The Cambrian News and Merionethshire Standard

PENRHYNDEUDRAETH 1 Oakeley, (chairman), and Mr J. E. Greaves. Drunk and Riotous. — P.S. Robert Jones v. Thomas Griffiths, Dolgaregddu, Festiniog, quarryman. Com- plainant said that on July 24th, he saw defendant drunk and disorderly at the back of a public-house called the Cro's Keys, kept by one Thomas Morris. He had been fighting before complainant went there. Mr Morris said he sent for the police on the even'ng of the day in question to turn defendant out of his back yard.—Fined 5s, and 17s costs. Robert Davies, charged by the same officer with the offence at Four Crosses admitted it, and was fined 7s 6d, and 14s costs.—Humphrey Jones, Lord-street, and John Owen, Tabernacle-street, Bethania, charged by same officer with the same offence near Meirion House, Four Crosses, admitted it and were each fined 7s 6d, and 10s 6d costs. P.C. John Hughes v. Peter Poole, for the same offence at the Festiniog Village. Defendant admitted the offence, and was fined 7s 6d, and 10s 6d costs.-P.C. Wm. Pricharcl v. Evan Jones.—Defendant's wife ap- peared, and the case was adjourned for his personal ap- pearance. Cruelty to Donkeys—P.C. William Prichard v. John Williams, Evan Williams, William Williams, Richard Thomas, Robert Williams, and Henry Jones, boys from 14 to 16 years of age. They were charged with cruelly using certain donkeys on the road leading from Har!ech to the beach on Sunday week. The bovs were reprimanded and the case was dismissed. CHARGE OF INFLICTING GRIEVOUS BODILY HARM. Owen LloydRoberts, fi tter, Festiniog v. Richard Bean, Ed- ward Earp, Fredk. Melbourn, fitters, Festiniog. Mr Allan- SOB, CarnarTon, appeared for the complainant, and Mr Thomas Jones for defendants. Mr Allanson said the charge which he should lay before the court was a very serious one. The complainant was a leading fitter working at the new tunnel ou the new railway between Festiniog and Bettws-y-coed. It appeared, he said, that on the Friday previously to the assault defendants, with others, struck work, and wanted prosecutor to jjin, but he, having a family to keep, refused and on that they threatened him. On Saturday evening, July 8, prosecutor had been ia the neighbourhood of Blaenau and was returning home passing a number of men on the road be said good night to them. They made use of sujh words as blackguard to him, and without any notice one of them struck prosecutor. The blow was given not by the fit, but by a stone or something hard, and Earp tripped him until he fell. Whilst oil the ground he was kicked by defendants. He w,s assisted to go to the doctor and remained under his hands for some days, and he was still suffering. Mr Allansxi having im- pressed the B, rich with the importance of protecting men from the tyranny of the majority at strikes, called The Prosecutor, who said he was living at Telwaenydd, and working as foreman fitter on the above named railway; defendants were working under him. On Wednesday, July 5. defendar t3 aud others struck work, and on the fol- JowiuEC Thursday they called at the works to. ask him to join them. Prosecutor hjd about fifteen working under hitu. They threatened that if lie did not jdn them, they would draw him up with P. bloudy rope, but he refused, and called for assistance, and they went away. Un Saturday evening, July 8M1, prusecutor went to Blaenau Fes tinio- on his return about ten to half past ten, about a mile from his own home, he passed two men on the road, whom h" had since found out to be Owen Williams and John Hughes. After passing them, about fifteen yards further on he met defendants, who were on the middle of the road, Melbourn 011 the liyht, Erp in the middle, and Bean on the left—it was light enough for him to recognize them, being full moon. The defendants were alone. Pro- secutor asked if he might pas?, as they were blocking the roa.1, which was narrow. an then said, 11 This is the and Melbourn struck him (prosecutor) on hi3 eye then he (prosecutor) struck out, but he had been so sud- denly struck that he could not see the part taken by each of them in the assault, but be must have been struck with a stone or something hard. Earp tripped him so that he fell, and when he was on the ground Bean kicked him at the back of his head, causing a bad wound about an inch long, and Earp kicked him in the jaw. He also received a kick in the lip, but fr)m which of them he did not know, and his teeth went through the lip. He became unconscious and knew Dolhing more until he found himself in the hos- pital. He