From the Whitstable Times, 18 January, 1902.
PETTY SESSIONS —TUESDAY.
Two young men belonging to Willesborough, and named Samuel Newnham and
Stephen Mepstead, were summoned for assaulting Elizabeth Stanley and
Kate Elizabeth Moseley, of the same place, on the night of December
27th. Mr. Poncia (Messrs. Mowll and Mowll) appeared for the
complainants, and Mr. B. C. Drake defended. The case occupied a very
long time, and the evidence was very contradictory. The women stated
that they were going home from a party at the “Crown and Anchor Inn,”
South Willesborough, when the two young fellows set on to them, and
knocked them down, inflicting several rather severe injuries. They
alleged no reason for the act, but it was assumed the men made a
mistake, and took them for some one else. The complainants also stated
that the defendants had called the next day and apologised, as well as
offering to pay all the expenses that had been incurred, if they agreed
not to take the matter into Court. A witness was called on the side of
the complainants, who said he saw Newnham knock one of the women down.
Both men gave evidence on their own behalf, and they both characterised
one of the women and their witness as lies, alleging that one of the
women simply fell down through the road being in a frosty state, and
then, as they happened to he near at hand, accused them of knocking her
down. They also strenuously denied the suggestion that they had ever
admitted to the women that they had done anything, saying that when they
called the next day they merely expressed their regret if any one had
been hurt by the fall. It was not true to say they had ever agreed to
pay any expenses if the case were not proceeded with. In the end the
bench decided to give the defendants the benefit of the doubt, and
dismissed the summonses, each side having to pay their own costs. The
ladies had each to find 8s.,and the gentlemen 4s. |