POLITICS AND VIOLENCE AT BADSEY
William Walter Blake*, gardener, Badsey, was charged with assaulting Charles Jones, gardener, of the same place, on July 4. Mr G L Eades prosecuted and Mr Warren Tree defended. There was also a cross-summons.
Mr Eades, in his opening remarks, described the assault as murderous and asked for severe punishment.
Complainant, being sworn, said that until recently he had lived at Badsey. On July 6 [sic - should be July 4] he lived there, and on the evening of that day there was a public political meeting in the village. He went down, and part of the time listened to what was said. Not agreeing with something that was stated, he made a remark, upon which he was hustled into the road and challenged to fight. As soon as he could get away, he went to his son’s house, where he stayed quite half an hour. Whilst there, Joseph New, George Nightingale and his son came into the house, and in consequence of what they said he asked them to go home with him. Accompanied by his son, wife and daughter, in addition to those named, he went towards Badsey Fields to his home, which was about half a mile away. When he got a short distance up the lane leading to his house, defendant and others were on the opposite side coming down shouting. As he was about to pass, Blake used a foul expression. Complainant said, turning towards defendant, “What do you mean by that?” In answer he turned round and fenced at him and struck him on the side of the head. Witness held up his arm and endeavoured to strike back, but received another blow on the head. A nearly new hat was broken by the blow, and he was rendered partly insensible. It was more than a man’s hand – it seemed so heavy and “ironified”. He should have tumbled down if his wife had not been there. The coat he wore (produced) had blood on it. Blake followed him down home and said he would murder the lot. Soon after pc Farley came to the bottom of the lane and bound up his head. Afterwards his son brought him to Evesham to Dr Martin’s, under whose care he still was. Blake was supposed to be a teetotaller.
Examined by Mr Tomes: Blake would have to go past his house to get home, but he was coming from his home towards the village.
Examined by Mr Tree: Four men were with him. He could see nothing in defendant’s hands. He had not spoken to defendant for four years, and did not intend to.
Mr A H Martin, surgeon, stated that at midnight on Monday last complainant and his son came to him; the father had blood over his face, the front of his coat and his sleeves. Witness found him suffering from a severe bruise on the right side of the temple, and under part of the right arm. He was also suffering from a severe contused wound on the left side of the forehead, where the blood probably came from. He was very much upset, and witness was still attending him. The wounds he described could not have been caused by a fist. He should think they were caused by some hard instrument.
By Mr Tree: It might have been caused by falling on a stone.
Joseph New, gardener, Bengeworth, said he was at Badsey on business, but he went to the political meeting. He heard Jones make a remark while Mr Impey was speaking, and they mobbed him in consequence. They would have put him in the brook had it not been for his wife. Salter said he would nearly kill Jones when he got him home, and Blake said he would give him “something”. Witness told complainant at the house what had been said, and complainant asked him to go home with him, as he was in danger of his life. When he got some distance up the lane, he met Blake and as Jones passed him he used the expression the previous witness had spoken to. Witness confirmed the rest of complainant’s evidence. Complainant nearly fell from the first blow. Blake was coming a second time at him when young Jones interfered on his behalf. Salter’s wife and daughter and two sons were with Blake, but he saw nobody else. He was behind Jones. He only saw one blow. There was something in Blake’s hand, but he could not say whether it was a stone or stick. It was a dark night, and he was four or five yards away.
George Nightingale, gardener, Badsey, stated that he went to the house of Charles Jones, and in consequence of what he had heard he, with the others, accompanied him home. That was between ten and eleven. He did not hear Jones make any reply to the offensive remark of Blake. Defendant followed up his remark by a blow with a stick or stone. There were a lot of people with Blake – 50 he should think.
Cross-examined by Mr Tree: These 50 people were not in the lane at the time of the assault. He was five or ten yards away from Jones when he was struck. He could not swear that Blake had anything in his hand. He said just now that defendant had a stick or stone, because Mr Martin said the injuries could not be inflicted otherwise.
By the Chairman: To the best of witness’s belief, Blake had something in his hand.
George Jones, son of the complainant, corroborated the evidence of his father. Blake struck his father with something six or eight inches long – he could not say whether it was a stick or stone. He only saw one blow, and interfered when he saw the blood.
By Mr Tree: On the road he passed two men, one of whom asked him where he was going at that time of night. “To work,” was his reply, but he did not roll up his sleeves.
Bertha Susan Jones, daughter of complainant, gave evidence in support of the charge. When Blake met them he commenced throwing up his arms, and said he was ready for Charley Jones. He then struck her father, who returned the blow in self-defence.
Cross-examined by Mr Tree: She was with her brother, but she heard no one ask him where he was going at that time of night. She was not certain that Blake was successful in his first attempt to strike her father. After this attempt, her father struck Blake, and he then hit him back on the head.
