100-YEARS-AGO: A WARNING NOT TO GET TOO COCKY AT SALFORD MAGISTRATES COURT

Another story from the pages of the Salford City Reporter, February 1922 which tells of a rather cocksure chap who got his just desserts from the Magistrate.

Sarah Rawlingson, described as a smartly dressed maid employed at The Trafford Park Hotel and Andrew Doherty, a waiter at the same establishment appeared at Salford Magistrates Court , charged with being drunk and disorderly on Trafford Road, Salford, Doherty was also charged with assaulting Constable Callan by biting his finger.

The bandaged Constable told the court that he was called to the Clowes Hotel, Trafford Road, where Sarah Rawlingson had complained that she had a gold bracelet stolen from her wrist, he asked her to search her pockets and the missing bracelet was found.

They were both asked to leave the premises but they began arguing and shouting at customers, with Doherty shouting that Sarah was his wife and nobody must manhandle her or else.

Constable Callan then asked them politely to leave the pub and get on a passing tram back to Trafford Park, they both started pushing him and Doherty bit him on his finger, so he took them both into custody.

Sarah pleaded guilty to the offence, whilst Doherty said he did not recollect biting Constable Callan.

Mrs Wilford a Probation Officer told the court that Sarah was a married woman with two children, living apart from her husband, making Doherty's claim that she was his wife, wishful thinking.

An inquiry officer by the name of Walton, said that Doherty was aged 28, who had treated this offence lightly and had boasted that he could always get his friends to pay his fine.

Sarah was fined seven shillings and sixpence and Doherty 20 shillings.

The newspaper then reported that Doherty with a smile on his face attempted to make a hasty departure from the dock, when the Stipendiary Magistrate, shouted out, "Come back I haven't finished with you yet, you will go to prison for for 14 days with hard labour for biting the Constable and I can't but help think you have led this girl astray"

I should imagine the gate arrest wiped the smile off his face, he shouldn't have been so cocky, boasting about his friends, none of them could do his hard labour in Strangeways for him, so be warned!