The Potteries Examiner : — 1875-09-11 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

MEETING OF THE SCHOOL BOARD.—The usual meeting of this Board was held on Monday afternoon, Mr. T. Hughes in the chair. The bye-law officer reported that he had served notices on the parents of 31 children who were going to school half time, but did not come under the Factory Act. These cases had been enquired into and disposed of by the Excuse Con, mitt., who gave orders for the summoning of a number of parents for neglecting to send their children to school. Sickness had been very prevalent among young children, of whom 306 had been absent frem school through this cause, out of a total of 650 absentees.  Wednesday night. Defendant was discharged upon promising never again ta offend.—Thomas Price was i fined f2s. fid. for allowing his dog tube at large.—Maria t Gritton was similarly fined for a like offence. THE MURDEROUS ASSAULT ON AN OLD May.— It will be remember that three or four weeks ago Jos. ; Kirkham and Charles Dean were charged with maim, ; fully wounding an old man named William Roylance a , blacksmith, from Cheshire. The old man had been wandering about for some time, a partial imbecile, and ' on the evening of the 2nd ult. he was found trespassing ! on a field on the Stadnaoreston Farm, occupied by Kirk. • ham's father, and Dean's employer. Kirkham, nailer, ordered him off, and he refused to go, whereupon Kirkham threw several buckets of water over him, and Dean ' beat him about the head with the bucket—an iron one. The old man was left lying on the ground, where he was found about two hours after senseless and bleeding. He was gonveyed to the Chell Workhouse, and Mr. Edwardarmedicat officer, examined him, finding a very serious wound in the skull, which was open to the bone. In the course of two or three days Roylance showed signs of lunacy, and was removed, under an order of the medical officer, to the county lunatic asylum, where he still remains.—When the case was again called on on Thursday-, Superintendent Baker said he had a certificate front the surgeon of the asylum stating that Roy. lance was not at present in a fit state to give evidence, though he had recovered from the injuries to the head, and he could not say when Roylanee would be mentally able to give evidence. Be (Mr. Baker) would ask the Bench to send the case for trial, which would give him an opportunity of calling the asylum surgeon, Goat the prosecutor himself, for the purpose of showing the serious nature of the injuries.—Mr. Hollinshead, who appeared for the defence, said no doubt Roylance was in,aue, but the assault had nothing to to with it.— Witnesses were called to prove the facts of the prosecution, and it appeared that when Dean was arrested he said the prosecutor ran upon the basket and hurt himself in this way.—Mr. Hollinshead said Roylance was in Kirkham's :way, and would not move, when one of the witnesses (Wright) suggested that water should be thrown over him. This was done, whereupon he butted his head upon the bucket, and thus became injured. ' Mr. Hollinshead complained that Wright was not charged with aiding and abetting, as he had as large a i share n the assault as the defendants.—Mr. Greenwood said the worst feature in the case was the old man being ! left for hours lying in the field after the assault.—Mr. Hollinshead said Mr. Kirkham, sea., offered to take Roylance eon doctor, but he refused. He suggested " that the case should be dealt with summarily, and if s' that were done the defendants would plead guiley.—Mr. Greenwood said he believed the injuries were inflicted k• unintentionally, and he was willing to deal with the case ; summarily. He fined Kirkham .C 5 including costs, and sentenced Dean to six weeks' imprisonment, with hard . labour.