The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-07-22 00:00:00

THE DIVISION ON THE ARMY BILL.

The debate on the Anny RegulaGai Bill wino not
brought to a close until about half-past one o'clock on
Tuesday morning, when the crowded state of the Con-
servative benches, by comparison with the attendance
upon the Ministerial sides, made the result of the
division no longer doubtful. The probable defeat of
the Government was indeed alluded to by Lord Gran-
ville towards the close of his speech. Great excitement
prevailed during the division, as the cross voting on
both sides rendered the exact number of the majority
doubtful up to almost the last moment. Four
members (of the Episcopal Bench who remained
to the close of the debate all voted for the Govern-
ment—namely, the Archbishop of York, and the
Bishops of Ripon, Exeter, and Manchester. Lords
Derby, Stanhope, Lytton, and one or two other
Conservative Peers, crossed the floor and went into the
Ministerial lobby, while Lords Overstone, Russell,
Grey, Dalhousie, Romilly, Stratheden, and Vivian left
the party with which they generally act, and voted for
the Duke of Richmond's amendment. There was con-
siderable cheering when the numbers giving the Con-
servatives a majority of 25 were taken to the Woolsack
by Lord Skelmemlale, the new Opposition " Whip,"
and announced by the Lord Chancellor. The division
was witnessed by Prince Oscar of Swerlen and his
suite, and General Schenck, the American Minister,
was present during a considerable portion of the de-
bate. Several Peeresses occupied seats in the Ladies
Gallery.

The muster of 285 peers was a considerable one, and
only twice during the past twenty yearn has it been ex-
ceeded. On June 29, Dir,S, when the Suspensory Bill
was rejected, 259 niJble lords voted, and twelve months
later 325 peers personally recorded their votes ii the
second reading ‘4 the Irish Church Disestablishment
Bill. Even in the memorable division on 1. rd Palmer-
ston' Danish policy, in July, 11,464, only 242 peers
were in the House. Om the present oceasnai the vote
of the Episcopal Bench is remarkable for the absence
of the Bishops from the Opponithm MUT. lln the
Suspensory Bill the prelates voted 21 against, and
none for; ,ffi the Irish Church, Ifl against, and one for;
and on the foreign policy t•f Lord Palmerston, they
were 11 to one in favour of the Ministry.

THE ELTHAM MURDER,
On Saturday, at the Central Criminal Court, in
London, the trial of Edmund Walter Pook (which
commenced on Wednesday), for the murder of Jane
Maria Clousen, at Eitham, was resumed. The parti-
culars of the ease are well known to our readers,
and we do not, therefore, recapitulate them. After
Mr. Iluddlestone had addressed the jury for the pH-
soner, and the Solicitor-General for the prosecution,
Lord Chief Justice Bovin at hail -past two o'clock com-
mencml summing up the case to the jury. After 'gating
the technical form of the charge, his Lordship said :

