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Unknown publication. 1869.
THE CASE OF THE ANGRY LANDLADIES
The Medway Towns must have been a really riotous place to live during
the second week in April, 1869, with no fewer than 37 people and almost
as many women as men appearing before the Towns' magistrates on charges
of assault.
One of the most interesting cases reported by the Chatham News that week
was that of Mrs. Sarah Tutt, landlady of the "Fountain Inn," in Chatham
High Street, accused of assaulting Mrs. Mary Pankhurst, the landlady of
another public house at Borstal.
Mr. Hayward (whoever he was) described the two women as "marvellous
enemies" because Mrs. Pankhurst, who hired her inn from Mrs. Tutt, had
been told she no longer had the right to sell any beer she liked as Mrs.
Tutt had sold the rights to one particular brewery firm.
Mrs. Pankhurst twice went to Mrs. Tutt's house, on the second occasion
to see a Mr. Smith, and we are not told who he was, about a watch.
Mrs. Tutt immediately grabbed Mrs. Pankhurst, saying she would not have
her in the house, and knocked her down.
ABUSIVE
She would have hit her again but for the intervention of a Mrs. Russell
who restrained Mrs. Tutt by holding her hands.
Mrs. Tutt's story, naturally enough, was slightly different. The
complainant and her friend, presumably Mrs. Russell, were obviously the
worse for drinking and continually used abusive language towards her.
A Mrs. Smith, who lived at the Fountain with her husband (probably the
afore-mentioned Mr. Smith) was also with the women, she said.
Next person to arrive on the already cluttered scene was Mr. Smith, who
tried to drag Mrs. Smith away despite cries from Mrs. Tutt that the
incident was not her fault.
A third story was told by a Mr. Ring, who said it was not Mrs. Tutt who
struck Mrs Pankhurst, but Mrs. Russell who struck Mrs. Tutt. They were
all the worse for liquor, he said.
Mr. Smith also had his penny's worth and agreed that Mrs. Tutt did not
assault Mrs. Pankhurst. The case was dismissed.
DISMISSED
The matter did not, however, end there. Mrs. Pankhurst, obviously out to
get a scalp of some sort, also accused Mrs. Smith of assaulting her.
This incident, she claimed, occurred after the other squabble when Mrs.
Smith called her names and would have done so again but for the
interference once again of well-known peace-maker Mrs. Russell.
The magistrates then sent a policeman to the "Angel Inn," Strood, where
Mrs. Pankhurst and her exfriends were said to have been drinking, and
after discovering they had in fact been drinking quite heavily they
dismissed the charge.
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