The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-09-07 00:00:00

CHARGE AGAINST A POLICE-OFFICER.-

COIONE4.'§.4O-44liEST:

te.AtVid4y , llr. Ctisr:t: the eoroneCheid aiiinoitest
• • •
on the body of Eayw:td, & gasf:tter's wife, who
lid at 9 Court, off Bolton-street, whose death was
attributed to injuries inflicted on her by police-officer
David Radcliff,sNo. 657. The officer was not in cus-
tody, nor was there any formal charge pending, legally,
at present against hiin; he was present at the investi-
gation, which caused much attraction. Mr. Mick
appeared on the part of the deceased's husband, and
Mr. Cobb was watching the case . for the policeman.
The first witness was James Haywood, the husband of
deceased. Rig-statement was that on the evening of
the 13th August he heard that his wife was hurt in
Rupert-street, and went there and saw her bleeding,
and fodnd a wound on the:side of her head. She was
removed to the Royal infirmary. She said a policeman
had strut her with his Stet on the head kild-arms, and
other parts of the body., She died on Wednesday
evening. In answer to Mr. Cobb, he said his wife's
sister had sonic quarrel then with' a man, who was the
father of a child that she had.

Mary M'Donald stated that on the evening in
question, she saw the deceased and her sister, Margaret
Irving, passing along Copperas-hill ; the latter was
.under the influence of drink at the tithe. They were
talking together, when a man:named William Hartigan;
with Whom the Itil'*#jiyyaf4ftsqo
c fadved hizic, When they had scrip an -
words. The policeman came up just as Hartigan went
away, and, shoved them - - •

ana tom
them to go away. The deceased asked why he shoved
her? :He sent them on, and followed them till they
got to a public house at the corner of Rupert-street,
where a scuffle- took place, aud witness going up, she
saw Irving kicking and fighting with the policeman and
another officer. A large crowd of people then collected,
and she heard cries of "murder," "shame," and "don't
kill the Woman." The deceased was carrying a child,
and seeing her sister exhausted, said to the officer,
" Good God, don't kill my sister." On that he drew
his staff, arid struck her a blow on the head with such
violence that it cotild be heard sonic distance off. The
deceased had not intelTered with the officet in any 'T :IV
at the time, ihitt Witfiess obs'erktd. The blow staggered
hit, and slie Mt her kind tie, her head, arid seeing blood
from she cried 0ut,."1 -am a murdered woman."
She only saw the policeman hit her once.

Mr. Cobb cross-examined the witness, with the view
of showing that she (deceased) had acted improperly and
indecently. to the policeman,.andt that he,struck in self-
defence, to get rid of the womac. ; but the witness said
she did not see what Was allhded to.

Mr. John Hughes, a tallow ,chandler, carrying on
business at 9, Rupert-street, was examined, and gave
general evidence of a row : but did not see any officer
strike any one, although he saw them in contact with
the women; so far as bandy-grips went, and saw one of
the women fall on the flags, with the back of her head
to theta.

To Mr. Black, he said he did not see what happened
in Warien-,street. The police were badly handled, but
not by, the woman.

'ro Mr. Cobb--qte said he never saw police more
badly handled by the crowd, which was great ; the
police had their staffs in their hands, bat did not sea
them strike—in fact, they showed great forbearance.
Their 'hats were knocked , off, and stones_thiown; and
then 4etput. up his shatters. The row lasted nearly an
hour.-. Did not See the police exceed their duty.
To Mr. Black—The witness said the women went
away after quarrelling With Hartigan,
Eliza SWift, who lives ,wt 30, Wfaren-gtrcet, gave
evidence as to the row, and said she saw the officer alict
the iviiman squabbling, and she struck him and he
struck her with his staff, and she-struck him after that.
To Aft. Cobb—She said the crowd behaved cruelly to
the police, who showed great forbearance.

To Mr. Bluck—The crowd took part with the
women, of coarse.

Mary M'Arthur, who lives in Rupert-street, stated
about the general row, and that she saw the officer
strike the woman ; but she could not say if he was in
danger from the deceased at the time or not, but the
crowd were cruel to the officer. She imagined the
policeman triceetied his duty.

Robert Edwards, a baker, gave evidence of the row,
and said the deceased. struck the policeman—not Rad-
cliffe, but another officer, who was in the quarrel. He
could not say. if Radcliffe's life was iu danger, but he had
to do a little in self-defence.

In reply to; Mr. Cobb, he said the crowd was the
hirgesi he had seen; and never saw any one exercising
greater forbOrance than the police. The deceased was
excited; did not see . Radcliffe do anything unfair,
except in his own defence. The officers were puslieci
:about, and he used his staff in self-defencef and if he'
had not used it he would have been in danger.
Mr. Black—And was he justified in striking the
woman after the manner he did ?—I don't know after
the manner, but he had a right to use it. Never said
the policeman got what he deserved.