It was their provinee, and their provitar alone, to determine
whether that chalge hail been established against the pri-
soner. In all eases of this serious and important kind it was
Impossible that popular feeling should not be exhibited on
one side or the other, but in that coed all such .a.identtions
must be ilismiseed from their minds, and they meet be guided
alone by the sworn evidence that hail been laid before them.
The prisoner', month was clos.l, and all he could do was to
bring facts to the knowledge of the jury through the months
of others, and if the evidence he liail brought forward Wag
satisfactory tii them, they might to acquit the prisoner. Ile
would observe that in every case it was the duty of the
Jury to look mi.t attentively at the evidence of the
witnesses, anal it costal hot its forgotten that in
this case two findoubteilly false witnesses hall conic for-
ward to give evidence with regent to the purchase of the
hammer. The persons he referred to were Conway and
Perrin, and 1w had no hesitation in expressing his opinion
that the legal advisete of the Proem ought to look carefully
at the evidence given by these persons, and if they con-
sidered the evidence sufficient to justify a prosecution for
perjury, these peremis ought to lie ptoeeistte.l. Withsrehntr.l
to the, ltla of the tastier.; he Weight thee hail ,mpe her,
wrong in not bringing all the facts before the emelt. the
Indite hail no right to keep back any facts, and the result
of such a proceeding might be that the jury would con-
vict am itomeent 11. i., mei time Milne 511,4 t,1e,1 the ease
might be ilistrumeidal 111 curtsying oin sorb a i ebbe,
owing ti his being ignorant of all the huts of the case.
The police in this case had no right to) have kept from the
knowledge of every one the fact of the discovery of the
bloody rag, which was a most important 'ingredient in the
Inquiry. -it was iiroved that seine itpula Of lilood. Which
arptareg ttl little 41.011111,11 itoal a peinon who had
paed were ballet 111,011 a littale, and between that Slag,
and the grounds of Midden College. where the hammer
Was fOUlal, and it was ideally most importaut that this
matter should have beme initillesil +eh, ^nil Yet the fact
WIN only elicited „. the iiiiid slay of this trial, and through
the rot tabula of the able counsel vs Ito hail conducted
the defence. In his iiiiinion the police hail also gone
much beyond their duty in not only questioning the prisoner,
but in making false statements tit him, and 111'10 hail clearly
been done by Inspector Malvin.* That a ti,t..t's Wall:nous
and cruel trildhs 1'0... "V:l4 coinntitted there was no doubt,
and l'ac police appeared to have acted mailer the Impree-
sion that the murder was committed I.y some one by whom
the poor girl was in the family-Way, and, who, on that
account, wished to destroy her ; lout he felt bound to say
that he could not discover R tittle of evidence to whow
-
that any familiarity hail exitteil isS,Seq tht pi:bone d r an
the dee-we-J. s'sd te.st thil alleged motive on his rad A correspondent, writing from Greenwich nu the
for lbw Vihitaissein of the critne h off ad irely failed. Pith instant, has
.alail sent the following letter to the
The Pollee, however, hail chosen to ennsider that there htal papers for vindiCation •-- .
been an ialtillliley between the partici, that here toil on ilr. DiAllt, if s:aust,fai, Ntibifii, iind til.lining the tatbllc
been correspOndence betweitti , the"- . ''-'',,l, tisii. , the thoriatalifare hi front of the house of Mr. Pook, the father of
prisoner had rite's het e. ioeliel, and altlaalga there the unfortunate young 111tM wins was acquitted last week of the
WWI 110th,I.:,; to aupport tither of these Sagge.4ioaa, the charge of sunnier, has been thronged by a vast mob, which,
police bail gone on acting upon the sum... Ration that besides committing other outrages, has for hours together
they actually existed, and ems erroneous opinion ap- raised Itellsciesi Yelle: and screams. mixed with shouts
peered to have fonned the foundation of ell their ion. lit • tpiy.,l',:i-,•. - eolkti Stet tta ilk, Iso,t nieht tide
eredingii. A very Mtn°, rt-ant oneetliat fi',..- then consideration disturlsitice continued till past two o'clock, and was
was at what lea, Pee ....Miller wall committed, the evidence then as vigorous aa ever. That such breaches of IH:see
being that Os two o'clock in the morning the police-constable should be attempted is, perhaps, not surprising to any
Gunn hail passed the place, attil at that time nothing Wilt line who knows anything of the Royal tan...null of Green-
seen of the deceased, and nothiug was Peel% of bet Until tyur Wieb " bet that .ao . steps ahonid be taken to quell
o'clock. It the Mat lki. VW, 111 te.lpk ••I fri',-t l'inlnln e".. 'do io ni..y ',lig IAI iLL :..Th''.l:.' v^" l'- 1. ee WI e.f.; I'ag!ll.lfht.
"W". n two a" f°U. o:ltak. •he Prisoner could unit have a few policemen might be seen hovering near tin hji„.h, 2. 'il
been the thltrilerer, because it wasshown that he was at home truss time to time vindicating the majesty of the law by
at nine o'cli.ek, and that he remained at Ids fatlicr's house un- railing nimai a child to move on ; lad the mob in perMitted
fit the following morning. They were aware of the divitilful to manifeat its larty initamatimi utariteek.l, and is rmardell
character of the injuries that had been ',inlet.' main the de- by the paid maintainers of order with a sort if digitated
ceased, ali.l it wont ,Pledth al for tbentry to cominlet, dim.. 0 .flog I.„...iptv. It :Coita b l eo m ti. ImePoite „to jiaittairf why the
the t„„h
e,.s. to tete,. nenn eon...anted at tin..... o _lots, U neiliel
young Wall Mil.. eNeilltiajoil It..r; -:.n: 7 ''.l.eo .4th rode,
