Summary of a Court Case at Bridport Borough Petty Sessions on 3 Sep 1890 = Crown v Henry Penfold = reported in th 5 Sep 1890 edition of the Bridport Times
Henry Penfold a well-known local gipsy pleaded not guilty to threatening to kill Wiliam. Evidence was given that om 27 Aug 1890 at the White Lion Inn he and a man named Jack Smith rntrtrf thr nst st 8.30pm and had two glasses of beer, leaving shortly afterwards. A friend of his called Henry Hoare then came in and ordered a quart of beer to iake into the kitchen. Smith and Penfold then returned and started kicking up a row about some brushes that had been stolen from opposite Smith's house. Wi;;iam ordered the out but they refused saying that it would take all the police in Vridport to do so. At the same time Penfold to William's wife that if the old bastard fetched a policeman to him he would kill him'. He then went into the bar and swore a solemn oath that he wouln't leave it until eleven. He the became abusive and William called in PC Barnes to arrest him. PC Barnes ended up with Penfold's fist under his chin. Various customers came to Barnes's aid and Penfold was ejected. In evidence William said that when the 'barney' kicked off his wife and niece and others were preswnt as were Penfold and Hoare. Smith whose brusheds had been stolen had left by them possibly having accused Penfold of stealing them. William said hee woild fetch the police and Barnes asked Penfold to leave but he refuced saying he wouldn't leave for all the police in Bridport. Hoare did not take part in the 'barney'. Penfold had come into the bar some months earlier and when refused drink took charge of the bar. William's evidence was corroboarted by Arthur Lawrence as did PC Barnes/ Penfold disputed all three parties' evidence as lies. PC Strode said that he had assited Barnes in getting Penfold away.
The defendant's version was that he and Smith had gone inyo the White Lion and were discussing a horse (Penfold's family being horse dealers) when Snith came in accused him of stealing his brushes. Pefold's wife came in with them saying she had picked them up in the road. William was appaently of the belief that Penfold was being dishonest and ordered him out whereas Penfold, objecting to being thought dishonest got fired up and refused to go. He said that the problem wwas caused by William and Barnes. Whilst he was fired up he denied threatening William's life, thpugh had he done so William shouldn't have felt threatened as he wouldn't have carried it out. Im evidnce Penfold reiterrated this as said Barnes had him by the throat and nearly choked him and when Stride spoke to him he left quietly. Hoare's evidnce was that William was out o place and he hadn't heard the theat towards him but had heard lots of raised voices adding that William insulted some of his very best customers and sometimes fell upon very tempestuous parties. Penfold was found guilty and fined 5s with 11s 6d costs