Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Tuesday 10 April 1877

Damage to Glass & Woodwork

William Ford, boatman. Mexborough, appeared in answer to a summons charging him with doing damage to the glass and woodwork in the windows of house occupied by Charles Rodgers, at Denaby Main, on March 30th.

Mr. F. Parker-Rhodes prosecuted.

In reply to the charge, the defendant admitted throwing stone, but denied doing any damage.

Mr. Rhodes said he appeared on behalf of the complainant. The defendant was one of a crowd of persons who objected, for some reason or another, to the complainant working for the Denaby Main Colliery Company. The way they took of showing it was to assemble in front of the complainant’s house, and to completely riddle and wreck the windows by throwing stones. Not a pane of glass was left whole, and inside the house there was a large quantity of stones. The complainant was out of the house at the time. The crowd selected a house which had only two little children who could be frightened to death. He sued the defendant for Bs. 6d. damages, but he was also liable to be fined. Their object was to secure that every person at Denaby should be able to work where he liked, and if it was necessary to do so, they would take out summonses for the next six months to accomplish that object.

Charles Rodgers, said he was a stone worker, in the employment of the Denaby Main Colliery Company, and resided at No. 94, Pit-row. On Good Friday night he went to a neighbour’s house, leaving two of his children home. He was absent about half-an-hour, and when he returned, he found that all the windows were smashed, and the rooms inside littered with broken stones.

Police-constable Hutcheson saw the defendant throw stone at Rodgers’ house, and subsequently apprehended him.

Police-constable Midgley also saw the defendant throw a stone, which struck Rodgers’ windows.

The defendant was fined 20s., and ordered to pay 3s. 6d. damages and the costs, or to go to prison for a month in default.