the ed.. of dn. tie:eased by assistance must lad have been fact. and even enthusiasm by the eatable world should
health and it was proved that a number of persons passed be the victim of the cowarill,v attacks of Ideal vituperation.
the spot at the time in question. Another important watt tor My oldeet in addretalng Yoe Is to ask whether the Govern-
their consideration was Whether it, was possible that these mein cannot lekr Jamie atm. ti; preteet Indirlditals under
dreadful tattled' 'ne'ildhsi-e 10,sen tefilet'sll'lie''. the ti':•'..e.ised its care irom such attacks, aim .... ii:aintSill .10.• rorwil
without a large itnanitly of Mood being upon her murderer, peace. Ity sending an adequate force of the Xletropolitan
and ivhether if the prisoner was the murderer, a attach Police to Greenwich the II • Secretary could surely put
larger quantity of blood would not have been trend upon an end to the lawless proceedings I have described. The
his clothes than was actually discovered. The learned judge G,,,,,,,,,,,..t tios,...gh its omeaais, has ...mt.' many a
then proceeded to read OVer 'Mita of the evidence, and said grievous WrOtar towels's the yousig man tried for iiiii rder
it auto has the jury to onisider whether the peleonsr hod not laid wsck .aln I" not 1.11,,e,1,10., tirsligh thew +Mae oithrialik
given a reasonable sesmant for the Mods In thief' hh had to miality tit", 'MOM "leis c't its IJusiildpg litmtpacity?
r'''''''t t!''' l'I.'"I tlit.11)" Clettle Pe thirst'44'4 tl'h e'-'' It niay, inxltans, he Rt s sed oii ilii 'diet I ::::...e es: rctiej"tat
dence !elating to the o...t.encee loONelliellt* Oa the ance whatever with Mr. rook or any member of his family,
might ot she Murder, and then call.' attention I wain; solely on mire grounds,
to the evidence id the police officers respecting the
statement made to them by the prisoner. Ile pointed out
that Inspector Iltilvetly said the prisoner told Motile wore an
overcoat, and then afterwards recollected it was a blue over-
coat, whereas he Nthl }oef, ire the magistrate that the prisoner
told him that he s thought " it wee an oars-rout, rett tben
afterwards said tt was n. Mom tet.sir east, . Jr( tainslethe the
.t.tementa acre thn Nntie, 1e"5., the 1.1 g" tag oui 14 a word
might ewsit eX. A dittel rut inipreesion. the should prefer
the exact words, because ait exureesion got a tinge when
lit was altered. There was a slight difference, hut he did
not find these differences entirely favourable to the prisoner.
Then about the shirt, it WWI mentioned on if there had been
an intention of hiding it. The witneaa further stated
I examined it, and on the limier edge of leob 1,H.,1S I
found stain!! nt I.lned " r.-os, .x.plicsing that shirt hail .
Keen lost or tint it, and such evidence hail been given, and
they hail not been able to see the shirt, would it, or would
it not, have made an impression upon them' lie had seen
the shirt, and he COUld not find the same mark or stain on
the left wrist that there Was on the right. They could take
the shirt and look alit themselves. The inspectoethou told
the prisoner that he wonid, take tea tat," 4...eV:i11' Mt alp-
pleion if his-my tinelit!Vcil Jaffa Itana Climsen. What
wan Ord to'm p From having seen that little mark of '
blood st The pri.iner said, - Very well ; I will go with
you anywhere." The learned judge then referred to other
Imitate in the evidence of the officers, and codunroled
in a very emphatic inalauer oro: tht at:dement Id
superintendent tartan" hi his evidence in chief that the
prison, illd not deny the impatatioll that he was to have
met the deceased on the night of the murder whereas It
tamed out upon erosaidecandnatton that he Obi most nosh
lively deny that Ile hail mole Ong Repotatitient so meet her
If this hail not been found out the pity Haight have convicted,
end he might have sentenced to death ass innocent man on a
Statement that was utterly untrue. (This observation was
received with applause, which wax immediately soppeessed,
and the Ladd Justice sild he would mind, ntil-ons it an in.
dulged in such yynressions. of feeling, either on the one side
or the other.) lie went on to say that he did not attribute to
the witness that he had Made a wilftit misstatement, but
whether it was intentional, or merely done through careless:
nese, the remit Might lIti) e been equally deplorable; and
Ile urged nrims the police the importance of taking
down in writing statements that were made to them.
Ile next alluded to the letter svritten by the prisoner to
Miss Mundialh after his apprehension, upon which the
Solicitor.Genetal had commented, and rentarked that it illli
just such a letter as all i iiiii Went Malt ,alellt will,' upon the
subject talent which it eas ti 'Alen. 111.. asked the jury to
consider it there was any thing in it that indicated guilt. In
concluding, he remarked that lie hail directed their attention
to the principal points which they would have to ...insider.
Ile hail not read the whole evideure i's the "riles in edition it
wwia.shgledveithrle.yoll,toerwtiotteseeeiore
I,elaiettoivfeariagly Itii;lasi,lehn,itatit.ot;.thierjeunlyi,
Ile would .lo SO, hut he believed, In a trial which Inui lasted
till that time, and which had received their most earneat
attention, that when he had directed their attention to the
important points of the esee, and read the evidence affecting
these points, he rendered them greater assistance than toy
reading the evidence over front beginning to end. lie 110 W
left it to them to say whether their cobs. btaces and their
minds were satisfied that the primmer at the haw was guilts' of
the murder of Made bine I 'hills.ll If the evidence eatlstied
Llii,trg
ut litiatty 1:t
hut it
it; et
ItLlyn iht,,nlialtintyit
dt eolithltie4etehi le,
ht.h.tttyt,
ear' ntliiled
.fi.ans."
, according to our law, entitled to the benefit of that doubt.

