The daily gazette., 1883-03-22
SEWING MACHINE ROW.
A REPETITION OF THE OLD
TROUBLE.
TWO SINGER AGENTS IN A sN4RL.
a Case Before mayor Wales Upon which
he Reserves His Decision - Rather
SERIOUS Charge.

| Before the Mayor, last evening. Mary
Ann Mount charged John D. MeGinnis and
Thomas Grimshaw, two sewing machine
agents, with ASSAULT and battery, on Tues
day afternoon.
Mrs. Mount testified as follows: .Wblle
! was living in Manayumk, about t,yn years
ago, an agent OF the Singer Sewing Machln,.
Company tried to get me to exchange my
Old tailoring Howe machine lor new
singer. ! had no money to invest, aud
said the old Howe suited INV pur.
pose, and also that expccted
TO move to Wilmington soon. lie was very
persistent to exchange, and at last said he
would send me Singer machine ON trial,
and that should use 1t six weeks. He said
he would take my old machine as part paw
ment. He brought a machine which proved
to be good one, but after trying It for six
weeks came to the conclusion that was
as well of with my old Howe, and told him.
lie linen took the Singer away and did not
see MN ier some time. The latter part oil
March he came again and put another
Singer In my house and succeeded in getting
my Old Howe, for which he allowed iRe $40.
The difference between the two machines was
TO be paid by my daughter by giving
lessons TO new purchasers, and was 10 re-
ceive 50 commission on every machine sold.
The machine he gave me in exchange must
have been secondhand one, because had
to take 1t apart before could make it run.
heard nothing more from the agent aud
moved away, as intended, on May 25, 1881.
and came TO this place, my daughter stayine
In Manayunk nine months longer. No one
came to see her from the company and |
heard nothing until about a wear
ago, when this man, Grimshaw, came
to my house and demanded the machine.
told him then that If he brought
back my old Howe in as good condition as
II was when the agents in Manayunk took
IL ne could have the Singer, as it was not as
good as my old one. He threatened to take
Il by force, but l locked the room in which
the machine was so he did not get IL.
Nothing was done until last Tuesday when
TWO men came to my house, 102 Walnut
street. The man called Tom rang the bell
while the other stood by the house. NV
daughter went to the door and both men
rushed In and said they were going to take
away the machine. l told them they could
not take it without they got an officer
and did 1t the right way. They
said that they had right to take It and
weut into the front room and made a move
to pick the machine up. 1 jumped upon it
when one of them pulled me off. My daugh-
ter and then took hold of the machine and
were dragged to the front door, which was
locked. They then swore they would take
the WORKS If they could not get the stand.
and one took out his knlfe and cut the
strap. In doing so he cut me in the hand,
which bled freely. My daughter and both
put our arms through the machine works
and the men dragged us around the room,
In the struggle my arms were badly bruised.
l screamed murder. As soon as / did that
Grimshaw ran out of the back door, but the
other man still held on to the machine /
continued screaming, when he also went
away. Ny daughter has been sick ever
since from fright and my arms and shout
ders are SO stiff can hardly move Them"
The Mayor questioned her with reference
to contract that the defence offered; but
she denied having signed any agreement
stating that she could not write
and that no agreement had been made other
than verbal one.
Mrs. Mounts daughters testimony was
substantially the same as her mother, only
differing with reference to to the agreement.
The agent had given her the contract to
sign, and she had done so, ''as a matter of
form," as he stated, but she did not sign
her mothers maiden name, which was Yar-
nall.
The defence claimed there was no assault
and that the men had not laid violent hands
upon. the women, but they had become
bruised in holding on TO the machine.
Harry Emmons, Esq, conducted the de-
Tense and cross-qu questioned Mrs. Mount aud
her daughter very closely. He rested his
case principally on an agreement signed by
The daughter, which allowed the company
70 take back the machine, "forcibly If
If not settled for at the time
agreed.
The Mayor reserved his decision, thinking
.he case was more than a simple assault,
and the men were released on their own re
,ogniZance.