Mexborough and Swinton Times, May 13th, 1932
A Mexborough Backyard Squabble
“This is a typical backyard squabble,” said Mr. C. R. Marshall defending in a case at Doncaster on Tuesday when Ellen Victoria Briggs, Dorothy Ellison and Cissie Lawton, all of Garden Street, Mexborough, summoned and cross-examined each other for assault.
Mr. Marshall (appearing for Mrs. Lawton) said Mrs. Lawton lived at 8, Garden Street, with the other defendants on either side. This was a typical backyard squabble between neighbours. Mrs. Lawton had been living there for four years; Mrs. Briggs for eighteen months and Mrs. Ellison for twelve months. “There appears to have been no trouble until the Ellison’s came to live there.” Mrs. Ellison and Mrs. Briggs became very friendly and developed the habit of passing rude remarks about Mrs. Lawton. Trouble came to a climax on April 29th when Mrs. Lawton struck Mrs. Briggs on the face for passing a comment about her. “Then there appears to have been a general attack by the two defendants and another woman during which a bag and a key were used as weapons. Other women neighbours separated them and they went to complain to the police and the landlord.”
Mrs Lawton agreed with Mr. Marshall’s statement.
Mrs. Briggs’ version of the affair was that Mrs. Ellison, herself and her sister were going out shopping when Mrs. Lawton suddenly rushed at her and struck her on the face. “There was no reason for the assault.”
Mrs. Ellison alleged that Mrs. Lawton had threatened to smash in her window. She had reported Mrs. Lawton to the police because she was frightened of her. “She suffers fro delusions that people are always talking about her,” added Mrs. Ellison. The three women were bound over for a year, the Chairman (Mr. G. E. Cooke-Yarborough) remarking “We cannot have the time of the court wasted on women’s troubles. You never ought to have come here. Go home and behave yourselves.”
As the women were leaving the court, Mrs. Lawton turned to Mrs. Ellison and called, “Oh, you are a liar.”