A fight which occurred in a a Barton schoolroom in connection with a dance led to an appearance at Eccles Magistrates Court in November 1923 by Harry Massey charged with assaulting the police. P.C. Stockdale told the Court that he attended a dance at Godfrey Ermen school. at the time he was off duty and wearing a suit and tie, when he was called to a disturbance in the corridor where he saw Massey fighting another man. He told him that he was an off duty policeman and asked him to stop fighting, instead of doing as he was asked he continued pummeling his opponent, when he intervened Massey punched him in the face. With the aid of another off duty policeman who was at the dance...not the policeman's ball I assure you...they managed to eject him until the police arrived and took him into custody. John Emery took the stand and said that the dance was a fundraiser to raise funds for a local youths football team and he was assisting the M.C, on the night who told him that he had already warned several men about their conduct, they were bumping into others and making a general nuisance of themselves. It was decided that after the interval the trouble makers would not be allowed back into the dance and given half of their admission money back. Harry Massey had a different story to tell, he said that he was not warned of his conduct and after the interval was refused admission by Emery who then put him in a headlock and a fight started, he added that the two police constable hung back after the fight started and when he was restrained they joined in the fight. Inspector Balshaw said that P.C Stockdale's was badly marked when he saw him at Green Lane police station and that despite being off duty they were entitled to go the dance, whilst Superintendent Yates told the Court that in theory a policeman is never off duty and when called on as these two were, they had to quell a row or a riot and were at the dance for pleasure. The Clerk of the Court Mr Bowden said to Supt Yates that it was good to see that his men got out and enjoyed themselves sometimes...was he being flippant? The Bench fined Harry Massey, £2 and two shillings with seven shillings six pence costs and warned him about his future conduct. Raises the question, were the police constables just doing their duty or over zealous in restraining Harry Massey? I think we can guarantee that the Bench would take the word of the police over the accused. Photo: Godfrey Ermen School.
