Like many households in Sheffield during the nineteenth century, Samuel Foster and his wife had a lodger in order to aid the families finances. His name was John Newton and on that Saturday night an argument broke out about a dog after the two men had been drinking. A decision was made to fight it out and going outside into New Street, Park the two men started to exchange blows. Foster was wielding a large, heavy metal frying pan, whereas Newton had grabbed a heavy poker to use as a weapon. Needless to say the argument soon attracted neighbours, including Foster\u2019s sister-in-law, a woman called Emma Simmonite who lived nearby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the crowd also was a twenty year old woman called Eliza Ann Oates, who was shocked at the ferocity of blows that the two men were exchanging. Others neighbours also tried to intervene, shocked at the violence that was being inflicted. Some tried to push Foster back into the house, but it was all to no avail. Emma Simmonite had been hurling abuse at the two men, when suddenly Foster lashed out at her with this formidable weapon. To his horror, she ducked and he found he had hit Eliza Oates instead. She had been standing near to Emma Simmonite and by the time anyone reached Eliza, her face was covered in blood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To make things worse, portions of her brain could be seen protruding from the wound. The poor woman was laid out on a stretcher, and was taken first to a druggist shop and from thence to the Sheffield Dispensary where it was found that she had sustained a fractured skull. Two dispensary surgeons Mr G Thorpe and Mr H Shera immediately operated on the woman, who was, by now thought to be in a dying condition. Meanwhile Sergeant Clarke and Police Constable Palmer went and arrested Samuel Foster, who in response told him that he had never had so much as an angry word with Eliza Oates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the contrary, he said that she had always been extremely kind to him and his wife. The next day Eliza\u2019s condition had not changed, so the Chief Constable of Sheffield, Mr Jackson felt it necessary to take her dying disposition. Accordingly, a Justice of the Peace Mr W Pearce and a clerk was dispatched immediately to the woman\u2019s bedside. Detective Carswell was also in attendance at the dispensary with Foster in custody. The statement she made read:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018My name is Eliza Ann Oates, wife of Allen Oates a carter living at New Street, Park, Sheffield. I know Samuel Foster, he is a neighbour. At a quarter past eleven last night I heard a row and went to see what was the matter. I found it was the prisoner quarrelling with his lodger and I was among the on-lookers. He was attempting to strike at the lodger with a frying pan, but instead, he caught me on the forehead, a blow which knocked me down although I was not insensible.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n She told Mr Pearce that she had never quarrelled with the prisoner before and confirmed once more that he had been in the attempt of striking at his lodger when he hit her instead. When Samuel was asked if he had anything to say to Eliza, he said that he was very sorry for what he had done, but that he had not done it on purpose. On Monday 13 August 1877 the prisoner was brought before the Sheffield magistrates, but as the victim was unable to attend, he was simply remanded. Sadly Elizabeth died from her injuries around 4 am on the morning of Wednesday 22 August.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An inquest was arranged to be held by Coroner Mr D Wightman on Friday 24 August 1877 at the Public Dispensary in Sheffield. House surgeon Mr Shera described the deceased woman\u2019s wound. He said it was on the left temple, around two and half inches long, through which the woman\u2019s brain was visible. The surgeon stated that he had completed the post mortem after her death and found death was caused by inflammation of the wound. He said that it had been caused by an instrument with an edge. When the frying pan was produced and shown to the witness, Mr Shera agreed that weapon would produce such a wound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After hearing all the evidence the coroner summed up for the jury who returned a verdict of manslaughter against Samuel Foster. He was therefore committed to take his trial at the next Leeds Assizes. At the Spring Assizes at Leeds which began on Saturday 27 March 1878, the judge Mr Justice Hawkins told the jury that although Foster had been aiming at his sister in law, he had hit the deceased woman instead. He told them therefore \u2018he was just as responsible for the death of Mrs Oates, as though he had intended to strike at her and therefore he must take the consequences.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n Accordingly, when Samuel Foster\u2019s case was heard on Wednesday 10 April, the jury found him guilty. Mr Justice Hawkins therefore sentenced him to eight months imprisonment with hard labour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Like many households in Sheffield during the nineteenth century, Samuel Foster and his wife had a lodger in order to aid the families finances. His name was John Newton and on that Saturday night an argument broke out about a dog after the two men had been drinking. A decision was made to fight it … Continue reading Deadly Assault with a frying pan.<\/span>