From this newspaper 150 years ago (July 8, 1865)

Rather surprisingly, the issue of rabbit-shooting came to the fore in the tumultuous North Riding Parliamentary election.

The two Conservative candidates – the Honourable William Duncombe of Helmsley and William Morritt of Rokeby – addressed a large crowd in Richmond market place from a window in the Town Hall Hotel.

Mr Duncombe, one of the North Riding’s two sitting MPs, spoke first about how he was opposed to extending the franchise. His speech, according to the D&S Times’ report, was punctuated by hisses, groans, cries of “all humbug” and “shut up” and, strangely someone repeatedly shouting “gammon”.

Mr Duncombe said: “I am here to say they the Conservatives have been most consistent in the endeavours to obtain justice to the farmers and the agricultural interest of this country (A voice: “All gammon”)."

After Mr Duncombe’s rough ride, Mr Morritt took to the window. He had been the North Riding’s second MP until he had lost the seat to Sir Frederick Milbank, Liberal, of Barningham. Now he was vying to win it back.

He spoke about the need to preserve game on his estates so country gentlemen could enjoy shooting it, and said: “I should be a great fool if I left the destruction of rabbits to a parcel of blundering farmers (loud groans and hisses).”

This was a bad mistake.

“On account of the disorder that prevailed at this stage of his speech, Mr Morritt was unable to proceed for several minutes,” said the paper.

When order was eventually restored “Mr Morritt attempted to explain that he applied the terms 'bungling farmers' only so far as their attempts to destroy rabbits were concerned. He asserted that it would require an experienced trapper to catch them and reiterated the statement that the farmers would bungle if they were to try to kill them.

“This explanation was greeted with hooting and groans.

“The utmost confusion prevailed during the latter part of Mr Morritt’s address. In conclusion, he assured his hearers that he and Mr Duncombe were tried men and perhaps knew a little better what was good for the electors than they knew themselves.”

It wasn’t just the Tories that were under attack. As we said in this space last week, the D&S Times had published a letter from someone who, curiously, signed themselves “A Pair of Liberal Nut Grinders”. Mr Nut Grinders alleging underhand Tory tactics, but in reply came a letter from “Fair Play is a Jewel” which alleged that Sir Frederick’s tactics were even more dastardly.

The letter began: “Funny things get into the newspapers at election times. The old woman who signs herself A Pair of Liberal Nut Grinders in your last week's paper has got hold of the wrong pig by the lug.”

It makes Cameron versus Miliband look quite sophisticated.

100 years ago (July 10, 1915)

Under the headline “A leap from a theatre balcony”, Tom Smithson, 26, a plater’s helper, appeared in court charged with attempting suicide at Stockton.

“Mr Paley Scott, for the prosecution, said the prisoner’s attempt was a sensational one. He threw himself over the rails of a balcony in a picture theatre at Stockton, and narrowly escaped falling on the head of a woman who would no doubt have been killed. He told a man sitting next to him that he was going over the rails and counsel submitted that the prisoner knew perfectly well what he was about.

“Prisoner, who was not seriously injured, said he had been drinking heavily all the week, and had got himself into such a state that he did not know what he was doing.”

It was up to Mr Justice Ridley to reach a verdict. He told the suicidal defendant: "I don’t believe your story about drink. You have not told me the truth. I had thought of letting you off, but I shan't now. Six weeks, with hard labour."

That must really have helped dispel the dark clouds of depression.

50 years ago (July 10, 1965)

The parents of Dorothy Sandra Newbould, nine, of West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, were claiming £400 damages from British Rail for the death of their daughter on express train from Newcastle to Nottingham on November 6, 1963, at Croft.

The court heard how a passenger had got off at Darlington at the last moment – the door was heard shutting as the train was beginning to leave.

When it was to the south of Darlington, the young girl, asked her parents if she might be excused from their compartment. Permission was granted, but out of the corner of her eye, Mrs Newbould noticed that as Sandra neared the toilet, she disappeared from view.

She dashed out, and “she saw Sandra with her hands outstretched on either side of the doorway. The door flew open and the child was sucked out in a rush of air and killed”.

It was up to Judge Clifford Cohen to reach a verdict. The paper said: “Dismissing Mrs Newbould’s claim, he said British rail carried out their duty to the best of their ability. There is no trace of negligence on their part.”

The report finished: “Costs will be awarded to BR as soon as the full circumstances of Mrs Newbould and her family are known.”

So rather than win any damages for the death of their daughter, the grieving family faced having to pay the court costs.