KETTERING
PETTY SESSIONS, April 8.- Present, the Rev. J. Hogg,
and the Rev. G. E. Hanmer.
Jonathan Page
and Lester Ginns,
both of Desborough, were charged with assaulting
Jeffs, the
police constable in the execution of his duty, on the 28th March. It
appeared that at the time stated in the charge the defendants and others
were seen by the complainant with some hurdles and staked in their
possession; complainant wished to know when they had had them, when the
parties abused him, and Page challenged him to fight. Ginns was
discharged, but Page was convicted in a penalty of 20s. and costs, and
in default of payment was committed for two months.
Thomas Fenton,
parish watchman of Desborough, charged Daniel Taylor and
George Bamford,
of the same place, with assaulting him on the night of the 30th of
March. He deposed that on the above-mentioned night a nephew of his, who
it seemed was in company with the defendant, asked him for his staff,
and that while he was producing it, Taylor snatched it from his hand;
that he then ran after Taylor till he came up to him, when they collared
each other, and Taylor besides calling him opprobrious names, threatened
to knock him down, and did actually put his fist in his (complainant's)
face. He also stated that Bamford threatened to knock him down. Taylor
denied taking the staff from complainant, and pleaded that he took it
from complainant's nephew. He also stated that he resigned the staff
again of his own accord, and did not wait to have it taken from him.
Bamford stated in his defence that he was provoked to threaten
complainant by the staff being flourished in his (defendant's) face.
Fenton had been appointed to the office of watchman by his fellow
parishioners, but had not been duly sworn into that office, which latter
circumstance deprived him of that protection in his official capacity he
otherwise could have claimed. The defendants were cautioned and
dismissed, and the complainant was forthwith sworn into office.
Robert Taylor, also of Desborough, was charged by
Jeffs with
being drunk. He denied the charge, but the fact of his drunkenness being
distinctly sworn to by the complainant he was convicted in the penalty
of 5s. 6d.; a week was allowed to him in which to pay the sum.
Northampton Mercury,
Saturday 13 April 1844