It seems that on the night of Saturday 3 July 1880 a woman called Fanny Northern was standing in College Street, Rotherham, when she noticed an altercation taking place. One man attempted to strike another before a third man crossed over the road and viciously struck the first man hard in the face. He immediately fell back to the ground and remained there unconscious. She ran towards a police officer who was patrolling along College Street and he immediately took charge. He summoned another officer who appeared shortly afterwards with a stretcher, and the injured man was removed to the hospital carried by the two officers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Police enquiries quickly established that the injured man was a thirty-six year old labourer called William Hogan. His own testimony proved that one of his two attackers was a twenty seven year old man called Peter Gray and the second, a twenty-year old called Charles Hughes. However before anything could be done, William Hogan was discharged from the hospital and sent back to his home on Wellgate, where he died in the early hours of the following morning. How could this happen? Needless to say, the two men concerned were arrested and brought before the Rotherham magistrates on Monday 5 July 1880, charged with being concerned in Hogan\u2019s death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Inspector Hammond immediately asked the bench to simply remand the two prisoners until Thursday, so that police enquiries might continue, which was granted. That officer stated that an inquest and post mortem would be held on the deceased man in the meantime. Coroner Mr D Wightman arranged for the inquest to be held, at the Rotherham Court House on Wednesday 7 July when the whole matter was thoroughly investigated. However, new revelations were being uncovered, which made the man\u2019s death appear more ominous than ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It seems that when Hogan was removed to the Rotherham Hospital for treatment, it soon became clear that he was very inebriated, so much so that one of the house surgeons, Mr T L Jaquet refused to treat him. Instead, he sent Hogan home where, the following day he died. At the inquest the surgeon was the first witness, and he openly admitted that he had told Mrs Hogan to take her husband home from the hospital as he was drunk! However, he told the coroner that even if he had allowed Hogan to remain, he would have died from his injuries anyway. The surgeon added that the man had been so drunk that he could barely walk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In answer to a question from a juryman, the house surgeon told him \u2018that institution was not kept up for the purpose of attending to drunkards.\u2019 Dr Falding the chairman of the Hospital Board agreed and said that the surgeon had done the right thing. Dr Branson who undertook the post mortem, described Hogans wound which, he said was about a quarter of an inch below his right eye. He said that he believed it had been inflicted by a knuckle duster or some other sharp instrument. Then it was time for Mrs Hogan to describe her husbands last few minutes. She said that just before he died around 1 am, he seemed to gather his senses together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He asked to see his son and when he did so exclaimed \u2018Oh Lord have mercy on me. I am done for\u2019 and then he died. Fanny Northern gave her account of seeing the fracas on College Street before the coroner summed up for the jury. After a brief consultation of just a quarter of an hour, they returned with a verdict of manslaughter against Peter Gray and Charles Hughes. However the added a rider: \u2018that in the opinion of the jury, the house surgeon of the hospital committed an error of judgement in not allowing the deceased to remain in the institution until he was fully recovered.\u2019 Accordingly the two prisoners were again brought before the magistrates on Thursday 15 July 1880.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The route that Hogan and his wife took on that fateful night was described by the prosecution Mr Barrass. He described how the couple had gone to get some goods at the market before calling in at the Cross Daggers and then to the White Hart in Church Street, Rotherham. It was there that they met the two prisoners. An argument started when Gray offered Hogan a drink out of his own pot, which he refused. Gray seemed to take offence at this and so followed the couple as far as College Street before Gray challenged Hogan to fight and once again he refused. That’s when, it was alleged, that Hughes walked up to Hogan and struck him in the face with his right hand in which was suspected to contain a sharp instrument.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr Barrass told the jury that he did not think there was enough evidence for the bench to commit the two prisoners on the capital charge. However they certainly had malice in what they subsequently did, which was proved by the evidence. Mary Ann Hogan gave her account and now said that she thought that Hughes had a \u2018bright\u2019 instrument in his hand as he lashed out at her husband. However she admitted that she could not see exactly what it was. Nevertheless as soon as he did so, her husband dropped senseless to the floor. Hughes then ran away in the direction of the church, whilst Gray walked hurriedly away up College Street.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr Branson stated that at the post mortem he had concluded that the man had died from a blow under the right eye and believed it was caused by a knuckle duster. Consequently the two prisoners were found guilty of manslaughter and sent to take their trial at the next Leeds Assizes. They appeared before judge, Mr Justice Bowen on Tuesday 27 July 1880. In the prisoners defence, their counsel, Mr Gane stated that there had been no \u2018common purpose\u2019 on the part of the two men. Indeed, he claimed that witness statements had proved that Gray had never struck out at the deceased at all, and therefore he ought to be discharged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He concluded that as regards Hughes, it seemed clear that Hogan\u2019s death would have ensued in all probability and asked that the prisoners therefore should both be found \u2018not guilty.\u2019 The jury however disagreed and both men were found guilty, although the judge stated that he would sentence the two prisoners on the following day. Accordingly, Peter Gray was sentenced to six months imprisonment and Charles Hughes to twelve months imprisonment for the attack on William Hogan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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It seems that on the night of Saturday 3 July 1880 a woman called Fanny Northern was standing in College Street, Rotherham, when she noticed an altercation taking place. One man attempted to strike another before a third man crossed over the road and viciously struck the first man hard in the face. He immediately … Continue reading Fatal Brawl at Rotherham<\/span>