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Kent & Sussex Courier, Friday 20 October 1899.
Serious charges against a Hopper. Wounding A Publican.
Last Friday morning at the Tunbridge Wells County Bench, before F. W.
Elers, Esq., (in the chair) C. F. Gooch, Esq., W. H. J. Hogg, Esq., and
H. W. Tinne, Esq.
Mary Nolan was charged on remand, with wounding Mr. George McQueen, at
Pembury, on the 3rd October.
Mr. J. H. Daish, of Messrs. Cripps, Son and Daish, instructed by the
Tunbridge Wells and District Licensed Victuallers' Association,
prosecuted.
Mr. George McQueen the proprietor of the "Alders" public house, Pembury,
said he knew prisoner as a hop picker who came to Pembury every year. On
the 3rd of October, in the afternoon, he was in the garden at the rear
of his house, when he was called by his cousin and saw prisoner in the
bar. She was using very bad language, and she had a white handled knife
produce, in her hand, which she was flourishing about, and she said she
would stab them all. He requested her to leave the house. She refused to
go and repeated her threats, and he then, with the assistance of his
cousin took the knife away and ejected her. When he had got the woman
out he turned to go indoors, and he had not gone many paces when the
woman sprang at him with another knife (produced,) and struck him in the
face with it, cutting him just below the ear for some inches. The blow
dazed him, and the wounds bled very much indeed. He was attended to by
Dr. Metcalfe, and the wound gave him much pain. He still slightly felt
the effects of the wound, and he still felt weak. She had had no drinks
in his house that day. He should say she was drunk.
The Bench here required how prisoner was to be examined if she was as
deaf as she alleged. When asked if he had heard the evidence, prisoner
replied in a very strident voice that she had heard nothing. She was
then shown a copy of the deposition, but she said she could only read
print and could not read writing. Albert McQueen, insurance agent,
living at Lower Green Road, Pembury, cousin of the prosecutor, said he
was at the "Alders" at 4:30 in the afternoon on the 3rd inst. As
prisoner was troublesome, he went into the garden and told his cousin of
her conduct. When they returned to the bar prisonor was flourishing a
knife, and said she would stab everybody with it. She was very drunk.
His cousin asked her to leave the house, but refused to go and continued
her threats. Then took the knife away from her and turned her out. As
there were going into the house he heard his cousin cry out, and he then
saw that his face was bleeding from a wound below the ear. He saw
prisoner with the knife in her hand, and he went and wrenched it away
from her. The occurrence was momentarily, and they did not expect
another knife having taken one of away. The police were sent for, and
his cousin was taken to the doctor. His face was covered with blood. The
blood spurted out from the wound over the woman's apron.
Prisoner here said she wanted to ask witness a question, and shouted,
"Come here, young man." In reply to prisoner, witness said he never
touched her basket, and he denied knocking prisoner down.
John Smith, a farm labourer, said he was in the "Alders" about 4:30, and
he corroborated as to what took place.
Charles Thorne corroborated, and said it was because she was refused
drink that she became abusive.
Dr. Metcalfe, of Paddock Wood, said Mr. McQueen was brought to his place
about 5:30. There was a wound about two inches long on the left hand
side of his face; it went nearly to the bone, and was in a very
dangerous place; in fact if it had been a little lower down it might
have proved very bad for the prosecutor. The wound could have been
caused by the knife produced.
P.C. Masters of the K.C.C. stationed at Five Oak Green, said between 4
and 5 he was called to Pembury, and he rode there on a bicycle. He saw
prisoner lying on the side of the road, and she appeared to have had too
much to drink. He went across and told her he should charge her with
unlawfully wounding the landlord of the "Alders." She seemed to hear
what he said, but made no reply at the time, but subsequently said, "Why
I did it because they would not serve me with a quarter of rum. It
serves them d____ well right.
Prisoner was committed for trial at the Quarter Sessions, and was, with
difficulty, made to understand this decision. When she did, she
ejaculated, "God bless and save us; I've done nothing at all. O Holy
Mary! Glory and praise to the Blessed Mother!" (clasping her hands and
howling). [Most of the other remarks were unintelligible.]
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