In the Stipendiary Magistrate’s Court at Fox Bay 12th February 1897
Netty Keay v E. Rhodes charge: using threatening and abusive language towards complainant on the 9th instant.
PLEA: not guilty
Netty Keay sworn
I am the wife of Dr. Keay. On the morning of the 8th instant I sent outside my house at the entrance of the scullery door. I there
found ashes, eggs and other rubbish thrown outside the door instead of being
placed on the ash heap. The defendant is my servant. I ordered to clear the
dirt up. He immediately turned round and called me a bloody snob. He refused to
do his work. He said He had no intention of doing it, then he said he would do
it when it suited him. He did not care for any agreement that was ever drawn
out by any damned lawyer. He told his wife to stop her washing and not to do
another damned stroke in the house. I asked them both if they were aware of
what they were doing. E. Rhodes said he had never meant to do any work all he
wanted was his passage to the colony. I could not surely expect a man within
six months of getting his commission of lieutenant in India to be my servant
and that he would see Dr Keay and myself damned first before he would work for
£5 per month as Mr Goodhart had offered him £6 per month. Rhodes said that he
would knock me downstairs and knock out my bloody brains if I didn’t take my
foot off his bag. I then went for the Police.
Defendant denies using any threatening or abusive
language. He admits taking the clothes out.
Mrs Keay recalled ‘Rhodes said that he was told in
Stanley that I had pulled the hair out of one of my girls head that if I dared
to put a hand on or touch his wife he would knock my bloody brains out.’
Defendant states:
‘I was in the kitchen lifting off the boiler of clothes.
Mrs Keay came in the back door. She threw her dressing gown down on the floor
and said to my wife ‘What is he doing here?’ My wife answered ‘Maam he is
lifting off the boiler of clothes according to your orders’. Mrs Keay then
catched my wife a smack on the face. ‘It’s your damned work-go and do it- his
place is outside’. I said to Mrs Keay ‘What do you mean by striking my wife’
and she came to me with her two hands clenched to catch me by the throat. I
said to her ‘Don’t lay your hands on me or it will be the worse for you’. Mrs
Keay said that she had us in her hands and that I was bound by 60 bonds that if
the doctor thrashed me within an inch of my life with the horsewhip I could not
leave her service and that she would write to everyone in the islands to
prevent me getting any employment. Mrs Keay then told me to go out searching
for dropped sheep and to fetch them home for the pigs. Mrs Keay called me a
damned blasted liar.
NETTY KEAY PLEADS NOT GUILTY
Wife states
‘On the Monday the 8th February I was in the
scullery on my knees washing clothes. Mrs Keay came in and threw her dressing
gown down and asked me what I was doing there. I said I was washing. She said
‘What is he doing in there’ meaning my husband. I said my husband is lifting
the boiler for me. With that Mrs Keay slapped my face –‘go and do it, it is
your work’ and called my husband a damned blasted liar and she said she could
just do as she liked with us and pull and slap my face when she thought proper
and give me the horsewhip if I didn’t do my work and she would write to
everyone in the islands and prevent me getting work.’
Neither party has any witnesses to call, the cases having revolved themselves into oath against oath are dismissed each party to pay their own costs.
Rhodes 3/- Paid
Keay 3/- Not paid
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