The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1896-11-25 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

BEER, BLOWS, AND BRUISES  FAMILY AFFECTION IN TAYLOR'S. BUILDINGS. At the Borough Police Court yesterday, Joseph Asti°, and his mother Esther Astle, of Taylor'sbuildings, were charged before Alderman Willmer and Mr. T. L, Dodds, by warrant, with unlawfully assaulting Sarah Booth, also of Taylor's-buildings. The prosecutrix, who appeared with a bad black eye, and a discoloured chin, stated that on Saturday night Joseph Aatle, who lived at her daughter's house, was drunk and quarrelling in the house, and taking a clasp-knife from his pocket, he stabbed her in the wrist, which she was holding towards her face, and at the same time he remarked that he meant to rip up somelody that evening. She went to the door to call a constable, when Aside's mother seized her by the hair of the head, dragged her down the steps leading to the house, and pummelled her about the face. She (witness) admitted that she was not quite sober. Cross-examined by Mrs. Astle, witness denied that there was a woman of ill-fame in the house, and that snob a woman was, together with a man oeoupying Joseph Aside's rooms. Mrs. Booth's daughter, Mary Ellen Hughes, gave corroborative testimony. She was not aware how Joseph Adtle came by his injuries, and had his head bandaged up. Aside's wife had thrown the lamp at him. Astle forced her mother over the table when he stopped her. Aistle's wife had been throwing mugs and beer jugs about daring the evening, In reply to Joseph Astle, witness denied that her father had assaulted his mother after something had been said of an unfortunate being in the house and a half-sovereign stolen. William Glover, who was in 'charge for having assaulted Aside, gave further evidence on behalf of Mrs. Booth. He added that both he and Asti° were drunk—in fact the whole el the people in the house, except Mrs. Booth, had been drinking beer. So far as he knew, they were all into one another, and he was separating them. He and Astle had a glit in the room, and Astle then cleared out. He shortly afterwards returned and began another row, during which the stabbing occurred. He did not see the wound, which was stitched at the borough hospital, inflicted by Agile. P.C. 23 (Miller), said he visited the horse in question on Saturday night. When he entered, everybody wanted to give everybody else into custody. The seemed all under the influence of drink, and he evenknally got them separated and into their own particular rooms. • Glover and Hughes were next tried for having assaulted the two Ostles. Joseph Aide said Glover attempted to stall him, and he struck Glover, upon which the latter aimed a bottle at him, the article striking him on the forehead. Hughes then struck him with a lamp. Sarah Astle, daughter of Esther Astle, said her mother was reading a Liverpool murder case to her father, who could not read, when her mother exclaimed that there was a man and woman in her (witness's) brother's room in Booth's house, and her brother went to see about the matter. Then he and her mother were beaten by persons in Booth's house.  --The parties on both sides denied having assaulted anyone. Ester Astle and Mary Ellen Hughes were each 4ned 10s. and costs, or 7 days' hard labour, whilst Joseph Asti° and Glover were each fined 20s. and costa, or 14 days' hard labour.