had not yet ntaily recovered from the effects of their treatment. He knew of no cause for this attack beyond the fact that he had refused to jolU the strike. By the Bench-He had had drink, but was sober. By Mr Thomas Jone3—He wa3 quite sober. So far as his knowledge went there was not a bad feeling there between the Welsh and English. He was rict tiwarc that any complaint had been made to the foreman of the works against himself. He had had a conversation with Mr R)Stron about Settling this case. That gentleman had told him that Melbourn had iuformed him that he (prosecutor) was spending his time at the Baltic Hotel. He sent Mel. bourn out because he had destroyed a wheel. He never told Mr Rostron that the first time he met Meloourn he would thrash him. Never told him he would strike his eyes out. He never told Branchley, a fitter, that he would strike Melboura the first time he met him, nor did he tell Fanny Jones, servant at the Baltic Hotel so. He went to the Baltic between eight and nine p.m. on the 8tb. He believed it was John Hughes and Owen Williams he first met that evening, be- fore being assaulted, and he merely said good night to them, and they did not tell him defendants were behind, and he was sure there were not half-a-dozen people on the road when these met him. It was not a fact that he went up to Melbourn and seized him by the neck, and he swore positively that it was Melbourn that struck him first. He did not call any of them a knobstick, but they had called him so at the wotks, because he would not join in the strike. A knobstick was a term applied to non-union men. He did not strike Melbourn on the nose and say Where is the knobstick." The wound at the back of his head was not caused by the fall but by the kick. He did not kick Melbourn on the forehead. Did not see bis witness, John HuShes, strike Bfan, but he swore Earp kicked him in the jaw when he was trying to get up, and Bean kicked him at the back of the head. By Mr Allan- son Before taking proceedings against defendants, he saw Mr Rostron. and informed him of the circumstances, and received from him the paper produced, which was to the effect that he considered it a criminal assault this was on Sunday, the 9th, and he gave the paper to P.S. Robert Jones. At the time he received the paper he did not make use of any threat against Melbourn to Mr Rostron. No- body suggested to him on the evening of the 8th that he was not sober. Daniel Roberts, Blaenycae, Blaenau Festiniog, said that on the evening in question prosecutor passed him on the road. Soon after that he saw prosecutor being struck by Melbourn, but with the fiat, and he fell on his back. As witness was going to raise him he received a kick from somebody that sent him to the wall. Saw Melbourn strike prosecutor so that he fell, saw Bean kick him as much as he could whilst on the ground. He did not see any of the others do anything to him. He was within three yards cf prosecutor when the assault took place. By the Bench Did not hear any talk previously to the assault, but prosecutor said good night to witness and friends when passing. By Mr Thomas Jones-Witness was at the Baltic on Saturday night, leaving about ten minutes to ten. They there said it was closing time, but they there closed about a quarter of an hour before closing time. Could not say whether they were closing earlier that night, because the Welsh chaps were going to beat the English. It was only two glasses of ale he had there. Saw defendants there. Did not hear any one warn defendants to take care of themselves as there was a lot of people outside waiting for them, and he did not know whether defendants went out through the back. Knew there was a little bad feeling be- tween the English and the Welsh there. There were more Welsh people there, and they were better workmen. He was not of the party to drive the English out of the parish. Witness was not aware of any bad feeling between prose cator and Melbourn. Had heard that Melbourn had told the foreman that prosecutor was going to the Baltic instead of to his work that he complained to Mr Rostron that prosecutor was spending his time at the public-house.