
' from the wife. Ile had known the man sleep in the stables
' night after night because of the annoyance from that
woman. —Mr. Knight gave the man • very good character,
' and added that the woman had called at his house many
times, and asked for money; she had abused his wife
; shamefully. On the night after this occurrence she was
I I drunk.—Henry Baker, of the Chapelry Tavern, said the
woman came to the house drunk, and asked for half-a-pint
" of beer. His " minus " drew it, and the woman drank
half of it—The Bench told the witness that if the woman
was drunk when she came to the house, they ought not to
I have drawn her any beer.—Witness When • person
' comes and sakes for a half-pint of beer, we are bound to
draw it. —The Mayor, however, told the witness that, on
the contrary, if any person came to their house drunk,
they were bound not to draw it, it was against the law,
and be was under a penalty for doing so. —Supt. Vickery
! said the husband bad gone away from the wife and lived
! at the Boot, when the wonuin came after him, and abused
' him and the people—The woman repeatedly asked for a
separate maintenance but was tot,' that she must apply
to a solicitor. Mr. Butt added that she had lawn to the
office about it some live hundred tinees within the last two
• years—The Mayor said defendant was liable to • tine of
£2O, or six months' imprisonment ; but it was fortunate
' that he came before them with • good character. Nothing
1 could justify is violent assault with a stick en a woman;
but in consequence of defendant's good character, they
would sentence him to one month's imprisonment.