This report is from The Exeter and Plymouth Gazette of 14th May, 1831:
"RIVAL CARTERS - Wm. Crute, a carter, and Wm. Carter, a toll collector, appeared before the Bench, the latter charging the former with a 'diabolic' assault. It appeared that the carter had been summoned by William Carter for some evasion or contempt of the toll of the Heavitree-gate, and that as the parties were returning fom the Castle, Cruter had purchased a ha'penny cake which he shook at the complainant, and threatened to ram into his victualling office, but not by way of his mouth. He also called him a jew-looking ---- of an unmentionable sound: he also grinned at the complainant.
The Bench decided that for all these grinnings, cake shaking and hard names, the defendant should pay the costs, one shilling, and be admonished as to the future."
As might be expected, there was often trouble at the city's toll-gates. This carter, William Crute, had come out from Rougemont Castle, presumably having been fined by the magistrates, and had bought for himself a ha'penny cake. When he then, politically incorrectly surely, called Mr Carter, the toll-collector who had summonsed him, jew-looking and waved his ha'penny cake at him and moreover grinned and used bad language too coarse for the Gazette to print, he found himself in court again.
One can guess up what the carter threatened to ram his ha'penny cake. But what diabolic word is represented by the blank? And was the unmentionable sound no more than a fart?
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