A FRATCH ABOUT POLITICS
AT CLEATOR MOOR.
_____
      Yesterday, Friday, at the Cleator Moor Police Court, John CROMWELL, Duke Street, Cleator Moor, was charged with having assaulted Matthew BYRNE, who is also a miner, and resides on Montreal Street.
     Mr. CHAPMAN appeared for the complainant, who stated that he was standing at the corner fo Jacktree's Road about 11 o'clock on the night of the 11th inst. Defendant came up and asked if he had been to the franchise demonstration at Whitehaven.
     Complainant replied, "No, I don't want anything to do with them."
     Defendant said, "Oh, you are a Conservative?"
     Complainant said he was not and then defendant tried to make out that he was a Home Ruler, and afterwards went behind him and struck him a severe blow with his clenched fist on the back of his ear.
     John PEARCE and Stephen McGUARE stated that the complainant and the defendant were fratching about politics, when the latter struck BYRNE.
     Defendant denied the charge, and stated that he only remarked that if  complainant was a Home Ruler he would buy him a little Home Rule.
     Sergeant THOMPSON said he saw the defendant in a fighting attitude, and heard him say to complainant "There's no hum bug about me; come on," but did not see any blows struck.
     The defendant was fined 10s, including costs.
  *********************