The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1839-10-04 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

FEMALES QUARRELS.  Anne Jones, a very decent looking woman, attended by a. posse of her neighbours as witnesses, appeared to prefer a complaint against a very pretty and mild-looking young girl, named Mary Hardman. Mrs. Jones stated, that she and the defendant had always been good friends till lately, when the defendant had " intirely halter d," and she did not know whatever had " come over her." I was only talking with Mrs. Johnson about the water, said the complainant, when out she comes with the long brush, and sis she—whose mouth are you 'going to crack ? I- told her I had summut else to do than to crack peoples mouths, an' as I was not a with for to crack nobodies' mouth. With that sir, she ups with the long brush and struck me with all her force, and if she'd hit the opening of my head, she'd a laid my skull open. However she only catch'd me on the hie, an' here it is. The complainant pointed to her '" hie," as she called it, but no mark was preceptible. It appeared, according to the complainant, that the defendant had also put her fissess in Mrs. Jones face and threatened her.  Miss Hardman was no sooner asked what she had to say for herself than she burst into tears. She first complained of the hard hearted neighbours, every one of whom took part with Mrs Jones. and consented to be witness for her. She was alone. Mrs. Jones, she said, was blowing up as she (defendant) was sweeping the floor of her father's house. She went out to her, and, said she, I axed her if it was me she was talking to, for I heard her say she would crack my mouth, an' I axed her if it was my mouth that she was gooin to crack. She said yes it was, an' she made her words good, for she did crack it, and after she'd struck me two or three times, and called me a many very ugly names unproper to mention before gentlemen, I lifted up the long-brush in my own defence, and gave her a little bit of a tap with it. The neighbours who accompained Mrs. Jones here all raised their voices in full chorus, in order to demonstrate to the magistrates that this version was not entirely correct; and it was evident that the inhabitants of the court or alley in which these amiable people reside, bore no very kindly feeling towards Miss Hardman. Their great efforts at explanation were useless,—they defeated their own objeet,— for not one word could be distinguished ; and it was not till " silence" had been thundered from every frowning policeman about the court, that these delicate females could be prevailed upon to bridle their tongues. What are you? asked Mr. Rushton. Defendant—l lives with my father and mother. Mr. Rushton—Well, I cannot allow these disturbances. One of the neighbours, a little, pale, smiling woman, putting on a most winning expression of countenance, said—lf you please, sir, she said she would murder Mrs. Jones as soon as ever the trial was over. _ _ _  An old and chatter, snub-nosed woman, rushing forward —Yes, that she did ; I heerd her. Another neighbour—Yes, and she'll do it too. Another neighbour—(shaking her head)—Aye, aye, she's a very dangerous young woman. Mrs. Jones—l'm afraid of my life, your worship. Mr. Rushton—Nonsense, you silly woman; it's a pitylou can't live in a more neighbourly manner. The defendant was fined one shilling and costs. A