There had been so many reported stabbings in Rotherham of 1861 that the Sheffield Daily Telegraph dated Tuesday 23 April was forced to comment about it. Under the heading of ‘Another Serious Stabbing Case’ the reporter noted that the town:
‘Had been lately gaining an unenviable notoriety from the numerous instances on the use of a knife. On Sunday evening, another lamentable case of this kind occurred, and one in which it is feared will end fatally.’
The name of the person concerned was twenty seven year old Michael Deavers who, had been stabbed by a twenty eight year old acquaintance called Isaac Prendergast. It was reported that both local men worked as labourers at the Parkgate Ironworks and had formerly been great friends. Also, they were both were married men with children. Needless to say the results of such knife crimes made a devastating impact on the families of both victim and perpetrator alike. It was stated that Deavers left a wife and three children and Prendergast, a wife and two young children. As often happens, a drunken quarrel had developed between the two men on the evening of Saturday 20 April 1861.
They had both been drinking, firstly at the Wellington Inn, Westgate and then at the nearby house of a workmate, someone called John Martin. As a result neither of them were particularly sober, nor could remember what had actually started the argument. What was clear was that, at some point Prendergast went to smack Deavers although thankfully he ran away down a backyard and hid until his opponent had gone. The next day Deavers was walking to Parkgate when he met Prendergast again. He was standing talking to three or four other men and Prendergast challenged his former friend once more to a fight. Deavers had no wish to renew the argument, but he could see that his opponent was intent on it.
As if to prove it, Prendergast brought his knife out and threatened his workmate that he would ‘stick him if he came anywhere near him.’ With that, the two men began to scuffle with each other during which Deavers received a stab in his side. He was taken to his house nearby by two of his companions, and Dr Henry Darwin of the Rotherham Dispensary was called out to attend to him. The surgeon found that the knife had penetrated the second and third ribs of the injured man and probably had penetrated his lungs or spleen as a result. Prendergast, having seen what he had done, rapidly made his escape. However he was apprehended by police officers around 2 am, hiding under the bed at his lodgings on Westgate.
Later the same day Isaac Prendergast was brought before the Rotherham magistrates where he was formally remanded in custody until the following day. However Deavers’ condition deteriorated so badly that it was deemed necessary for someone to take his dying deposition. Accordingly, the Rev. W Howard went to his home on Monday 22 April. Prendergast was also in attendance in the custody of a police officer. In such circumstances the Rev. Howard reminded the dying man that he was not expected to live. This was a normal procedure, as it was thought that on the brink of eternity, most people would be forced to tell the truth.
As if to confirm this, Deavers first words were ‘I believe I shall die’ before he outlined the quarrel that had taken place. He described the fight stating that at one time he was on the floor holding onto Prendergast’s hair, as his opponent had his hands around his neck. Suddenly, Deavers confirmed that he had felt his former friend stab him, before two other men separated them and he went home. On Monday 6 May 1861, Isaac Prendergast was brought before the Rotherham magistrates charged with stabbing Michael Deavers with intent to murder him. Dr Henry Darwin told the court that on Sunday 21 April around 5.30 am he had gone to see the injured man and found him suffering from a stab on his left hand side.
The surgeon told the bench that he had dealt with the man’s loss of blood and did his best to make him comfortable. Police Constable George Kershaw of the Rotherham police force described arresting Prendergast on Monday 22 April and taking him into custody. When charged with the offence, the prisoner had told him that ‘he might be charged with it, but he didn’t do it.’
Nevertheless after hearing all the evidence, Isaac Prendergast was committed to take his trial at the next assizes. Subsequently he was brought before the judge, Mr Baron Wilde at the Yorkshire Assizes on Saturday 11 July 1861.
He was charged with the lesser crime of cutting and wounding and Mr Vernon Blackburn was the prosecution, who outlined the case for the court. After hearing all the evidence, the Grand Jury found the prisoner guilty although sentencing was deferred. Isaac Prendergast was consequently brought back into the assize courtroom on Monday 13 July. Mr Baron Wilde addressed the prisoner and told him that he had thought long and hard about this matter, but had come to the conclusion that it had been a case of ‘six of one and half a dozen of the other.’
He told the court that all too often when men had been drinking and were carrying knives, that a stabbing which ended fatally was usually the outcome. Thankfully in this case the injured man, Michael Deavers had fully recovered. However in order to teach Isaac Prendergast a lesson, the judge ordered him to be sentenced to just one months confinement in York Castle prison.