Knowing my son to be thoroughly innocent of the foul and
cruel charge which was brought against him, I appeal to
you in the name .4 justice and In the name of humanity that
redress may be afforded Me, and that the conduct of tombs
and Mutt-city may be immediately inquired into.
Thanking Mr. Iluddleston (whose addresses to the jury
have rebhun been stiryntased , Mr. Ilarittatc at, Mr. Ileslcy, and
Mr. straight, the counsel for toy sm., for their unflagging
exertions prior to and during the trial and Mr. Henry l'ook,
ray attorney, for his untiring energy and perseverance at all
times, day and night, sinee my scat was taken into custody
gat the let cif May. I leave my Wrongs to the Press, a tribitual
to which MI injured prison never yet appealed in
remain, the., EBENEZER WHITCHER
July M.

TM:MT, duly 18.
The town of Greenwich, for several hours hist night,
and op to even midnight, was the scow the meet
disgraceful and disorderly exhibition on the part of a
mob Of some 3,000 or 4,00 b persons, Who lied assembled
in front of the residence id the parent,' if the youth
whose idaird t,, an entire acquittal hail been so fully
procvsL The mob's feeling Was ime id opisisition and an-
noyance at the finding of jury, and a similar feeling
having been exhibited on the night of Saturday a com-
nmnication Was it-Meta( ',done! Heuilerion, 'hief Com-
missioner of Police, in order topreventa repetition of the
outrage. An answer WM received from Captain Bahia-
mondiere that the threatened procession of effigies and
the Coe4ced:4Mo if any mob woorld be prevented ; but,
notwithstanding this, e 1,411, t.viick, con-
taining the effigy a person in female. Attire, with a
man using a plasterer's hammer, in the act of com-
mitting turd-c, an parroted thronuh the town. From
this Bine cronds beau hi assefuldr, the vimetintendent
and two or three inspectors id thee, with a few con-
stables, were on the Spa, but their inertness allowed
the coed to increase, and the yells and whistling
and other m &es represented a perfect Babel, and during
the modify a cotnnhite stop tins put to liminess.