- Prosecutor never told him he would strike Melbourn the first time he met him. Nobody was with him at the time of the assault except prosecutor, John Hoghes, and Owen Williams the last two were a little behind witness, and the three were going the same way. John Hughes and witness were working on the railway. Did not hear prose- cutor ask Where is the knobstick BOW?" Did not see prosecutor strike Melbourn first. John Hughes swore to seeing prosecutor on the ground, and Earp kick him. Saw two kicking him about his head. Owen Williams said he saw the three kick prosecutor. This was the case for the prosecution. Mr Thomas Jones said that in consequence of the de- cision of the Bench not to take the cases separately, he was precluded from calling defendants as witnesses in the case. The facts were these The parties were working on the new railway from Festiniog to Bettivsycoed. There was bad feeling between them, owing partly to nationality, and especially between complainant and Melbourn, because the latter had told Mr Rostron that prosecutor was spend- ing his money at the public-house. Shortly before closing time the defendants went to the Baltic Hotel. In conse- quence of something said to them whilst there, they did not go through the front door home, but through the back door. Two of the party had to go to their homes at Four. crosses. The other two, who lodged atRhiw, went to send them a short distance. They stopped on the road talking, and the prosecutor, with two or three others, came up. A row ensued, prosecutor flying, without saying a word, at the neck of Melbourn. He would produce witnesses who would prove that they beard prosecutor say that the first time he met Melbourn, he would strike him. He first I called Edward Branchley, fitter, working on the said railway, who said he heard prosecutor, on the morning of the day of the assault, say he would strike Melbourne the first time he met him, because he had told the foreman of the works something about him. Witness saw defendants at the Baltic Hotel that evening, and they appeared perfectly sober. Fanny j ones, servant at the Baltic Hotel, said she had a conversation with prosecutor about the strike, and with respect to Melbourn, and he said he would strike him the first time he met him. She did not tell Melbourn this until after the row. Thomas Rostron said be was foreman of the engineers' department on the Festiniog and Blaenau Railway, and knew the parties in this case. Prosecutor worked on the line up to Saturday last. On Sunday morning July 9th, prosecutor called on him, and gave his version of what had taken p'aee on the previous evening, and he wrote the paper produced. Prosecutor asked him to pay him 30s in advance. Defendants and others had struck work on the previous Wednesday, and they had to wait for their pay until the following Saturday (the 8th). Two of tbe defendants lived at Crewe, but they could not return to Crewe that day aft°r the pay unless they specially hired a conveyance. On the Monday they went, and a police officer was sent !i-nZ tht,,TrL back, under a warradtto meet this charge. ] Melbourn told witness that prosecutor was spending time at the Baltic instead of working. When he charg prosecutor with that he said the° first time ha m.t Melbourn he w. uld smash the —, that he w°u0 smash him into pi<>ces. Witness had known Melbour and Earp for about twelve years —.the two enJ°^L a very good characte jat Crewe. He knew Bean at Cre* only three months. Defendants were now working aa him on the railway, aad there was work for prosecutor he came to it. Witness had about 200 men working uaCl him on the new railway. ,e9 This was the case for the defence, and the magist^ retired tj consider it. On their return, they had gS. to reduce the case to common assault, and to hear the cro summons, aid Frederick Jfllourn v, Owen Roberts,Compbinant sere that he and the two other defendants in the last case » at the Baltic Ho.fl, on the evening of the 8th. Four them were afterwards on the road leading to Fourcro9se j John Hughes, Daniel Roherts, and somebody elS3 P^8,L them. This was a little after ten p.m. Defendant* y, was coming from another direction, met those three, r L came back with defendant. Complainant and h.d fr t the were standing on the road about twenty yards Baltic, when defendant came up to him and seized bin the throat, struck him on the nose, asking Where i8' j knobstick now ?" Complainant had not nor said anything in provocation. After defendant str«c complainant struck him, and ha had nothing in his They had a scuffle, and both fell down, defendant on K back complainant received a kick in his forehead, bled very much, and his nose, too. He had a mark 00 11 neck. evi- Richard Bean and Edward Earp gave corroborative eV dence. After due consideration, the Bench dismissed the 1^ summons, and fined Melbourn 40s, and Earp and Bean each, and the costs in each case, which were 40s each.