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.
