Soldiers Fight in a Nottingham Pub

“LIKE A MADMAN.”

“SOLDIERS IN NOTTM. PUBLIC-HOUSE FRACAS.

“A disturbance last night which caused a considerable amount of excitement in the Goose-gate neighbourhood had its sequel at this morning's Nottingham Police-court [29th June 1915], when, before Mr. J. K. Wright and Mr. L. Spencer, John Mellor, a private in the Staffords, stationed at Sunderland, and a former miner and resident in Nottingham, was charged with being drunk, with assaulting the police, and also with breaking a mirror, value, £2, the property of Henry Shaw, the licence holder of the Black Swan, Goose-gate.

“Mr. W. E. Comery appeared to prosecute for the Licensed Victuallers’ Association. He said at 8.45 last night prisoner and his wife went into the Black Swan. The wife called for two drinks, and whilst Mrs. Shaw was getting these, two other soldiers came in and sat next to the prisoner and his wife. An argument arose as to which of the soldiers had served longest, and this led to cans being thrown about and general disorder. Prisoner also struck one of the soldiers, and the landlord sent for the police. The prisoner and another man were arrested, but owing to a hostile crowd and a lot of women who hung round the neck of the other man he got away. Defendant also tried to make his escape, but was chased and caught by Police-sergeant Rayson.

“P.s. Rayson. giving evidence, stated that he found the prisoner and another man bleeding from cuts. Each blamed the other for what had been done. There was a mirror in the house broken to pieces. Prisoner acted like a madman, and after trying to make his escape struck witness in the month, making his lips bleed.

“The magistrates decided that there was no evidence as to the breaking of the mirror, and that charge was accordingly struck out.

“Mellor pleaded guilty to being drunk, and called his wife, who said that it was the soldier who ran away who picked up the cans and threw them at the mirror. She admitted that her husband was drunk when he went into the public-house. The quarrel arose out of a discussion as to who had seen the most service. Witness said she nodded the landlord's wife not to serve her husband, but drink was still brought.

“An army sergeant said that if it had not been for the roughness of the police he thought they would have been able to get prisoner to the police-station without much trouble. The police, he alleged, hustled the man so that he became more violent.

“The case adjourned generally, the prisoner stating that he was due back to his regiment at Sunderland. This being his first appearance the Bench extracted a promise from him not to offend again, and allowed him to go.”

'Nottingham Evening Post', 29th June 1915.