?Shell shock after German bombardment of Scarborough

In days gone by it was a popular myth that adults could give children a clip round the ear. This was not always the case. An interesting case arose at Helmsley court house as a young hawker named Burnside was given six months hard labour for hitting an twelve year old girl on Friday 16th January.

The young girl, Mary Hannah Richardson, had been sent to buy a pennyworth of sweets from Helmsley. Halfway along the route she was asked by Burnside if there were any rabbit skins at their house. She replied no and was assaulted by the man.

When asked why she had not got the sweets she burst into tears and said that the rabbit skin man had hit her.

The man was arrested by PC Willow. Asked about the allegation he said "Yes If you let me off this I won't do it any more."

The father of the man tried to claim that Burnside had become deranged after suffering shell shock from the German bombardment of Scarborough! Actually there was a possible case of shell shock after the German bombardment. A parrot (!) in Sandside had always talked. Yet after the German bombardment of Scarborough in 1914 it never ever uttered a single word again.

Source Scarborough Mercury, 23rd January 1920