The Kenilworth Advertiser. — 1876-07-08 (Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England)

COMMIT SUICIDE.  , Selina Woodward, 2, Gilbert-street, dressmaker, was charged with threatening to commit suicide on the let inst.—Defendant pleaded not guilty.—Sergt. Gregory said : On Saturday a warrant was placed in his hands for the apprehension of prisoner's sister, and he, in company with Police-constable Gardner, went to her residence in Gilbert-street to take her into custody. At the house he saw prisoner and her sister, and the former female, now in custody, said, "We have made up our minds to drown ourselves next week, and it will be a great curse to the city:: Witness then brought the sister of prisoner to the station on the charge of writing a threatening letter, and obtained a warrant against prisoner on a charge of threatening to commit suicide. When he took the warrant to prisoner she said, "I never said nothing of the kind."—The prisoner here interfered: I never threatened my life in the whole course of my life, and such a thought never entered my head.—P.C. Gardner said he was in company with Sergeant Gregory, and heard prisoner say when her sister was liberated from custody they were both going to drown themselves.—The prisoner here contradicted this evidence, saying she never in her life thought of drowning herself. What she did say was that she was "afraid her sister would jump into the canal as soon as she was let loose."—lnspector Elms stated that earlier in the day he was at prisoner's house, and she then told him that her sister intended to drown herself as soon as she was liberated from custody, and that she (prisoner) would follow her.—The prisoner said she never in her life thought of such a thing, and was making a statement to the magistrates about the grievous eight she had seen on the Friday, but was unable to proceed in consequence of a fainting fit. Upon being restored, the prisoner was accommodated with a seat near to the magistrates, and continued her statement, which was of a rambling description, and a proof that her state of mind was anything but sound.—After a lengthy deliberation, the Mayor expressed his regret at the distressing nature of the case, and said they had a duty to perform, and for that reason the case would be remanded for a week, when her sister would also be brought before the magistrates. They had fully considered the case, and an adjournment was the only decision they could arrive at, in order, in the meantime, to communicate with the brother of the prisoner, to have an arrangement made that they (the prisoners) should not live by themselves, but have someone constantly near them.  and amongst them were several a ell-known betting men. Several were saying "Three to one bar one." A man named Hewens offered to bet four halfcrowns to one against Green. A man named Bevins offered three to one against Harper. A man named Robins took the bet. Robins gave him the I money, and Bering booked the bet. Bevins also betted with a man named White. The landlord took no steps to prevent the betting. The ground was pretty orderly. There was betting carried on from four to six.—Cross-examined : A man named Spicer was one of the men at the gate taking money. Spicer was the conductor of the races. There was no betting in the landlord's presence. He made no complaint about the betting.—P.C. Jones accompanied Gardener to the Alexandra Resreation Ground, and corroborated his evidence, adding that a man named Hewins made a I bet in defendant's presence. He must have known betting was going on. The officer afterwards stated that a bet was not actually made in defendant's presence, becalms the money was not passed.—Mr. Minster said there was no 41NV to prevent racing— it was carried on at Eton, Harrow, and at almost all their out-door gatherings—in fact it was rather encouraged than otherwise, as a training to the youth of the country. The only question was, did defendant allow betting on the ground? None of the witnesses said that bets were made in defendant's presence, and he could assure them it did not come within his knowledge. On the day in question, it was not under the supervision of a man named Spicer. Defendant had allowed that man to have the field free of charge for the sports, on condition that no betting was allowed, and notices to prevent betting were placed about the field and on the programmes, and everything done in order to stop it. Therefore defendant did not knowingly allow betting, as the charge says he did, and was wholly unaware it was going on.—The magistrates considered that defendant could not have been in ignorance of what was going on, and inflicted a fine of Is. and costs.  for the oomplainant and Mr. (bate for the defendant. —Complainant said her son threw one of the palings at her, and it struck her. He also threatened to kill complainant, sod she was afraid of him,—Defendant's brother, Joseph Henry Holland, corroborated his mother's evidence. He also said defendant was drunk at the time. They were trying to persuade defendant not to break the palings. Witness struck defendant to prevent him striking his mother again.—A summons against Joseph Henry Holland was then heard, charging him with assaulting his brother, William Holland. —Complainant said his brother struck him with a stick.—Complainant's wife said that, as soon as her husband knocked some of the palings down, defendant, whom witness called a wretch, came and struck her husband with a stick.—Both defendants were bound over in their own recognizances to keep the peace for six months.