Ann Jones, wife of complainant, deposed to catching her husband as he staggered from the blow. Blake turned round on her son then and threw him in the ditch. A number of men afterwards came out of an orchard and hemmed them in so that for a time retreat was impossible. It was twilight, and she could not see what was in defendant’s hands.
PC Farley said that when he came on the scene, Blake rushed at Jones again and said he would give him some more. He stopped him. The wound was an inch long, and so wound like that could have been inflicted by a fist.
Mr Tree having stated that the evidence was exactly contradictory, called the defendant who, being a member of the Society of Friends, affirmed. He said he lived near to where Jones formerly lived. On the night in questions he made use of not threats whatever, not to his knowledge did Salter. He came back into the village not for the purpose of meeting Jones, but to hear the result of the Worcester election. Mrs Salter, her daughter, and three sons accompanied him. He met Jones and his companions. He made use of no filthy expression, nor did he speak at all; but when Jones had got six yards past him, complainant said, with an oath and a dirty expression, that he did not care for any of them. Witness was still arm-in-arm with Miss Salter and her young brother when he received the first blow from behind on the top of the head. He turned round in self-defence, and struck at Jones with his fist. As soon as he struck the blow, Jones’ son came to assist his father, and they all fell into the hedge together. The hedge was full of sharp sticks, and this had to do with the wound on Jones’ head. Witness had had no intoxicating liquor for six years.
Cross-examined by Mr Eades: He did not hear Salter say he would kill complainant. Witness never challenged anybody to fight. He did none of the chucking out. He never said to Jones, in the presence of the policeman, that “that he would give him some more”.
Mrs Salter, wife of John Salter, Badsey Lane [this should be Badsey Fields Lane], corroborated. Jones ran at Walter Blake and struck him from behind. He was arm-in-arm with her daughter and one of her sons. They had a smartish tussle after, and they were all three on the ground in the hedge. She could not say which was at the bottom. She saw no blood. The newspaper report submitted to her was unfair and incorrect.
Rachel Salter confirmed the evidence of Blake. Jones struck Blake from behind before she loosed his arm. He then stood on his own defence and struck defendant on the head. He had nothing in his hand.
Cross-examined: Blake was not keeping company with her. Blake did not say when the policeman was present that he would give him some more.
Charles Salter, son of Mrs Salter, gave similar evidence.
William Stanford said when George Jones and his sister passed him by his gate Sparrow said, “Where are you folks going at this time of night?” Complainant said “We are going to work,” and commenced rolling up his sleeves. In consequence of this he followed him and saw the assault as described by Blake and other witnesses.
John Salter also gave evidence.
The magistrates then retired to consider their verdict. On returning the Chairman said the charge against Jones would be dismissed, but they considered the other charge proved. They were sorry anything of this sort should have arisen out of election matters, and hoped nothing similar would happen elsewhere. If there had been no provocation in this case, defendant would have been sent to prison without the option of a fine; but, as it was, he would have to pay a fine of £2 with “1 18s costs, £3 18s in all; or got to prison for one month’s hard labour. The money was paid.
* * * * *
The Worcester Journal of Saturday 16 July 1892 reported more succinctly:
GLADSTONIAN ROWDYISM IN SOUTH WORCESTERSHIRE – POLICE COURT PROCEEDINGS
At the Evesham County Petty Sessions on Monday, Walter William Blake, aged 22, gardener, of Badsey, a teetotaller and member of the Society of Friends, was summoned by Charles Jones, gardener, recently of Badsey, for assaulting him at Badsey on July 4. Mr G L Eades appeared for the prosecution and Mr Tree for the defendant.
From the evidence of the prosecution it appeared that on July 4 Mr Impey addressed a political meeting at Badsey, and during the proceedings, Jones, who made a remark expressing dissent, was hustled out of the meeting. A man named Joseph New, gardener, Badsey, afterwards heard Blake and a man named Salter, threatening what they would do to Jones when he was going home. New told Jones what he had overheard, and at Jones’ request, he accompanied Jones and his wife, son and daughter, and a man named Nightingale, to his home. In Badsey Lane they met Blake, who used an offensive expression. Jones asked him what he meant, and Blake struck him with something on the side of the head and arm, and then again on the other side, cutting him through his hat, covering him with blood and rendering him partially insensible. He was taken to Evesham where Mr A H Martin dressed the wound.
For the defence, several witnesses were called to swear that Jones struck Blake first, and that Blake struck Jones with his fist only. It was suggested that Jones’ injuries were caused by his falling into the hedge.
Defendant was fined £2 and £1 costs, with the alternative of a month’s hard labour. The money was paid.
* His name was Walter William Blake, not William Walter Blake.