The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1893-07-21 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

TABLES TURNED AT NEATH.  SISTERS-IN-LAW AT VARIANCE.  At the Neath Borough Police-court on Monday —before the Mayor (Mr E. Bevan), and the exMayor (Mr J. D. Llewellyn)—Mrs Elizabeth Holbrook, residing at 4, Wharf-street, and Henry Morris, tin-plate worker; Castle-street, were summoned at the instance of Elizabeth Maria Holbrook, aged 12, for assault. Complainant said that last Monday, the 10th inst, about a quarter past eleven, she went to the defendant's house, who was her sister-in-law. A fortnight ago, she said, she lived in the same house as her sister-in-law, and on the day in question she went to the house with the intention of getting some wearing apparel which she had left.  The Magistrate's Clerk . Whose house is it? Complainant (haughtily) : They live in it but we pay the rent. The Chairman : We don't want to go into family matters.  Complainant, continuing her story, said that she went into the house as far as the middle door, but there, further progress was stopped, as she found the door locked. She called out several times to her sister-in-law to open the door, but she refused. After waiting some little time she at last came to the door and unlocked it, and defendant immediately sprang upon her and attempted to throw her out of the house. Complainant said she would not go until she had got what she came for, but her sister-in-law refused to let her go upstairs. A struggle ensued, the result being that complainant waa taken with a fit of hysterics. Immediately after, her sister-in-law espied a woman of the name of Mrs Jones' coming along the road, and she called her to her assistance, Mrs Jones held her (complainant) down whilst her sister-in-law assaulted her. A man of the name of Henry Morris passed directly after and he was called in to eject her (complainant) from the house. She (complainant) was determined not to leave the house till she had got what she wanted, and whilst Morris was ejecting her he threw her violently against the door, bruising her side. In reply to the female defendant, complainant admitted that she tried to force her way upstairs, and that she was told several times that she would not have to go up, she denied, however, that she called her foul names. Defendant said her sister-in-law came to the house and because she found the door locked she commenced to kick it violently. When she went to the door to open it she was immediately assailed by the complainant, and in order to prevent her doing any serious damage, she got hold of her by the arms, but she used her feet to such an extent that she had to let go of her again. Complainant then picked up a key and threw it at her, striking her on the nose and making it bleed, Subsequently she had to get the assistance of a Mrs Jones and Morris, a man of that name, in order to eject her from the house. Mrs Jones, residing at Eaglesbank-court, said she was going through the street when she heard screams awl cries of "murder." On going to the house ot Mrs Holbrook she found her on the floor and bleeding from the nose. Complainant was standing over her and kicking her violently about the body. Mrs Holbrook asked her to hold the complainant, but she found it rather a difficult task as she was too strong for her With respect to a cross-summons, issued by the defendant against the complainant, it was urged that when she refused to leave the house Mrs Holbrook got hold of her with the intention of ejecting her, and during the struggle that ensued she was kicked three times.  Mrs Jones corroborated her former statement, and Henry Morris spoke as to being attracted to the house by cries of "murder" and "help.' On arriving at the house he found Mrs Jones trying to pull Elizabeth Holbrook off Mrs Holbrook. He succeeded eventually in separating them, when he got her outside she tried to rush back again. The magistrates then went into the charge against Henry Morris, for assault. Complainant said when defondant was ejecting her from her sister-in-law's house, he pushed her violently against the door which caused her side to be severely bruised. . . . _  In reply- to the magistrate's clerk, complainant admitted that she had not been to see a doctor and that the bruise was practically better. The Bench dismissed the cases with costs against Mrs Holbrook and Morris, and Elizabeth Holbrook was fined 5s and costs.