The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-01-16 00:00:00

VIOLENT ASSAULT AT COOKLEY.

At the County Petty Sessions, at Kidderminster, on
Tuesday, before Mbssrs. H. Homfray, W. Hanceeks, J.
Kiteley, J. Brinton, and T. Lea, four young men named
James Mound, Frederick Johnson, Charles Melling, and
Edward Hillmen, employed at the Cookley Ironworks,
were brought up on remand charged with committing a
violent and aggravated assault on George Bloomer, at
Cookley, on the 28th of December. 'Abe prosecutor, while
giving his evidence, had to be accommodated with
seat, and the hearing of the case occupied over that,'
hours.

Mr. H. Saunders, jun., who appeared to prosecute,
asked the Bench, considering the gravity of the assault,
to exercise their discretion, and not summarily commit
the prisoners, but send them for trial at the Sessions or
Assizes. It appeared that about ten o'clock on the even-
ing of the 28th December there had been some disbute
between a man named Barker and two others named
Nesbit, in which the four prisoners were concerned.. The
prosecutor was in the Bull's Head, Coakley, later in the
evening, when the prisoner( rushed in from tits street,
and attacked the prosecutor, it is alleged, in mistake for
one of the other men.

George Bloomer, the prosecutor. stated that he worked
at the Cookley Ironworks. On Monday, the 28th, he
was at the Bull's Head, Coakley, in company with a man
named Penn, about ten o'clock in the evening. A man
named Nesbit was also there. At the time for closing'
when tha persons inside were about to leave, the prisoners
came into the smoke room, and knocked Nestit down,
and witness shortly afterwards received a blowin the eye,
which knocked Lim down, and he fell towards the gate.
Whilst he was on the ground Mound kicked him repeat-
edly on the temple. The other prisoners struck him with
their fists, and he became insensible. He called for
assistance, and he was with difficulty got away, into the
next room. He waited in the house some time, and
when he left he met a polce officer, who recommended
him to summon the prisoners. When he went to work
the follcming day be was too ill to work, and he con-
sulted Mr. Holyoak, surgeon, of Kinver, and hal not
been at work since, having kept his bed from the 30th
December till the ninth of January, during which time
he had been attended by Mr. Holyoak, jun. On big
road home on the night of the assault, he saw Mailing
and Hillman, and the latter suggested to his companion
that they should repeat the assault. Mailing, however,
shook hands with prosecutor, and said if he had known
who it had been "he wolld not have struck him for a
sovereign."
Mr. M. Corbet, who appeared for the prisoners, ex-
amined pr ,secutor at some length with the view of show-
ing that prosecutor had exaggerated the injuries he had
received, and that there was no work at the ironworks to
be done when he went the morning following the assault,
and that he had been advised to "lie up," and make the
prisoner pay for it. Witness denied that he had anY
quarrel with the priLoners, or seen any disturbance, and
had not struck any of the four men, not having seen theta
during the whole of the day up to the time they rushed
Into the Bull's Head.

Jomes Penn, who was in company with the prosecutor
at the time of the assault, said they were coming owl of
the smoke room when Thomas Barker challenged lieebif,
who was in the house, to come outside. Prosecutor inter-
fered to prevent any disturbance, and the four prisoners '
then attacked him. -

Mr. Holyoak, jun., surgeon, of Kinver, stated that he
saw the prosecutor on the 31st ultimo, in consequence of
what his father had told him at his house at Cookley.
Besides the superficial injuries prosecutor was suffering
from shock to the nervous system, impaired sight, sad
nervous prostration. He considered that he showed
s)mptons of incipient infilmation of the brain. The
abrasions on prosecutor's temple were caused by 8
blow or kick, but he did not think it could have been
caused by the former.
Police-constable Duun stated that a crowd of &tout
forty or fifty persons round the Bull's Head. Be Met
the prosector, and noticed the injuries he had received to
his head.
Sergeant Matthews deposed to arresting ,Hillasegg
Johnson, and Mound at the Cookley Ironworks. The
two first said they had not touched the prosecutor, Moand
said nothing. He arrested Mailing subsequently, and
the latter asked if he had got the other three—naming
the other three prisoner a.
Mr. M. Corbet, on behalf of the prisoners, pleaded that
there had net been any premeditation. The assault had
arisen out of a mistake in the identity of the prosecutor
in the midst of a great deal of confusion.
Charles Johnson and Abel Randle were called and ex-
amined by Mr. Corbet, but their testimony was but Of
little importance, except to show that prosecutor made
light of the assault at the time.
John Jennings, who was one of the persons present at
the Bull's Head, stated that Bloomer tried to strike the
man Barker, and afterwards struck Mailing.
Thomas Barker was called, and stated .that while be
was quarrelling with the man Nesbit the prosecutor struck
him, upon which he called out, and the four prisoners
came to his aid.

After hearing the whole of the evidence the Bench re-,
tired, and after an absence of a quarter of an hour the..
Chairman said the Bench had seriously considered the,
case, and had had great hesitation in Considering whether:
they could rivet the justice of the case by merely iø
dieting the penalty the law allowed them summarily tor
impose and not send the case for trial. It was a gross,:
aggravated, and cowardly assault, and each of the pri.o-•
ners woLld be imprisoned in the House of Correction
and he kept to hard labour for the space of two calendar
months. The Chairman, in son.e subsequent remarks,
said he hoped the case would be a warning to persons in
the Court coming from the same neighbourhood as the
prisoners, and spoke of the dangerous and the brutal
habit of using " knuckle-dusters ' of which mention had,
been made during the hearing of the case.

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