(From Tuesday'a Times.)

Every one who has read the trial is satisfied with the ac- $
quittal .1 the 'tan
te'oar, Pook, sod nerve, that thir, Jury ,
conk, to,„:„„,„1,.,„„„1. ekisitre, oi eildcal`e olete them.
It P. satitta: to t,,gret. Witt elliptcl
remain um bed, and if we are not mistaken, the
shot made on the public by this case is likely to produce
some effect on the machinery of criminal picture. It
would, indeed, be hardly posdble to have a more strik-
ing instance of the deficiencies of our present system.
In all that concerns the inquiry into the crime, the collem
tion utevitlettee, a,rul the ntpuagentent of prosecutions, it is
a-. .115 . lel.' li Is tO. lx*Vera
have so much criticized : and the faults of the two ace neatly
of the same kind, though they spring from exactly opposite
causes, the French erring through excess of formality, and we
through having none at all. Tin fact is, as may be perceived
byany reader of this ease, that active under an aliminist ration
of policenten. Policemen put the whole apparatus of the
erint'ital II " "1 ft,ntr,,_.4.. qte o,,i!otn! ....I— I o-e,. or.
crime till the prisoner stands ht the deck they have it all their
own way. On their own responsibility they examine
into the case, collect tire ceidenue. of !witnesses, .nleet what
they please, mention of are client tavola ttrh 41,11 aria inci-
dent, lie Hoot, the O.OOOE, Inv MM. tido 1,150. r, pltt kiln
through a private examination, take him before the magis-
trate, conduct the case before that functionau. supply the
matter for the prosecuting counsel's briefs, and are the prin.
vipal witnesses at the trial. In fact, tlwy do in an
liregnilir nun iy dclrrrted in
itg.ttltiort VA:l=r
,fultAti,!.ts
, fall in this country to the Public Prosecutor, 11 i.gn.
! conservatism and the public indifference would permit the
41111/111)41ClIt if such an officer.. More than 011ee of late
J.,pdgealieve expressed surprise .at the part, the police have
weft fuaullitted t.s *Mangle in the mituamment of prosecu-
tions. In rrllilil,vrieoa rrnrlrl,c cases, oi thk: iodate pads
little attention, there are bitter complaints run the part of
piteous's, 6141 those complainta are certainly not always
without justice. This elevation of the Police to the func-
tions of Judges,of Instructlun is very fax from just or expe-
dient. It would neier i.e told eed If 0! aff'"'ted Cr. anY
appreciable degree the higher or middle thetses of society.
In the multitude if cases the facts are 'dela, and no grpat
wrong may be Mine ; but every now arid then something
comes to light whit% reeekli Oh &Inger of the rysten.l.
! Inset:Mot ft, lieterLitee,
stables belong essentially to the mune enter, and should be I
kept to the duties, important, though subordinate, which I
are flttml for them. 111 in well administered system they
should he emphtyed in the trucking out of crime, lint the use I
to be made of. the inhumation they obtain ought not to de- '
pond on thettexemcz. /1.; two tranctlone
should be distinct There might be men originally in the
Police who would prove their capacity for the higher
sphere, mid no one would oppose their promotion, but
in that case they should Ire taken entirely out .if the Police
Force. Au it is, the class of men who practically put
the cri I law in hdve have but a very indifferent educa-
tion for the purpose. The faculty they have most eultivatml,
by w hick they have risen, and 01. 611101 1110' pride them-
selves Is gliarinegs. "I lies 're no, lo we," f AN,. in." Their
wits hive iwen inifiroVed lip incesmbi, kv't't
vilest mut of mankind. They are always al their guard
against low cunning, grogs imposture, barefaced lying,
affected innocence, ready and glib excuses. In dealing
with all the foram of coarse and shallow criminality
they are, no doubt, efficient. Rut habitual can ll i ll als,
Omagh a maiming, are by no means *it intelligent race.
There is probably not much originality in them ; their
tricks are an !reflation, their lying IA conventional. It
is easy to understand that a eleter act/v.lre nand 601111 know
the world of thieving by art. lIC 11r1111:0111111ir rineMes, he
has S goon memory for faces, he is well versed in the topo-
graphy of the London "slum and conies an conies to think himself
Infallible. Bat the same man employed to trace out a case
which involves the characteristics of a different kind of life
is often at fault. His knowledge c!f human nature is derived
from thieves or garotters, or else fnen such simple types as
dressy maidaervents. or betting tattlers who may have lwell
occasionally implicated ill cases that have come under his
notice. lie concludes that all persons will act like them,
and he Ithunlers accordingly.
In the Eltham murder we mind the polite, in spite of their
experience, wholly at fault as to the very noliments of the
detection of crime. They make a few inquiries, and they
conceive that there are circumstances of susphion againat a
particular young 41611. What these animinted to we know
from the trial : they, at loud, fett so far short Of pm"( that the
Pary was bound to and the prisoner Sur Guilty, and did so
Mid him. Yet these policemen ctn.., firm the very first,
to assume the guilt of Pooh, and behaved an if the testi- ,
molly they had sought out or which had been volunteered
in the neighbourhood was conclitsiVe. The conduct if in-
spector Muir eny and Superintendent thiffin bras as stupid as
it was reprehensible. They evidently entertained the notion
of inducing rook to confess by frightening him with false in-
telligence. They insisted that Inc had written a letter to the
mumlered girl At another time he was told the deceased
had said lie had given her a locket, alre having said nothing
of the kind, and the locket having, in fact, been given her
by another 1111111. The police, it would appotr, hav-
ing once nisi& up their minds that he was guilty, and
Smiling that the facts did not carry thrill vely far,
thought to supplement the ease by the prisoner's inlinimions.
They were disappointed, and, of course, when what they had
been doing 1111416 out at the trial, it produced the very worst
effect, and in itxelf made an acquittal ainweit neemsary. ho
much fur the attempt of tb...6 .eif-,on.titutod inquiritors to
iaatato tho &rim 01 torcisa " inanG4ion."- Wig

