Newspaper Extract
Savage assault by William Ellis
8 February, 1864
On Saturday night last, a most savage assault was committed on the Whiston Road, near Rotherham, by a ticket-of-leave man, named William Ellis.
About eleven o'clock, Rodgers, a cupola tenter, left Rotherham for Whiston. After proceeding some distance along the road, Ellis overtook him and asked him for a light. Rodgers said that he never carried matches, and Ellis threw a snowball at him.Rodgers told him unless he behaved he would have sent him where he had been before.
Ellis immediately rushed at him, and, while using threatening language, knocked him down and kicked and beat him about the head and body in a very savage manner. Rodgers received severe wounds over the head and blood flowed from his eyes and ears.
Ellis was beating him when assistance arrived, and he was given into custody.
Ellis appeared at the court on the 8th February, 1864, before the magistrate at Rotherham.
The prisoner, Ellis was committed for two months with hard labour.
