Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1872-03-02 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

ALLEGED CUTTYNG AND WOUNDING. John Reed, Patrick Gleeson, and Samuel M•Carty, were brought up, under remand, charged with cutting and wounding Michael Hurley, on the 17th February. Mr Draper again prosecuted, and Mr Clemmet defended. The evidence taken on Thursday was read over, and then the cross-examination was resumed. Prosecutor said: I went into Casey's house about twelve o'clock that night, and remained until about two o'clock. Mrs Casey wanted me to go to bed, but I wanted to get my half-sovereign back, and would not do so. I had not been working on the 17th. I got my wages about twelve o'clock. I went out after dinner. From one o'clock until nine or ten o'clock that night. I was walking about the streets. I did not get tipsy in the afternoon. I do remember knocking a table over in Reed's house. I do not know whether there were supper things on it. My head did not come up against it. I was scuffling with Reed at the time the table went over. That occurred when Reed came down from the bedroom. He had his shirt and trouser d off. I had seen him early in the night, at the Prince of Wales. When we scuffled, both I and Reed fell down together. My head struck the fender. I don't know whether Reed burnt his face on the bars of the fireplace. When I went to his house again I did not strike the door with a stone: I kicked and knocked the lower panel of the door in. That was -before Reed got out of bed. Mrs Reed first came to the door,but she did not come out.—At this point ,the bench intimated that the case would be taken as a common assault.—Cress-examination continued: All three of them then assaulted • me.—By Mr Draper: I went back at two o'clock, because I wanted to go into my lodgings.—A man named Quinn said: I recollect Satnes-1 hearing a row against iffy the Sunday morning, about two o'cloc . I hear a man shout "Murder." I lifted the ' dow up, and saw some men rup away. I came n stairs and went to the door, when I found Michael Hurley. His head was covered all over with blood. I live about 200 yards from Reed. There might be a dozen men running away.—Mary Ann Casey, a Catholic, refused to be sworn upon the Catholic Bible, and was permitted to make a solemn declaration. She said: The prosecutor came to our house, after twelve o'clock on Saturday night. He said there were two cuts on his head. I washed it, and put some sticking plaster upon them. They were nct bleeding at that time.— Mr Butler said: I saw the prosecutor on the Sunday morning. Five wounds upon his bead penetrated to the bone; two others were not quite so bad, but all of them were bleeding. A fire-shovel or a piece of angle iron might have produced them.—P.C. liendrew said he apprehended Reed on the 18th February, when he said, "All that was done in the house, I did it." Gleeson said it was a rum charge, and McCarty said that whatever was done Reed did it.—ln defence, Mr Clemmett applied for the discharge of McCarty and Gleeson, there being no evidence against them.— They were at once discharged, and advised to be more cautious in future.—ln defence of heed, he said that the half-sovereign mentioned by Hurley was paid for his week's lodgings, and that he had no possible right to it.—He went home, as shown in the cross-examination, knocked the table over and fell down, causing two wounds—one of 'them before Reed had come down stairs from bed, and the other by scuffling with Reed, who fell beside the fire, whilst Hurley fell on the fender.—He was fined 40s, and 61s costs, in all, £5 Is.