WORKINGTON POLICE COURT

WEDNESDAY.

(Before R. S. THOMPSON, Esq. (chairman), T. S. DOUGLAS,  T. H. DALZELL, and C. J. VALENTINE, Esqrs.)

MARGARET CALLAGHAN, married woman, was first called.  But no Margaret responded.  Court took several other cases given below, and then asked for Margaret again.  She came in this time and went in the dock - more readily than steadily.  She was charged with assaulting another married woman named ADELAIDE JACKSON, on the 12th inst.  ADELAIDE appeared in court with her head tied up and a lovely black eye.  Bench asked MARGARET where she had been and she said "outside".  Bench said they were of opinion she "had been inside too."  Case was adjourned till Margaret could be better dealt with, and she was taken off to the cells.  Before she disappeared from view, she blandly asked "Am I in prison?" and the last we saw of her, she was bobbing her head quite gaily at the escorting officer.

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Next, JAMES MELVIN, labourer, toed the line for assaulting one THOMAS BURNS on the 15th inst.  BURNS said JAMES called him as if he wished to speak to him, and then "let fly" at him, and gave him one on the head.  James, in defence, admitted the assault, but urged extreme provocation.  He said Burns was continually irritating him, and telling him that he wasn't SULLIVAN.  Witnesses named JENNINGS and BANKS proved seeing the assault, and James was ordered by the Bench to pay 25s. including costs, and reminded that he must not take the law into his own hands.  He was taken away looking very sorrowful.

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A PARROT or rather PARRAT next met the gaze of the Court.  It was named JANE ANN, and the charge was drunk and disorderly.  SERGEANT ARMSTRONG proved that he caught the PARRAT - we mean JANE ANN - and Bench said the price was 12s. or the cage.

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The next was the battle-in-Devonshire Street - case.  MARY ANN COOPER charged ADAM HAYES and ADAM HAYES charged MARY ANN COOPER with assaulting each other on June 30th.  MR. CECIL THOMPSON appeared for the lady, and MR.. GORDON FALCON for Adam, and both gentlemen exercised their ingenuity in cross-questioning, MR. FALCON being especially happy about "the big mouth".

      It appeared that Adam was going to market when Eve came out - we mean Mary Ann came out - and saw him.  Then they got to quarelling.  Eve - that is Mary Ann - says that Adam told her to "go home for a big mouth", and afterwards struck her in the face, and freely offered to knock her eyes out, or her husbands.

      Adam said  he would admit striking her, but she had first roundly abused him with her tongue, and struck him twice, causing his face to bleed.  He said she "gurned and sneered" at him and followed him "like a fiend".

      Mary Ann denied striking or scratching him.  She was not given to using her fists freely.  Yes, she had once thrashed her sister-in-law,, but that was a family quarrel.

      MR. FALCON said it was only "a trumpery two-penny street row" that should never have come into Court, and Bench dismissed both summonses.

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ANN FEENAN, a girl of 13, was next charged with stealing a black lead brush from a MR. CULLOCK on the 10th instant.  P.C. 119 said that when he went to the house where FENNAN lived, her step-mother (who was in court) said the brush didn't belong to MRS. CULLOCK, and she would sooner burn it than give it up to her.  She went to get it to put in the fire, but he prevented her.  The child was ordered by the Bench to come up when called upon for punnishment, and the step-mother entered recognizances for her doing so.

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FRANCIS BROWN, a fish-hawker, whose case was called three weeks ago, and who had to be brought on a warrant, was charged with ill-treating a lame horse in High Street.  P.C. 51, and SERGEANT REED proved the case, evidence being given also by MR. SOULSBY.  The horse was taken to a stable in Jane Street, and died two days later.  FRANCIS - who had a good honest face - seemed very anxious whilst his case was being adjudicated on, and when he was told by the Bench that he was fined 40s., he could hardly believe it.  He urged that he only had 15s., and pleaded for time to pay the rest.  Bench inexorable, and FRANCIS marched off dejected enough to the cells.  Moral:  Beware of warrants and don't ill-treat horses.

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