Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, and South Wales Free Press. — 1861-06-19 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

SWANSEA POLICE COURT.  THURSDAY.—Before Dr. llowell, and T. B. Essery, Esq.  Sarah Thomas waa charged with assaulting John Sullivan by beating him with a shovel. It appeared that the girl, with others, were making fun of the complainant as he was going home from work on Monday, and when he went up towards them she caught up a shovel and struck him a violent blow on the head with it, cutting open his forehead. She admitted the charge and was fined (Os. 6d. or 14 days imprisonment. FRlDAY.—Before Dr. Bird, and J. W. James, Esq. The representatives of thirty men who had been working for Messrs. Evans, the contractors for building the new Swansea Union, applied to know what they should do to obtain payment of their wages. The contractors having failed in their engagements, were in London, and the works were stopped; but the men said there was enough plant on the ground to distrain upon and pay them. Summonses were ordered to issue in each case in which specific application was made. Two or three of the men claimed £4 18s. each, another a 10s., and another a 15. _ _ _ . . .  Mary Thomas, a girl aged 14, was charged with steal3d. worth of coal under the drops, on Friday evening. The girl was apprehended by a policeman with a bag in her hands, containing coal, which she had picked up under the screen at the drop on the Strand, opposite the Ship and Castle. Mr. Benjamin Farquharson, clerk and foreman to Messrs. Cory, You, and Co., identified the coal produced as their property. The girl pleaded guilty, and admitted that she had on several former occasions taken small coal from under the drops, and carried it home. The girl's mother said it was the first time any of her family had done such a thing.—Mr. James : "The first time they have been found out, you mean."— Dr. Dird (to the mother) : " I don't mean to say that you have done such a thing, though it would appear that you have; but I do mean to say that any parent who accepts stolen goods from her child is a sneaking, guilty sinner."—The case was adjourned to see if Messrs. Cory wished to prosecute. William Hopkins and David Hopkins were charged with violently assaulting Hannah Hopkins. The defendants had lodged with complainant up to Monday last, when they left, being in debt to her for board and lodging. They wished to take their clothes and books away, but she would not allow them to do so until they had paid her. Next day they came again, accompanied by their two brothers, and, complainant said, they all four struck her and pushed her about in a very shameful way.—William Morris, of the Jersey Arms, was attracted to the house by the cries of Murder !" raised by Mrs. Morris, in her house. He could not get in at first, but presently the door was opened and the defendants forced out a trunk through it, and demanded of the byestanders to know who was saying anything against them.—The defendants alleged that all they did was to take away the poker from Mrs. Hopkins, but she declared she had never touched or seen the poker. They called Evan Hopkins, their brother, as a witness, and he said he knew nothing about the assault he carried away the box, but heard no cries of " Murder " and saw no scale. The case was adjourned to to-morrow, for the attendance of an old man named Rees, who was in the house at the time of the assault.