Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 23 September 1939
Wath Assault
Beaten With Poker
Threats of Murder
At Rotherham West Riding Court on Monday, a man and woman were each summoned in connection with an assault and threats against their next-door neighbour.
Edith Annie Tonge, married, of 30, West Street, Wath, was fined 40s., ordered to pay £1 costs, and was bound over for a year in the sum of £5 for having assaulted Mrs. Bertha Petts (married) of 32, West Street, Wath, on August 31st.
George Waddington, miner, of 30, West Street, Wath, was bound over for a year in the sum of £5 and ordered to pay £1 costs for having issued threats against Mrs. Petts. The alternative in each case was a month’s imprisonment.
Mr. Donald Dunn, of Fenoughty and Dunn, solicitors, of Rotherham, prosecuted. and Mr. A H. Jackson, solicitor, of Rotherham, defended.
Defendants pleaded not guilty.
Echo of Former Case.
Bertha Petts said she gave evidence in a case against the defendants on November 14th, 1937. Since then they had done their best to make her life miserable. She had several times complained to the police of their conduct, as her life had been intolerable at times.
On August 31st she was talking to her daughter about 10 p.m. The defendants came up and Waddington made threats and then ran his cycle against her daughter.
Waddington then told his companion to fetch a poker, which she did. Waddington held Mrs. Petts while Tonge hit her on the head and on the shoulder with the poker. She was knocked to the , ground and her glasses were broken.
Deluged With Water
On September 7th she was in her backyard picking up some rubbish when suddenly she was deluged with hot steaming water which went all over her.
On looking round, she saw Mrs. Tonge who said, “I will scald your eyes out. I am heating up the cylinder for you this morning.” She then produced another bucket of water which she threw at witness, who had to be treated for scalds.
Later in the evening Waddington came to the door of her house and making use of bad language he threatened to murder her.
Mr. Jackson said he suggested the story of the first assault was a fabrication. There had been complaints that Mrs. Petts “thought she owned the passage to these houses” and locked the gate so that Waddington and Tonge could not enter the yard.
He also suggested that Mrs. Petts threw a bucket of water into Mrs. Tonge’s kitchen before Mrs. Tonge did anything in the case of the second assault.
Supt. W. Kay said the woman had twice been fined for using violent and abusive language. The man had been fined once for a similar offence.
In 1937 they were found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to a dog. This was the case in which Mrs. Petts gave evidence. After it was over, he heard a disturbance in the corridor and found defendants threatening Mrs. Petts.