The Jury retired to consider their verdict at a
nuarter to nine, the onniming up having occupied
inure than six hours. They returned to the court in
about twenty minutes, and their names having been
read,
Mr. Avery, the clerk of arraigns, asked them if they
had agreed upon their verdict.
The Foreman said theyinul.
•

„.-
Mr. Avery: Do you bud the prisoner guilty or not
guilty?
The Foreman: We find him Not Guilty.
The announcement WAN received with loud cheers
which were immediately taken up and repeated by a
crowd of two or three hundred persons who had been
patiently waiting during the day, in the thoroughfare
outside the court house for the result of the triaL
The Jury, before separating, expressed their concur-
rence in the observations which had been made by the
hi a Justice relathe to the loose way in which the evi-
dence had been presented by the police.

The Daily News thus describes the scene in Court on
Saturday :
Inning the earlier stages of this remarkable trial, the pub-
lic interest had been but slightly manifested. lint on Satur-
day. As evening wore on, and the second adjournment tank
pla,, the vacant seats became tilled, and the weariness
which had before been visible about the court disap-
peared. The Judge's scarlet gown, with brawn silk
sleeves and black velvet facings, was conspicuous in the
gloom, and Newgate, through the window behind the
jury, grimmer and greyer than before. The tall, straight
sword of justice, sheathed in scabbard of maroon velvet
and gold ov,r the Lwow of the seat of judgment, hiaue
Ills a cross before the prizon,r, upon whom the cluster-
ing Lices in the ‘d.liery behind baked down inquiringly
bat rah no temtoins of gaiety. 4oubt as to Um malt fit