QSR1847/4/5/38

Depositions and examination - James Winters charged with assaulting and wounding George Pinner at Astwick with intent to do him grievous bodily harm

13 October 1847

From: 1847 To: 1847

George Pinner – he lives in Biggleswade. Last Saturday week (Oct 2) he was at the Greyhound public house in Astwick at about 10.30pm. James Winters keeps that house. He was with William Francis and Charles Barker. They called for a glass of brandy and water which Barker paid for. They called for another. Winters came up and said “you be Damned you don’t mean to pay for your reckoning”. He said “you are a pretty sort of a landlord to come and quarrel with us”. Winters picked him up, threw him on the floor and struck him several times on the head and face with his fist. He got up and said “if you will stand two glasses of brandy and water for us to drink I won’t say any more about it”. He told them to come into the parlour. As he was going into the parlour Winters pulled the weapon he now produces out of his pocket and struck him on the side of the forehead just above the eye with it. He was knocked down and stunned. When he recovered his senses he found himself on the floor, bleeding from the wound on the forehead. He was wearing the shirt and clothes he now produces which were smothered with blood as they are now. When he got up Winters began again. Mrs Winters also struck him and pulled his hair. Winters then went and locked himself up and hollowed to somebody to bring his gun and said he would shoot them. Winters said he would shoot them through the windows as they got into the cart to go away. After that he got his wounds washed and his head tied up. He thinks he stayed in the house half an hour and Winters kept hollowing to somebody to bring his gun. The weapon he was struck with is called a life preserver and is made of whalebone and lead at the ends. Charles Barker – he was at the Greyhouse with Pinner. He had beer out in the yard and was just coming in again. He heard a noise as he was coming in and saw Winters standing behind the parlour door with the weapon now produced raised. Winters said to Pinner “if you come this way I will give you something” then struck him directly on the head with the weapon. It knocked him down as if he was dead. Winters then ran into the tap room and down into the cellar or somewhere out of the way and concealed himself. There was a house full of people. They picked Pinner up. He was bleeding like a pig. He never saw so much blood lying about a house in his life. It was some time before Pinner came to. They washed him and put his clothes on. In about 20 minutes Pinner went home with him in his cart. James Winters – when Pinner came into the house he refused to draw him brandy and water because he did not think he meant to pay for it. He then went into the parlour where Mr Inskip’s men were drinking largess. Afterwards he came out with a life preserver in his hand. He did not strike Pinner with it. He never touched Pinner. The life preserver now produced was hanging up in his parlour and Pinner stole it away. He had another in his pocket which is now at home but he did not strike him with it. The bloodshot now in his eyes was caused by their paying him that night. There was nothing the matter with them when they came in. Pinner knocked his wife down three times.

item

Winters, James,
Pinner, George,
Francis, William,
Barker, Charles

BIGGLESWADE, ASTWICK, assault, publican, Astwick Greyhound