The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1886-01-23 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

MURDEROUS AFFRAY.  At the Borough Police Court, on Tuesday, before Mr. Preston, Samuel Clarke, 4, Taylorbuildings, was charged with unlawfully assaulting and wounding Mary Knight and Catherine Sutton, of 6, Taylor's-buildings, by striking them with a pair of tongs. Catherine Sutton, a young woman, said she lived with her parents next door to the prisoner. About seven o'clock last night she was standing at her own door when prisoner challenged her brother out to fight. She passed the door, when the prisoner struck her a blow in the face and knocked her down. She got up, and was going into the house, when the prisoner followed her and struck her a violent blow on the nose with a pair of tongs, breaking her nose. She went to the hospital and had the wound dressed. Mr. Preston: Did he say anything to you? Witness: No, sir. He was challenging my brother out to fight, but he was at his work. Mr. Preston: Had you had a quarrel with him before this occurred? Witness: Yes, sir. The prisoner's wife is always quarrelling with my mother. Dr. Richardson, house surgeon at the Borough Hospital, said he examined the last witness and another woman named Knight, who were brought to the hospital. The last witness was bleeding profusely from the nose, but there were no bones broken. The other woman was suffering from a lacerated wound on the scalp about two and a half inches in diameter. He dressed the women's wounds, and they were sent home. Mr. Preston: Is the other woman here. Superintendent Clarke said the woman was not fit to attend court that morning P.C. 6 (Sparrow) stated that from information he received he apprehended the prisoner the previous night in Taylor's-buildings, and charged him with having unlawfully assaulted the two women, and in reply ihe said "I'd better say nothing." He took Knight to the hospital and afterwards took her home. He i had seen her that morning, and she was ill in  bed. The prisoner denied having assaulted either of the women, and said the woman Sutton was quarrelling with her mother, and when he passed their house she attacked him with the tongs and he fetched a policeman to put a stop to the row they were making. Mr. Freston remsaided the prisoner until Friday. On Friday the prisoner was again brought up, Mrs. Knight stated that she heard her daughter cry out, on the evening in question, "Oh ! Mother, lam killed." She ran out of the house and prisoner rushed at her, shouting, "I will serve you the same." She ran back into the house and shut the door, but prisoner burst it open, seized her by the hair,and dragged her about till she was quite dizzy. He then struck her on the head with some heavy instrument, and she bled freely. While she was on the ground he made a kick at her face, but his foot struck her arm. As soon as she could get away she went to the police. office, her head "bleeding like a little tap" all the way. At the station one of the officers bound up her head and took her to the hospital, where Dr. Richardson attended to her. She had not quarrelled with her daughter during the day, neither had she been drinking. P.C. Vernon said he was told at half-past seven on Monday night that he was wanted at Taylor's-buildings. He went to the houses and found there was no disturbance, though he had been informed there was a fight going on, in which tongs, bricks, and pokers were used as weapons. He saw prisoner and his wife, and they told him there had been a row in the opposite house. At ten o'clock he saw Mrs. Sutton at the office, her head bleeding badly. On Thursday night he was again called to the house, and Mrs. Sutton's brother said she was killing their' mother. Both of the complainants were drunk on that  occasion. Superintendent Clarke stated that the neighbourhood had become very rough since prisoner went to live there. He was the bead of a gang of pigeon flyers, who were the terror of the district. His wife and children were living in Liverpool. Prisoner was sent to gaol for six weeks, with  bard labour.