It appeared by the evidence of the said Celestina Griggs PINKERTON, that she resides, with her husband, in a house adjoining the one occupied by the said Mr. Barnabas POTTER; and that, on the day named in the information, at eleven o'clock in the forenoon of the same day, as she was standing at the front door of the said Mr. Barnabas POTTER, in quiet conversation with his housekeeper, the said Barnabas bounced upon her with a blue and white jug of water in his hand; which water he did then and there shy in her face; and upon her asking 'what's that for, Mr. POTTER?' he 'hot her' on the left side of her head with the said blue and white jug so violently, that the said jug was shivered into twenty pieces, and her head materially damaged. Moreover, the said Celestina Griggs PINKERTON deposed, that she knew no cause for the violence of the said Barnabas - except that her Thomas was in the habit of going into the garden of the said Barnabas, and rather misbehaving himself, occasionally; and in answer to a question from the magistrate, she explained that 'her Thomas' was a fine 'tabby Tom;' who, being young and foolish, was much given to roving abroad; though she made him wear a collar, and did everything she could do to keep him at home.
Mr. Barnabas POTTER, in reply, admitted that he did smite Mrs. PINKERTON's head with his blue and white jug, in manner above-mentioned; but pleaded, in justification thereof, that she came upon his premises in defiance of his interdiction to the contrary. It was notorious, he said, that Mrs. Celestina Griggs PINKERTON and her tabby Tom were the annoyance of the whole neighbourhood, inasmuch as the said tabby Tom was continually committing the grossest improprieties, and was therein aided, abetted, and encouraged by the said Celestina Griggs PINKERTON. In particular, the said Tom was in the habit of coming into the garden of him (the said Barnabas), and improperly watering his gooseberry trees; and, upon his complaining of the fact to the said Celestina Griggs PINKERTON, she had the wickedness to reply, that she had no idea her Thomas had been given to gardening, but since it was so, she should consider herself fairly entitled to a portion of the gooseberries he had helped to cultivate! This was the reason why he (the said Barnabas) forbad her to come upon his premises; and, as she had dared to do so, in spite of his interdiction, he thought himself fully justified in breaking his blue and white jug against her head, as aforesaid.
The magistrate told him he was mistaken; and held him to bail for his appearance to answer her complaint before a jury of his countrymen at the Quarter Sessions."