Northampton Mercury 12^th September 1846, transcribed by Susan Manton.

Thomas and his stick

Thomas Laughton, a native of Wymington, better known as Round House Tom, and who is no stranger to the Bench, was charged by Police Constable Whitworth with being drunk and disorderly at Rushden on the 7^th inst. Thomas, whose tread is at no time of the “light fantastic too” description, on this occasion beat the boards like an elephant, not in boots but bomb shells, and a stick which entered with him accompanied each foot fall with a rap of the floor, making the windows rattle as if affected by an earthquake of the ague; but the grand shock was reserved until the stick and its bearer reached the bench when down came foot and stick with a force and derision which said as distinctly as language, we are fixtures. The stick seemed to say you’re in a mess, why don’t you allow me to get you out and Thomas appeared to fondle its mischievious looking head and answer: “Keep quiet, my friend, you’re not in a beer-house.” In his defence the defendant said he was provoked by a person named Sykes and that he merely flourished a twig above his head. Here the stick seemed to writhe in his grasp and say how dare you call me a twig and looked at the magistates as much as to say – a twig indeed.

Thomas paid 9s and left the hall with the offended stick, which from the manner in which it flourished about, seemed quite overcome with passion.