Nineteen year old Robert Greensmith was employed as a one of the navvies working at the Newbiggin branch of the Greasborough Canal in 1843. The canal was used by the Parkgate Iron Company to transport material to and from the works. These men thought nothing of drinking on the job, so on the night of Sunday 17 November 1843, between 5 pm and 6 pm two of them, Robert Greensmith of Greasborough and Joseph Bell of Rawmarsh brought a bottle of ale each from Rotherham to where they were working. Greensmith placed his bottle near to the yard door and went ten or twelve yards away to the foot of the crane. However when, around ten minutes later he went back to the place, the bottle had gone.
Bell was standing nearby and so Greensmith asked him if he had seen it and he replied sarcastically ‘we neither have had it, nor have we seen anyone take it!’ However Greensmith made such a fuss that other workmen joined in and looked around to see if they could find the missing bottle, but it was nowhere to be seen. At that point it was unclear exactly what happened next, but within minutes Greensmith had taken a shovel and smashed it over Bell’s head cleaving his skull into two. A surgeon called Mr Edward Robinson was immediately called, but the wound was so serious that there was little he could do, as by now the patient was insensible and unable to talk.
Bell was taken to hospital whilst Constable William Ward of Kimberworth arrested Greensmith and took him into custody. When charged with the offence, the man showed no remorse, but simply showed the officer the shovel he had used. Later that same day, the same constable and Mr Badger the surgeon went to Rawmarsh to see Bell in order to try to take his statement. But it was clear that the injured man was still insensible. Accordingly, Robert Greensmith was brought before the magistrates at the Court House in Rotherham on Monday 20 November 1843 charged with cutting and maiming Joseph Bell.
However, in view of Bell’s dangerous condition the prisoner was simply remanded. The following day he was again brought before the magistrates. Mr Robinson described the injured man’s skull which he said was completely divided and the brains could be seen quite clearly. He said that it was inevitable that inflammation would set in and Bell’s death would ensue. Accordingly Greensmith was remanded for another week in order, if possible to allow the injured man’s statement to be taken. A witness, Christopher John Burkett of Parkgate claimed that as he passed through the casting-house where Greensmith was working on the day in question, he heard him say to someone ‘Bell says I have stolen his ale: I’ll cut his bloody head off or split him down with a shovel.’
Surgeon, Mr Robinson again repeated that the bone of the injured man’s head looked as if it had been sawn in half. Consequently, the prisoner was once more remanded. Although Greensmith was brought before the Rotherham magistrates twice more, he was simply remanded each time. Indeed, Joseph Bell was unable to attend court to give his side of the attack until Monday 4 December when he appeared in the courtroom with his head heavily bandaged. As soon as Greensmith saw him, he began to cry. Bell described how he ‘gave my head a turn and was immediately struck.’
Witness Christopher Burkett stated that he had witnessed the attack, as he was standing just a yard and a half from Bell when he was struck down by the prisoner. Surgeon Edward Robinson of Rotherham gave his evidence of attending to the stricken man at his house at Rawmarsh. He described the wound as being very serious indeed and about four and a half inches in length, through which the brain was visible. Finally, Constable Ward of Masbrough gave evidence of arresting Bell on the 17 Nov. Accordingly, Robert Greensmith was ordered to take his trial at the next assizes.
Greensmith appeared at the Yorkshire Winter Assizes on Wednesday 4 January 1844, before the judge, Mr Justice Coleman. In view of the fact that the attack had been made in front of witnesses, the prisoner had no option, but to plead guilty. Greensmith was defended by Mr Boothby who offered no defence in view of the witness testimonies. Instead he stated that he simply wished to recommend the prisoner to his Lordship’s mercy. The judge told the prisoner that he would take time to consider the case before announcing his verdict.
Indeed, Mr Justice Coleman took three days before Robert Greensmith was brought back into court. He accordingly told the prisoner that he had considered his case long and hard before deciding on his sentence. He then ordered him to three months imprisonment in York Castle for cutting and wounding Joseph Bell at Rawmarsh. Sadly I have been unable to find any evidence as to the fate of Joseph Bell, but given the seriousness of his injuries, it is highly unlikely that he survived for any length of time after his attacker was sentenced to York