CRIME IN OLD ROTHERHAM: A savage attack - and revenge

The situation became so bad that the magistrates were determined to deal severely with such cases, brought before them from that part of the town.

When one such case led to a much more violent one, the maistrates were determined to punish the two perpetrators in such a way that would deter others from these viscous assaults.

On Friday June 28 1889 yet another attack was brought before the Rotherham Borough Court. A prostitute had been charged with attacking and injuring an old man, who was a pensioner of the 7th Hussars four days previously. Harriet Wilkinson was aged 22 and had been in the kitchen of Mason’s Lodging House, Westgate, when she began to use very bad language. The pensioner, John Banner, remonstrated with her, and in retaliation she picked up a poker and tried to hit him with it. The poker was removed from her and Banner ran from the room, but she hurled a basin at him which broke. Intent on injuring the man she followed him out, before stabbing him in the neck with a penknife. 

Dr Cobban gave evidence to the magistrates that he had examined Banner and found that he was suffering from a contused wound at the back of his head, which had measured half an inch in length. There was also another deep wound on the left side of the man’s neck. He told the court that both wounds were rather dangerous for a man of his age, but he was hopeful that he would survive. Other witnesses gave evidence before Wilkinson was remanded for a week.

However, before the case could be brought to court again, a revenge attack was reported on a woman called Kate Scarles, who had given evidence in court against Wilkinson. Two men had been brought up on charges of grievous bodily harm. They were John Canwood, who had been a paramour of Harriet Wilkinson, and another man named Joseph Woolley Turner who was Wilkinson’s half-brother.

It seems that the day after the case had been brought before the magistrates, they had gone looking for the witness Scarles at her lodgings on Westgate. They found her there with a man named John William Booth. Canwood called her a foul name and said that she had ‘sworn falsely against Wilkinson and he struck out at her. Booth attacked Canwood who reportedly came off worst. Later that night the two men had their revenge. 

At 10.30pm they managed to find Kate Scarles in Water Lane, Westgate, alone. Canwood struck her on the breast and knocked her down. When she was on the ground the two men then began to kick her savagely and in a most brutal manner. They were brought into court on Thursday July 4 where they were described as ‘rough looking men’. They were remanded until Scarles could give evidence against them. The chief constable, Captain Burnett stated that Cawood and Turner had attacked the woman when they were both under the influence of liquor, but that could not be held as an excuse. He asked that they be remanded in custody as the condition of Scarles was very poor, and she was unable to attend the court.

The police surgeon Dr Cobban stated that he had seen the victim 15 minutes earlier, and she was still barely conscious. She was quite unable to sit up and would not be in any condition to leave her bed for several days, although he did not anticipate any fatal results from her injuries. The two men were remanded for another week to Wakefield Gaol. 

When Harriet Wilkinson was finally brought back into court on Friday July 6 1889, charged with the attack on the pensioner John Banner, the jury found her guilty of common assault. The magistrate Mr S Roberts said that the case was a serious one and sentenced the prisoner, who had previous convictions, to two months imprisonment.  

Joseph Canwood and Joseph Woolley Turner were also back in court on Thursday July 11 in what was now termed an aggravated assault against the witness, Kate Scales. Thankfully the poor woman was able to attend the court, although it was reported that she still bore evidence of the attack. She told the bench that the only reason she could give for the assault, was the evidence that she had given against Wilkinson.

The bench told the two men that ‘it was one of the worst cases of violence that they had ever heard’, before sentencing both prisoners to six months imprisonment with hard labour.