Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Monday 01 September 1884

The Fatal Quarrel Between Women At Bolton-On-Dearne.

On Saturday afternoon, at the Cross Daggers Inn, Bolton-on-Dearne, Mr. Coroner Wightman held an inquest upon the body of Elizabeth Eccles, who died on Thursday afternoon, after quarrel with Kate Bean, aged 30, wife of a collier named Frederick Bean, who is now in the custody of the Mexborough police officials.

Mr. Hall, of Wakefield, appeared for Kate Bean, and Superintendent Sykes, of Doncaster, was present during the inquiry.

George Eccles, collier, Bolton-on Dearne, said the deceased was his wife. She was 49 years of age, and had always been healthy woman. She died Thursday, August 28. He was in bed when the row took place. They called him up about quarter past five o’clock the afternoon. His son George came upstairs and told him to go down. He went down, and saw great crowd of people round the door his house. He met Daniel Harrison carrying his wife into the house from the middle of the road, which was known as High street. He helped Harrison to get his wife into the house. She was insensible. They laid her on the sofa; in the meantime Police-constable Firth had sent for a doctor. When his wife was brought into the house he did not notice any blood upon her, but under the left ear there was a wound two inches long. His wife did not live many minutes after she had been laid on the sofa, and died before doctor arrived. The row was over before he got downstairs. He saw Kate Bean standing at her own door when his wife was being brought into the house, but he did not see her anything to his wife. There never had been any peace since Kate Bean came to live near them. She was quarrelsome woman, and was always complaining about his (witness’) children, but he did not know that there had been any quarrel between Kate Bean and his wife previous to the afternoon in question.

William Henry Horne said he was a joiner and lived Bolton. He had known the deceased, Elizabeth Eccles, for two or three years, and he had known Kate Bean into the teens of years. He lived three doors away from Eccles’ house. About half-past five o’clock on Thursday afternooon he heard Kate Bean tell the deceased go and get some gin. That seemed to enrage Mrs. Eccles, and she picked up a stone and threw it Mrs. Bean. He believed that the stone hit Mrs. Bean’s child the arm; she brought a child out of the house and said, “You have hit my child.” Mrs. Eccles then picked up another stone, and threw it Mrs. Bean. Mrs. Bean turned round and went into the house, shutting the door after her. He believed Mrs. Bean was not struck that stone. Subsequently Mrs. Eccles threw one or two pieces of stone at the door Mrs. Bean’s house. When Mrs. Bean opened the door the deceased picked up the stones and threw them again at Mrs. Bean. The women would then be about four or five yards apart. The stones went into Mrs. Bean’s house, and Mrs. Bean picked up the one last thrown by the deceased and threw it back again. It was produced to the jury, and was a piece of grey slate, about 4in. long, 3in. broad, and lin. thick. That stone hit the deceased on the left side of the head. She fell down once, got up again, and fell forward. She was then picked up, and taken on to the causeway for a short time, until she died. She did not live long. He believed she was dead when she was taken into the house. She died in a few minutes after having been struck by the stone. In bis opinion both the women were sober. He had heard the women quarrel several times previously, chiefly about the children.

By Mr. Hall: It was a baby in arms Kate Bean said had been struck by a stone. He did not hear Mrs. Bean say that the deceased had broken her child’s arm, but she might have said so. The deceased then threw another stone at Mrs. Bean. He saw she had a black eye that day, but did not observe that any of the stones thrown at Mrs. Bean hit her. She was trying to protect herself by keeping in her own house. When she came to the door he did not observe that Mrs. Bean had a black eye. He heard the deceased use some very disgusting language; she was very much enraged. He did not believe Mrs. Bean was in such a temper.

The Coroner remarked that they were different women at Bolton to what they were at Sheffield if they were not both in a rage. (Laughter.)

The witness further said that the deceased appeared to be getting out the way of the stone when she was struck by it.

Herbert Law, labourer, Bolton, said he knew the deceased and Mrs. Bean well. He was present on Thursday afternoon when the row took place. He first saw Mrs. Eccles beating Kate Bean with fist, and the latter trying to get away. When Mrs. Bean got away Mrs. Eccles threw stone at her, and it hit Mrs. Bean’s child, about two years of age, on the arm. The remainder of his evidence was a corroboration of that given by the previous witness. He would not swear that the women were sober, but far as he could judge they were sober.

By Mr. Hall: Mrs. Bean appeared to him as if she did not want to fight.

Edwin Freeman, colliery labourer, Bolton-on- Dearne, gave similar testimony. He said Kate Bean and Mrs. Eccles lived only a few yards from each other; there was empty house between them. While Mrs. Bean was standing in her own door-way Mrs. Eccles threw a stone at her, and Mrs. Bean threw it back again. Mrs Eccles, then threw a larger piece (the one produced) at Mrs. Bean, and when the latter threw it back again it hit Mrs. Eccles behind the left ear.

By a Juryman: He did not believe when Mrs. Bean threw the last stone out her door (the one produced), that it was her intention that it should hit the deceased.

By the Coroner: Mrs. Bean certainly threw the stone at the deceased, and it did hit her.

The Coroner pointed out the flat contradictions in the witness’ evidence, but he did not make any explanation, although the Coroner gave him an opportunity of doing so.

Another Juryman: You believe the stone was intended to hit her?— Witness: Yes.

The Coroner: Well, that makes matters even worse.

The Coroner asked Superintendent Sykes if there was a medical gentleman present, and being answered in the negative he expressed his surprise that the police authorities bad not ordered post-mortem examination to be made. Until that had been done it would be impossible to say what the woman had died of. They did not know but she had died of heart disease or something that kind. Instead of having the prisoner before them, and going into the case, the magistrates adjourned the case until he had done all the work. Then they borrowed his depositions, and inquiry which took him day to make was finished by the justices in about 25 minutes.

Mr. Hall asked that his client should be admitted to bail. She was a woman with family.

The Coroner remarked that present he had prisoner before him. If she was prisoner be should admit her to bail, but if her children had to do without the mother Mrs. Eccles’ children would have to do without their mother. The inquiry was then adjourned until six o’clock this (Monday) evening, at the Montagu Arms, Mexborough. In the interval post-mortem examination will have been made.