Nelson Chronicle, Colne Observer, and Clitheroe Division News. — 1902-08-29 (Nelson, Lancashire, England)

NELSON CRUELTY CASE.  SEPARATION ORDER GRANTED.  At Nelson Police Court, on Saturday, William Burton Proctor, 16, Eagle-street,l Nelson. was summoned for persistent cruelty to his wife, Sarah Proctor. Mr. F. Roberts appeared for complainant, and said she asked for a separation order, and an order of maintenance, having left the defendant on account of his cruelty. They had been married about eleven years and complainant MIS 55 years of age. They began their married life at Accrington, and defendant began his bad treatment of her soon after. He had knocked her about, kicked her, and given her black eyes. The complainant gave corroborative evidence, adding that at Accrington defendant had kept her out of the house several nights. They came to live at Nelson four years ago, but his conduct was no better than it had been at Accrington. He knocked her about, kicked her and put her out of doors at nights, and the neighbours had had to interfere. His brutal assaults occurred every month or six weeks. At the week-ends he took a lot of drink. Last Saturday afternoon defendant came home drunk about 4-0 o'clock. He complained about his meals never being ready, and began to growl. Be then shook complainant and smacked her. She cried out -Murder," and ran into Mrs. Clough'... She stayed there until eight o'clock, and then went back into her own house. On Saturday night she stayed with Mrs. Duekworth, and did not see her husband again until Monday. She got his dinner ready and be went out, and did not return home until 11-0 o'clock at night. He then started grumbling about his supper, and ordered her out, kickid lair, and threatened to punch her -- guts out. She went out, and since then she had not lived with him. He had come to her that morning and offered to pay her 7s. a week. He was a stoker in the Corporation gasworks in the winter, and made 3.5, a week then, during the summer being an outdoor labourer, making 225. or 235. a week.—ln cross-examination by defendant, complainant denied going for him with the chopper. All she did was to hold it up before her, to protect her from a mow with his clenched fist. —Mrs. Mary Ann Clough. widow, 14. Eagle-street, said she lived next door to the parties, and could say that defendant behaved very unkindly to the complainant. Several times! she had heard the complainant call out, "Murder," and she had had to knock at the wall to quiet them. He used very bad language to her and she had heard him on several occasions order her "to clear out." lie put her out of the house last Monday night.—Aimes Bannister, a young man, •aid he had lodged with the parties for 3 or 4 months, and he gave evidence about defendant's general bad behaviour. He spoke about hearing kicking on the Monday night in question, and hearing complainant call out "Oh." He board him tell her to go.— Defendant said complainant was a very aggravating woman, always worrying about something, anel she would fly into tempers. Whenever he tried to stop her she would run out and scream -Muraer." and say he had turned her out when he had not done No.—Defendant had no witnesses, and the Bomb ultimately grant, d a separation order and made a maintenance order of hi. per week and costs against the defendant.