An lid Pitt, the wife of_ a provision dealer, said that
she saw the fight, mid a large crowd there. The deceased
kicked the policeman violently in the abdomen ; and.
after,that he struck her one blow only, but before that
he showed every. forbearance. Had he not struck the
deeensed he would have been torn to pieces. The
woman bled very much. When he struck the blow sha
considered his life in danger.
Mr. Bluck—This evidence is certainly unexpected.
Did you see the 'first of it ?—No. She struck him in.
various parts of ihe body.
Henry Hobart said he saw the row, and saw the
deceased and her sister strike the officer, and thought his
life in imminent danger at that time, as the crowd' were
more like devils than human beings.
Mr. Bluck—These two witnesses alter the case ma-
terially, and T will not now call any more evidence .on
my own judgment, but ray client does not appear satisfied.
The witness, in reply to Mr. Cobb, said he would have
used more violence than the officer, and would not have
stood it so long. •
Mr. Bluck again said he was satisfied, but his client
said he could, produce more witnesses, who could not be
present until
-this day. _

The further hearing of the case was then adjourned
till three o'clock this day.

WORKHOUSE COMMITTEE.

The_usag Weekly meeting of this committee was held
at the board-room, Brownlow-hill, yesterday, —Mr_
Churchwarden Cropper in the chair. The other mem-
bers present were—Messrs. Satcheli, Scott, Williams,
Peck, Goodacre, and Broom.
OFFICIAL RETURNS.

Prom the governor's returns it appeared that the
number in the house last week was 1762, this day, 1851,
showing an increase of 84; for the same period last.
Year the number was 1726, showing an increase _in the
year of 125. The number of vagrants relieved was 155
men, 107 women, and 40 children—total, 302; being
an increase of. 52 upon the corresponding period of last
year. 'The number of medical cases under treatment
was 483, showing an increase of 44.

ALLEGED MISAPPROPRIA.TION.OF RATIONS BY THE
•-' ' OFFICERS%

A rather lengthy correspondence which had taktn place
between the law-clerk to the board and some officials.
connected with the Kendal Union relative to some state-
ments said to have been made use of by a Mrs. Gatter,
one of the Brownlow-hill nurses, who at the present,
time is labouring wider ill health. The statement it
was stated that she had made was in effect that the
officers of the Liverpool 'Union could not consume the
rations supplied to them, and that they got rid of them
by selling them Or' Sing them away, and if they had a
wish they could always get leave of absence for all
night, and when they had a respectable friend call and
see them they could have a mutton chop and a bottle of
porter. Several parties 'stated, in their answer to the
board, that they had heard Mrs. Gatter make use of
such observations in reference to the management of the
Liverpool Workhouse.

At the suggestion of the Chairman. the discussion of
the subject was to be held in abeyance until such a tirao
as Mrs. Gatter could be in attendance, although it was
understood that she had denied that she had ever made
such statements.

.
The sib,jot-theh dppp_ed.
, .
THE CATHOLIC AND PROTESTANT CHILDREN ,TN THE

INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS.

A communication-Was read from the Poor-law Board,.
enclosing
.14ter which had been addressed to Lord'
. Cotirtenay, by the Rev. Thomas Roscoe, of 16, Warren-
street. This letter, which was an exceedingly lengthy
document, detailed-all the facts connected with the three
children, named Buchannan, who had been admitted into
the Workhouse on the death of their mother, and sub-
sequently, as reported in the _Daily Times, a discussion
took place at the meeting of the committee, as to whether
the children were to be entered upon the books as Catho-.
lice or Protestant& Mr. Roscoe contended that-the facts
adduced on that occasion clearly proved that the children
were Catholics ; yet, notwithstanding, they had been
entered on the books as Protestants; and the document
concluded by expressing a regret that the-Catholic body
should have such frequent complaints to make to the
General Board as to the conduct otguardians in settling
what religion a child should be.

The CRA..I.II.IIAti said he scarcely knew what steps to
take with the letter.- The case had been heard hcfoie
the committee, and decided upon. The two boys had
been entered as Protestants, and the girl as a Catholic ;.
but since then the girl had refused to be a Catholic, or
to go to that place of worship, so that in fact they were
all Protestants.

Mr. PECK said he considered that the decision of the
committee was against common sense and reason.
The CHAIRMAN considered that it was very strong lan-
guage to say that the committee had conducted them-
selves without reference to reason or common sense.

.Mr. PECK said he had differed most materially from the
majority on the occasion, and he thought ho had coin- .
mon sense on his side ; therefore he stated that decision
was against reason and common sense. (Laughter.)
The Rev. Rector CAMPBELL—Then PUT