The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-07-16 00:00:00

Ete 3toarinkt Obsetter

SATURDAY, JULY 16, 1887.

THE CASS CASE

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PUBLIC opinion, the mightiest of powers in
this country of ours, has brought about. an
inquiry into the action of a metropolitan
coastable who arrested a young wouaen st
nine o'clock at night on a ctiarge of die
orderly conduct in one of the most
quented thoreu fee-
gliferes of the West-cud, ad
removed her to the police-a..aion. Tile
prisoner protested that she had not com-
mitted any breach of the law as alleged ;
that she was a respectable girl recently er-
rived in Loudon and holding a situation as a
dressmaket'e ferewoman. She gave the
address of her employer, who, aftee. a little
etsay was communiceted with, and at once
: t_eiled tee stolen to tesiify to the truth
if tie statements made by fine unfortunate
occupant of the coils. . rile constable a ho had
taken the young woman irto custody alleged
that he ha'd seen her speak to or catch held
of several gentlemen, and that further she
was well known to him as a street, walker.
But Miss Cass, the accused, and Mrs Bow--
man, whose leading dress hand she was,
denied tee possibiiitt of the con-
stabl•
e's correctness, as the prisoner had not
been :n the habit of leaving the hense at
nieht since she nad entered upon the itaa-
tion a few weeks earlier, with excellent
references from a former employer of hers,
who had migrated from the North of Eng-
land to the metropolis, and who. is now re-
siding in London. This notwithstanding,
Constable Endaeott, who had made the ar-
rest," still 'persisted :in his story, and ac-
cordingly the girl Cass was brought before
Mr. Newton, the Marlborough-street magis-
trate next morning, and charged with so-
lieiting in the streets. The policeman re-
t peated on oath, with circumstantiality, the
,
stoey ho had given to the officer in cearge
of toe station on taking in Ids plieoner.
Miss Cass told her tale also, but with little
avail ; though Mrs. Bowman was in court
to exonerate her workwomaai to the be,4 of
her knowledge. She was not sworn, how.
ever, and Mr. Newton seems to have quickly
come to the conelasirm that .he "night :Ay
on the experience and reputed accuracy of
P.C. Endaeott, who is a policeman who liss
hitherto acquitted himself to the mavisterial
setisfaction, and also to that of his superior
officers, in this special duty, and has dis-
played marked zeal and ability as a constable
on nnuaerous occasions. Mr. Newton det
not, it ie alleged, extend much courtsey to
Mrs. Bowman, and gave scant credence,-
to what she had to say.
val.- ,alil appear to have been attached
by stipernii.ivy to the girl Cuss's denial?,
of or accueeie alieeations, and the case,
ins 1:• • itS' ITTAI is conclusion, peesonted
It- of the magistrate as one of.
sligetly doubtful sort, which, seeing tl,c.t
the erisouer had vet been befpre him on any
previeas eccasion, he might flttingly
charge by allowing Cass to go aboet her
business with a stern caution • that, if she be
innocent, must hare been painful to her in
the extt-enie. Said Mr. Newton : "If you
ar • a a spectable
,eirl, as you say yen are. do 't
wele about Regent-street at night, stappieg
mat; or if von do, after this warning, you
will ei her have to pay a flue or go to prisen.
N go away." To one who had abandoned
vi3:ie, and foand herself for the first Cele
in the dock, such an escape and sueh
lecture raieet possibly have been of good
service ; but e.-ea a pelice znaeistrate of old
standing, well- t eased in the appearance,
speeches, and actions of fallen women when
placed before him, ought to be quite sure
there is no pessibility of mistake in the evi-
deuce on which he grounds his assumptions
before uttering an admonition from the
bench which brands a girl ever aft rwards
with a fearful stigma. So thought the
friends of Miss Cass, and she was fortunately
in the position to move influential persons
who c.al.i speak as to her past life and re-
specteeeitty. A clergyman and a member of
Pa- Inimeni were able to trivt.; pubscity to the
Mestere-et Omit te tetee give
el.e had
a' been a wa!'...H.,e red girl. Qt.estions
Vsrt•ri'e as •.1 flee ilease of C(.)nmi,r4ni about
. r-Lci:ed little attention '
- apparently assuming
• •Ll,ni could do no wrorl.:7, did not
this gi; 1 whose peei.le avered
jen grossly wronged. Then a
;at M.P. than the first mover in the
• _ .•;.ghit, it up, and tardy notice wkis
affair. Mr. Matthews, however,
did not e'o thoroughly 'hit.° it, and toaLlic
opinion was aroused, and runeh inlj ation
eepee,ssed. At la.st a Governmeur defeat
was sust..-C.-.led on the quest:ott of whether an
inqniry sheuid take pla(.e into tl.e whole
affait ; and after all the inquiry had to be
held, the Home Secretory being thus smartly A CfMKET corn ,neut. It is rather amusing
and unelistakably rebuked for the want of to find-that whiie in .Englauci the hest bowl-
syrnrethy he ha-4 exhil+ed. Mr. Newton's i,g ean often 01)::( in a Tr.;astel7 over the best
• hi tie (use was referred to the Lord hati., hi .Ncr,- iuirJ Wales, where good
Chancellor, and Police-constable - Endacott trundlers as wed as wielders of tile, wLlow
was sriepeesices pendi:lg a puiaiie racial in.
a fl iniry into his enare in the matter. As both rminednitthwaatu ietee st tiK)hreis widenedy d
:e'rt;tre
feagieteae and constable are still, so to eight to nine ie-c.l-•es i the te.tsinen. en.: to
;peek, on tseir trial, it NV 011 Id Le highly im- he I.,eat-n. Iu th.e c t lit I ryeer
proeer to impart prejudice of any kind into at Lortl-13 Ground on Trie;i(i..cv, ti •i; U.
th semi-judicial examination of tne.facts by
_Platers, Barnes, t!.O :fames ...let—e, ' "'
ee
any too hasty eommeut or presentment of., -men, s put on t bowl, and so 'deat!ls,.?en
ab
particulars, which ha tie net as yet, necessar- e his attack that he look the wickets o* -1 lir.
ily, been subjected to that sifting whieh the W. G. Grace, Messrs. A. E. tStoddrirt,
gravity of the whole affair calls for. But ee Read, K. J. Kee, and the Hen. M.
we may proceed to remark that the Cass B. E l:e, iflve of the best of our aninteur
case is likely to do great good hy drawing bats en, for only six runs, and almost ml-
down public public attention to the state o! Regent- mediately afterwards secured the downfall
street and other London thoroughfares aftsr foe the al-enviable duckegg of Mr. Matchant,
nightfall. Vice certainly stalks abroad in the Cambridge captain, This was pie -
a meenee most shocking to eltuess, and eta n nomenallv excellent bowling to be sure, hut
the t eined eye of a, peliceman accuetomed 10 no one he; ein Britain—least of all any ere
pp of the noteessue butts upon which t..;: of tFe i7ertlenien wlien the lesOceeezials are
lit, Is 0, bin most do eengret;ate might. ra—vra-.A'.
uustitko a r‘optic.a.bie 4toiatiy 146 WO) assail lija. int