CRIME IN OLD ROTHERHAM: Attempted Murder at the Rawmarsh Feast

About 11pm a group of men were still drinking at a public house belonging to Mr Dickinson, when suddenly a cry of ‘murder’ was heard. Two men, Benjamin Baynes and William Brown, went out to see what the problem was, and saw several persons in the road outside attacking a man on the floor. Baynes approached the group, hoping to put a stop to the fight, but before he could say a word, a man came up to him and stabbed him and he fell to the ground.

Brown could not believe what had just happened. He had clearly seen the two men who he knew to be George Evans and William Wilson stab his friend. Suddenly the two men were in front of him and he too was stabbed. Surgeon Mr Blythman of Swinton was called to attend to Baynes and Brown, and he found that Baynes had two serious wounds which had been inflicted with considerable force. One of them was particularly bad and was in his left side, from which a portion of bowel was protruding. Thankfully Brown had only minor injuries, which were quickly treated by the surgeon.

After taking a statement from the men, early the next morning chief constable Mr John Bland of Rotherham arrested George Evans at Elsecar. He denied the charge and said that he himself had been attacked whilst was walking home by some men he did not know. Mr Bland arrested him and placed him in the custody of Police Sergeant Henry Womack at a public house belonging to George Hirst at Elsecar. Bland ordered Womack to keep Evans there, whilst he went the short distance in search of the other prisoner, Wilson. He then arrested William Wilson at Tankersley.

The prisoner flatly denied the charge saying that it was Evans who had stabbed both men. He told Bland that he was on his way home from the feast when he was overtaken by George Evans who admitted to stabbing someone. Meanwhile back at Elsecar almost as soon as Mr Bland had left, Evans rushed at Womack and succeeded in escaping from the house. Womack ran after him and managed to find him again a short distance away, hiding in a wood.

Witnesses saw what was later described as ‘a desperate fight’ taking place between Womack and Evans. However the Sergeant was thwarted when the prisoner was helped by other people and he succeeded in making his escape.

Several attempts were made by John Bland for many weeks to apprehend Evans, but without success until Monday September 3 when he finally found him at a house in Elsecar. Once again the prisoner had no intention of being taken into custody quietly, and there was another desperate struggle to get him into the cells at Rotherham. The two men were brought into the magistrates court on Monday September 4 1837 in front of magistrates Dr Milner and John Fullerton Esq.

Several witnesses gave evidence of the stabbing including two men called James McCabe and Benjamin Hartley. They stated that Evans had confessed to both of them that he had stabbed both Baynes and Brown. Wilson’s defence also placed the guilt securely on Evans shoulders nevertheless both prisoners were found guilty and committed to take their trial at York assizes on a charge of  ‘cutting with intent to murder’. The names of George Evan and William Wilson were on the calendar for the assizes on March 3 1838, but there was simply not enough evidence against William Wilson, and he was discharged. As a result of this only 19-year-old Evans was brought before QC Thomas Starkie Esq, at York on Saturday March 10 1838.

Evans’ defence counsel attempted to blacken the character of his accuser Baynes, who through cross examination was forced to admit two further offences. Since the stabbing he had been charged with an attempt to commit rape and stealing a pair of shoes from the house where he was being nursed after the assault. William Brown, gave evidence that he had witnessed the stabbing of Baynes and identified Evans as the attacker.

The surgeon told the court that the man’s wounds were so serious that he did not expect him to live. Police Sergeant Womack and Constable John Wild gave evidence of the amount of violent resistance offered by the prisoner, when he was apprehended. Evans pleaded not guilty and claimed that he was merely defending himself and to almost everyone’s surprise Evans was found not guilty and acquitted.