A miner from South Shields Called William Armstrong, was in
July 1875 charged with assaulting Margaret Short and Mary Ann Moses. After a
good drinking session William then decided to go to Margaret's home and ask if
she needed a man. When Margaret refused William punched her in the face three
times. Mary Ann had tried to get in between the couple when William called her a
'long nosed b-----d'. Mary Ann told William not to insult her by saying that
again, which of course he did. At this point a shovel was thrown in his
direction but it missed.
To add to his insult he poured what was left of his whiskey
over Mary Ann's head. When William was asked in court why he had assaulted
Margaret his answer was 'he had a mind to'. For this assault he was charged
£1.00, for his assault on Mary Ann he was fined ten shillings.
