Mexborough and Swinton Times July 6, 1928
Constable Attacked.
Another Disgraceful Thurnscoe Melee.
Crowd Look On.
Fire Thurnscoe miners, who are alleged to have committed a serious assault upon P.-c. Clarke, were before the magistrates at Doncaster on Monday.
William Glease (33), Thomas Glease (34), Charles Glease (37), brothers; Philip Cadman (26), and Peter Hampson (29), were charged with assault, and with being drunk and disorderly.
For the assault William and Thomas Glease were sentenced to six months’ hard labour; Charles to four months; and Cadman and Hampson to two months.
For being drunk and disorderly the defendants were fined 15s or seven days.
Prisoners were represented by Mr. D. Dunn, who said Thomas Glease, Charles Glease and Cadman pleaded ” Guilty ” to being drunk and disorderly; William Glease and Hampson, “Not guilty.” They all pleaded “Not guilty ” to the assault.
Back To The Wall
P-c. Clarke stated that at 10.40 p.m. on Sunday, June 24, he was on duty in Houghton Road, Thurnscoe. The five prisoners were there, drunk and using bad language. He asked them to be quiet. Cadman became very abusive and said, ” Come here, I want to have a talk with you.” He got hold of witness round the waist, and began to pull him into the centre of the road. Thomas Glease came behind, and struck at, witness, knocking his helmet of and his cape from off his shoulder. He closed with them, and was taking them into custody when three other men rushed at him like madmen, striking him about the head and face, and kicking him about the legs and body He freed himself, and then noticed that William Glease had drawn a pint bottle, containing beer from his pocket. ”
” I then drew my staff” said Clarke, “stepped back to the footpath with my back to the wall, and defend myself as best I could. They all closed in on me, striking and kicking me mercilessly.
Thomas Glease got in on my right, put his left arm round my neck and his right hand round my throat, and held me while William Glease struck at me with a bottle. He hit at me on the left forearm, the left shoulder and then on the top of the head, smashing the bottle to pieces and knocked me down. All the prisoners continued to kick me as I lay on the ground.
Ellis Littlewood a miner, of Thurnscoe, came to my assistance and pulled the men off me, and I managed to regain my feet. I was in a very dazed condition„ and bled freely from the wounds on the top of my head.
I then noticed Charles Mews coming for me. He struck at me, hitting me on the left shoulder. I struck at him in South defence, and knocked him down. A tram driver came to my assistance and with the help of someone took me to his car, which was standing close by. Here I remain until PS Downs arrived, , followed shortly afterwards by three policemen
The men, were arrested and taken to Goldthorpe police station by bus. After their injuries and mine had been attended to I cautioned and charged William Glease with unlawfully wounding me, the other four men with assaulting me, and all of them with being drunk and disorderly.
Thomas Glease replied. Don’t say owt to him.’ Cadman made no reply. Charles Glease replied, I want to say nowt.’ Hampson replied, ‘I never struck at anybody? William Glease replied, “Carry on the good work, you will get nothing out of me.”
Crowd of 500.
In reply to Supt. Minty, witness said he was cut in two places on the top of the head. He was badly bruised on the right side and the shoulder, and was still receiving medical treatment. He did nothing more than his duty.
Cross-examined, witness said the men came out of the -working men’s club.
Mr. Dunn: Is it your suggestion that, absolutely unaided, you were capable of dealing with. five men?—I had to, there was nothing else for it; it was fighting for life.
In reply to further questions, witnecs said there was a crowd of 500 people. William Glease Ilad a tut on the head, Cadman a black eye. Charles Glease two black ryes, Thomas Glease a badly cut nose. Hampson had no injuries.
Mr. Dupn. Is it true that while they were in the police station they were badly assaulted —No.
Did not some passers-by see them when they were being dragged into the police station and kicked, and called ” Shame on you!” – No
Did you strilr Philip Cadman when he was in the cell and kick him, and was he struck on the head with a staff? – No
Doctor J.W.Morris of Goldthorpe, gave evidence as to PC class injuries. He said the police put the prisoners in one by one, but they refused to have their injuries were attended to. The men complain of having been assaulted by the police.
Lydia Watson Wood, married, Houghton Road, Thurnscoe said she saw the assault, but it was to.recognise was attacking the constable. She ran to him and tried to get his whistle but he could not give it to her. The constable had great provocation before he drew his staff.
Evidence was given by Ellis Littlewood; William Gordon Richie and William Scholey, farmers of Clayton; Arthur Denton, tram driver and PS Downs.
Decided stated that when he arrived on the scene William E said to him. “I will kill you,” Thomas Green said “I will do for you the same as I have done with the other.”
Racket in Cell
“In the cell the all-night up to 4.30 in the morning they were like raving lunatics,” said PS Downs. “I never heard a bigger row in all my police experience. You could not quell them, they set the police at defiance.”
The sergeant added that they refused to take their books, and they would not allow Doctor Morris to attend to their injuries. It was absolutely untrue that the men were assaulted at the police station.
Mr Dunn said there was no evidence against Hampson. Cadman had a particularly good character.
Peter Hampson said he took no part in the assault, and was not there when the trouble started.
William Glease denied being drunk, but said Cadman and Charlie Glease were, and he was taking them home. He alleged that the constable started shoving them about, got his staff out, and struck Cadman, knocking him down. He also alleged that the constable struck him, but they struggled and fell through the garden gate, and that was how the constable was injured. The constable also struck Charles Please, and they were all roughly handled in the police office. Witness denied using a bottle.
Philip Cadman, Charles Gleese and Thomas Gleese went into the box. Charles declared he was kicked, struck, and very roughly handled at the police station.
James Proctor of Thurnscoe, described the affair as a kind of a melee.
William Hardeman, hero Crampton, Royal Foster, Albert Fletcher and Richard Owen, gave evidence for the defence. Owen said he saw the police kick William Glease as they got him in the police station. Thomas was also kicked by them. The door was open, and it could be seen by the crowd. Someone shouted “it’s terrible.”
Cross-examined by Superintendent Minty, witness said he went to the police station to see there was fair play.
Mr EW Pettifer (Magistrates Clerk): To whom have you told the story before about the police?
Witness: I have told no one only the solicitor.
Outburst in Court
The Clerk: I put it to you that you have told someone else because I have received a letter which contains several phrases you have used. The letter has been sent to me very wrongly in order to influence the Court and it contains the very phrases you have you.
Witness: I don’t know where that letter is from.
The Clerk: Well I think we know whether the story comes from. The magistrates will see the letter after the case.
The Chairman (Mr WJ Lazenby), incense in the prisoner say, said the magistrates were of opinion the council had given his evidence very fairly and without bias. Mrs Wood earned their commendation for the courageous part she took.
With regard to Owen they were dissatisfied with his evidence, and the manner in which he gave it. It was very doubtful whether he did not lay himself open to very serious charge for the statements he made.
When the prisoners were sentenced a man at the back of the court called out, “It is a – – – – shame!”
He was immediately brought before the magistrates and gave his name as John Glease. He apologised and said he was very flurried.
The magistrate’s clerk said these instructions and comments on the decision of the Bench were becoming too frequent. It was a question whether this man should not be called upon to find sureties for his good behaviour.
It was stated that the man was brother of the prisoners of the same name, and that he bore a good character.
Reply to the clerk, Glee’s, now in tears, said he unreservedly withdrew the statement and humbly apologise to the Bench.
The apology was accepted, the Chairman remarking that it was high time this kind of thing was stopped.