The following article is taken from 'Derbyshire of 100 years ago' by David Buxton, published by Alan Sutton Publishing Ltd. in 1992. It is itself an article originally published in the Derby Mercury, 14th. December 1892.
Charles Keeton, John Byard, Joseph Boultbee, John Walker, Samuel Harrison, John Kinder, Joseph Bennett, and Levi Woodhouse were charged that they did, at Wingerworth, on the 21st. September, 1892 (to the number of three or more together), about the hour of one in the night, being then respectively armed with certain offensive weapons, to wit, bludgeons, together did unlawfully enter a certain close of land then in the occupation of one Booth Waddington, there situate, for the purpose therein of taking and destroying rabbits.- Mr W.B. Hextall prosecuted, and Mr. W.H. Stevenson defended. All eight men pleaded not guilty. Mr. Hextall said the question the jury would have to decide, was whether the persons were armed in the way indicated in the charge or not, and whether the men in the dock were the men concerned in the affair at Wingerworth.
At about one o'clock in the morning of the day in question the headkeeper, two underkeepers and a watcher, were out watching upon the land in question. At about that hour they were attracted by the barking of a dog, and going in the direction of the sound they were received by a shower of stones. They had with them a number of lights called 'detective lights' being long staffs with an inflammable mechanical appliance on the top, which being ignited flared with considerable brilliancy and disclosed all objects in the vicinity. These staffs were stuck into the ground by the watchers and ignited, and their light disclosed 14 or 15 men armed with bludgeons and other offensive weapons. The lights flared for four or five minutes, and the watchers had consequently ample time in which to identify the men by whom they were opposed. That the men had been armed with stones was manifested by the fact that previous to their discovery by the watchers, a shower of stones greeted the latter, and they issued form the spot in which the alleged poaches were subsequently found to be located. One of the keepers was seriously hurt in the face by one of these missiles. There was a hand-to-hand fight, and the fifteen men charged the watchers two or three times, and the latter received several injuries, though, happily no very serious ones. On the following day Kinder went to a certain man at Wingerworth and offered for sale 43 rabbits. The man to whom he offered those rabbits saw several men in the neighbourhood, evidently friends of Kinder. It would also be stated in evidence that the houses of the prisoners were visited subsequently to the occurrence which gave rise to the charges preferred against them, and it was ascertained then that every one of the eight prisoners at the bar were away from home at the time of the alleged affray.-George Murray, head keeper for Mr. Wilson Mappin, who has the shooting rights at Wingerworth, stated that on the night of the day in question he was watching in the park, in company with three others, when the affray occurred as described by Mr. Hextall. One of the stones struck him on the forehead, and others on the body. When the prisoners and their companions charged witness and the other watchers, they said, 'Come and let's kill the-:' The injuries to himself necessitated confinement to bed for three days. He lived at Stocksmoor and the prisoners resided at Clay Cross. He knew them all, and they were colliers. In answer to Mr. Stevenson, witness said that the prisoners and the other men formed into a line, Keeton being on the left hand side, and a little short fellow on the right.-Mr. Stevenson: Who was he? Witness: He was a stranger to me, but he could aim pretty straight (Laughter).
The Court then adjourned.
Derby Mercury, 14 December 1892