Bridgend & Neath Chronicle, and County of Glamorgan Advertiser. — 1892-11-04 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

LIFE AT NEWCASTLE HILL  GUNS, STICKS, STONES, AND OTHER  SEDATIVES.  At the Bridgend Police-court on Saturday—Mr 1 R. W. Llewellyn (chairman) presiding—Samuel ' Evans, quarryman, Newcastle Hill, Bridgend, was charged with assaulting Mary Hopkins, wife of John Hopkins; there was a cross-summons charging John Hopkins with assaulting Evans. Mrs Hopkins said that defendant Evans had been quarrelling with her husband on Saturday night, of which she was unaware. She was at home between ten and eleven on Saturday night when she heard a row and found Evans and his wife outside, the former having a gun and calling upon her husband to come out and be shot. She told him to go away, and he put the gun to his shoulder and threatened to shoot her. Witness had been under the doctor's care for some time before this for heart disease. Witness went for the police. Evans had had some beer, but was not drunk. Defendant said he did not see Mrs Hopkins that night. Ernest Caudle, ostler, Penygraig, brother-in-law to John Hopkins, said he was going up the hill with the latter and overtook Evans, who challenged Hopkins to fight; they went on, and defendant followed. He struck at Hopkins, who pushed him away and he fell. Evans' companion (Thomas Rees) then threw a stone and struck Hopkins in the eye, and Evans also threw stones. Witness and Hopkins ran away home. Shortly after Evans came to the house, threatened to shoot Mrs Hopkins, and aimed a gun at her. In answer to Evans witness said Hopkins did not strike him fist. In the cross-summons, Alice Tart said that she heard a row and went up and saw Hopkins with a gun in his hand. He swore he would shoot everybody on the road. Did not see Mrs Hopkins. Candle was inside. Hopkins had some caps; he was loading the gun, and knocked the gun with a, piece of stick that was hanging near. The children were screaming to him not to shoot. The people all ran away. Evans was not there then, nor Rees. She saw Evans down the bill when the people ran away. To Mrs Hopkins: She told Mrs Hopkins that her husband and Sammy Evans were quarrelling. Did not see Sammy Evans with a gun. Mrs Hopkins did not seo Sammy Evans that night. She looked after Mrs Hopkins house while the latter went for the police. David Francis, a youth, Newcastle Hill, said he was riding a pony on Newcastle Hill, when he was struck on the head with a stone. John Hopkins came out with a gun. Evans was about fifty yards away. Hopkins levelled the gun, and said he would shoot the lot of them. Samuel Evans had not a gun. Evans was witness's uncle. Evans took a stick from witness's aunt. When her husband levelled the gun Mrs Hopkins called out murder.' Mrs Hopkins called his aunt everything.' John Evans, son of Eli Evans, and nephew of the defendant Evans, said that at the time in question he was going to the stable with his uncle when John Hopkins knocked him down and kicked him on the ground. Stones were thrown at his uncle's door, and his aunt and uncle went , out, when Hopkins levelled a gun, and said he would shoot the lot. The brother-in-law kicked Evans in the ribs.  Evans was fined £5; the application for peace sureties was dismissed, as also the charge of msault against John Hopkins.