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a pit…head worker； pleaded guilty to assaulting Alexander Storrar by
beating him about the head and body with his fists； throwing him on the
ground； and also striking him with a pit prop。 Fined 1 pound。
Kirkcaldy Police Court。 Before Bailie Dishart。 Simon Walker
pleaded guilty to assaulting a man by striking and knocking him down。 It
was an unprovoked assault； and the magistrate described the accused as a
perfect danger to the community。 Fined 30s。
Mansfield Police Court。 Before the Mayor； Messrs。 F。 J。 Turner； J。
Whitaker； F。 Tidsbury； E。 Holmes； and Dr。 R。 Nesbitt。 Joseph Jackson；
charged with assaulting Charles Nunn。 Without any provocation；
defendant struck the complainant a violent blow in the face； knocking him
down； and then kicked him on the side of the head。 He was rendered
unconscious； and he remained under medical treatment for a fortnight。
Fined 21s。
Perth Sheriff Court。 Before Sheriff Sym。 David Mitchell； charged
with poaching。 There were two previous convictions； the last being three
years ago。 The sheriff was asked to deal leniently with Mitchell； who
was sixty…two years of age； and who offered no resistance to the
gamekeeper。 Four months。
Dundee Sheriff Court。 Before Hon。 Sheriff…Substitute R。 C。 Walker。
John Murray； Donald Craig； and James Parkes； charged with poaching。
Craig and Parkes fined 1 pound each or fourteen days； Murray； 5 pounds
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THE PEOPLE OF THE ABYSS
or one month。
Reading Borough Police Court。 Before Messrs。 W。 B。 Monck； F。 B。
Parfitt； H。 M。 Wallis； and G。 Gillagan。 Alfred Masters； aged sixteen；
charged with sleeping out on a waste piece of ground and having no
visible means of subsistence。 Seven days。
Salisbury City Petty Sessions。 Before the Mayor； Messrs。 C。
Hoskins； G。 Fullford； E。 Alexander； and W。 Marlow。 James Moore；
charged with stealing a pair of boots from outside a shop。 Twenty… one
days。
Horncastle Police Court。 Before the Rev。 W。 F。 Massingberd； the
Rev。 J。 Graham； and Mr。 N。 Lucas Calcraft。 George Brackenbury； a
young labourer； convicted of what the magistrates characterised as an
altogether unprovoked and brutal assault upon James Sargeant Foster； a
man over seventy years of age。 Fined 1 pound and 5s。 6d。 costs。
Worksop Petty Sessions。 Before Messrs。 F。 J。 S。 Foljambe； R。
Eddison； and S。 Smith。 John Priestley； charged with assaulting the Rev。
Leslie Graham。 Defendant； who was drunk； was wheeling a
perambulator and pushed it in front of a lorry； with the result that the
perambulator was overturned and the baby in it thrown out。 The lorry
passed over the perambulator； but the baby was uninjured。 Defendant then
attacked the driver of the lorry； and afterwards assaulted the complainant；
who remonstrated with him upon his conduct。 In consequence of the
injuries defendant inflicted； complainant had to consult a doctor。 Fined
40s。 and costs。
Rotherham West Riding Police Court。 Before Messrs。 C。 Wright
and G。 Pugh and Colonel Stoddart。 Benjamin Storey； Thomas Brammer；
and Samuel Wilcock； charged with poaching。 One month each。
Southampton County Police Court。 Before Admiral J。 C。 Rowley；
Mr。 H。 H。 Culme…Seymour； and other magistrates。 Henry Thorrington；
charged with sleeping out。 Seven days。
Eckington Police Court。 Before Major L。 B。 Bowden； Messrs。 R。
Eyre； and H。 A。 Fowler； and Dr。 Court。 Joseph Watts； charged with
stealing nine ferns from a garden。 One month。
Ripley Petty Sessions。 Before Messrs。 J。 B。 Wheeler； W。 D。
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Bembridge； and M。 Hooper。 Vincent Allen and George Hall； charged
under the Poaching Prevention Act with being found in possession of a
number of rabbits； and John Sparham； charged with aiding and abetting
them。 Hall and Sparham fined 1 pound； 17s。 4d。； and Allen 2 pounds；
17s。 4d。； including costs； the former committed for fourteen days and the
latter for one month in default of payment。
South…western Police Court； London。 Before Mr。 Rose。 John
Probyn； charged with doing grievous bodily harm to a constable。
Prisoner had been kicking his wife； and also assaulting another woman
who protested against his brutality。 The constable tried to persuade him
to go inside his house； but prisoner suddenly turned upon him； knocking
him down by a blow on the face； kicking him as he lay on the ground； and
attempting to strangle him。 Finally the prisoner deliberately kicked the
officer in a dangerous part； inflicting an injury which will keep him off
duty for a long time to come。 Six weeks。
Lambeth Police Court； London。 Before Mr。 Hopkins。 〃Baby〃
Stuart； aged nineteen； described as a chorus girl； charged with obtaining
food and lodging to the value of 5s。 by false pretences； and with intent to
defraud Emma Brasier。 Emma Brasier； complainant； lodging… house
keeper of Atwell Road。 Prisoner took apartments at her house on the
representation that she was employed at the Crown Theatre。 After prisoner
had been in her house two or three days； Mrs。 Brasier made inquiries； and；
finding the girl's story untrue； gave her into custody。 Prisoner told the
magistrate that she would have worked had she not had such bad health。
Six weeks' hard labour。
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CHAPTER XVII
INEFFICIENCY
I stopped a moment to listen to an argument on the Mile End Waste。 It
was night…time； and they were all workmen of the better class。 They had
surrounded one of their number； a pleasant…faced man of thirty； and were
giving it to him rather heatedly。
〃But 'ow about this 'ere cheap immigration？〃 one of them demanded。
〃The Jews of Whitechapel； say； a…cutting our throats right along？〃
〃You can't blame them；〃 was the answer。 〃They're just like us； and
they've got to live。 Don't blame the man who offers to work cheaper than
you and gets your job。〃
〃But 'ow about the wife an' kiddies？〃 his interlocutor demanded。
〃There you are；〃 came the answer。 〃How about the wife and kiddies
of the man who works cheaper than you and gets your job？ Eh？ How
about his wife and kiddies？ He's more interested in them than in yours；
and he can't see them starve。 So he cuts the price of labour and out you
go。 But you mustn't blame him； poor devil。 He can't help it。 Wages
always come down when two men are after the same job。 That's the fault
of competition； not of the man who cuts the price。〃
〃But wyges don't come down where there's a union；〃 the objection was
made。
〃And there you are again； right on the head。 The union cheeks
competition among the labourers； but makes it harder where there are no
unions。 There's where your cheap labour of Whitechapel comes in。
They're unskilled； and have no unions； and cut each other's throats； and
ours in the bargain； if we don't belong to a strong union。〃
Without going further into the argument； this man on the Mile End
Waste pointed the moral that when two men were after the one job wages
were bound to fall。 Had he gone deeper into the matter； he would have
found that even the union； say twenty thousand strong； could not hold up
wages if twenty thousand idle men were trying to disp