Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, and South Wales Free Press. — 1889-10-02 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

SHOCKING AFFAIR AT SWANSEA.  EXTRAOADINARY CONDUCT OF A MOTHER.  Loud-mouthed rumour was busy on Friday afternoon,declaring that a shocking murder had been perpetrated in Orchard-street, Swansea. The crime, so the story ran, was one of un exceedingly painful nature, it being alleged that a woman had in a revengeful moment seized an infant child by the legs, and dashing its head against the pavement, luul knocked its brains out. Like many other rumours, this one was not altogether groundless, but the facts as we have learned them, place a different light upon the matter to that which it had assumed. It is stated that a Mrs. Harrison, a second-band clothes dealer, living in Onliard-street, was visited by her sister-in-law, a Mrs. Reed, about 5 o'clock. The visit was not of a friendly character, and the women had not been long convening before they were quarrelling loudly. Mrs. Harrison had a baby in her arms, and this, for some time, probably prevented the pair from converting the wordy duel into a fight with fisticuffs. Suddenly Mrs. Reed said something exceedingly bitter, and Mrs. Harrison, allowing her rage to get the better of her common sense and motherly feeling, opened her shawl, and dashing her baby upon the pavement, rushed a her opponent. Some neighbours instantly picked the child up, and seeing it was severely injured, took it to a doctor's whilst someone else went for the police, and upon the arrival of an officer Mrs. Harrison was taken into custody.  At the Swansea Police-court on Saturday, Violet Harrison, a married woman, living at 15, Greenhill-street, was brought up charged with being drunk and disorderly in High-irtreet on Friday, and also with assaulting her child, aged two years, in a violent , manner in Orchard-street on the Same day. Prisoner did not seem to experience any discomfiture at her position, but surveyed the occupants of the court with cool indifference. On her right cheek was a long serateh. P. C. Lewis gave evidence as to seeing prisoner drunk, and taking her into custody. George Stevens, a butcher, said between 4 and 5 oclock on Friday evening he was in Orchard-street, and saw the prisoner quarrelling with her husband. The child was on the ground at the time. He heard the child say " Mamma," and prisoner caught hold of the child by the body and then by the leg, and using a a frightful term, she knocked the child's head against the curb. The ehild had no shoes or stockings. She afterwards dropped the child, , , and witness picked it up and ran away with it. I She followed him up to the top of Orchard-street. , The father of the child also came up to him, and demanded the child, and he went to KcalPs, the chemist, with the child.—Charles Davies, ! hay merchant, said he saw the defendant in Orchard-street ; she was quarrelling with somebody, and was using very bad language. He saw her dash the child to the ground, and the sight was so sickening that it affected him so, that he had to go home front the store. J. Griffiths, fitter, said he was in Orchard-street, on Friday evening, and saw the defendant dash her child to the ground. The child's face was bleeding. .  l'rtsouer said it was acceidentally done, and that it was all her sister-in-law's fault."  1 The Bench said it was a ease of very great cruelty, and she would have to go to prison for two months.