The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1888-01-28 00:00:00

MRS. WHYTE-MELVILLE'S

MONEY.
Before the Vice-Chancellor in Dublin, on Monday,
Mr. R. E. Meredith moved, on behalf of Mrs. Higgin-
son Whyte-Melville, for an ad interim injunction to
restrain her husband, the Rev. Higginson Whyte-Mel-
ville, from dealing with a sum of £l9OO, a portion of
a larger sum of £20,000, which has been assigned by
her to the defendant, and with respect to which an
injunction order had recently been granted by the
English Chancery Division. The affidavit in support
of the application referred to another affidavit of Mrs.
Whyte-Melville which had been used on the injunc-
tion motion in England, and which contained serious
charges of misconduct against her husband, some of the
details of this misconduct-having appeared in connec-
tion with the proceedings in the Dublin Police-court.
The Vice-Chancellor granted an ad interim injunction
against the defendant in the usual terms.

FLOIMISHING business—Ornamerital petunanship.

„•. . , ,

TRAFALGAR SQUARE,

ATTEMPT TO HOLD A MEETING.

Between three and four o'clock on Sunday after-
soon another attempt was made to set Sir Charles
Warren's pr Dclamation at naught by the holding of a
meeting in Trafalgar-square. It does not seem that
the essay was decided on by the leaders in the late
agitation for the purpose of raising a test case, as no
notice was given of the intended gathering, and the man
who spoke was not one of the heads of the "free speech"
movement. His name is Alfred Wicks, of Carlton-road,
Kentish Town, and, though he has been little heard of
in the later phases of the agitation, he was a promi-
nent figure at the earlier meetings of the "unemployed."
This man made his appearance in the square on Sun-
day afternoon in company with Arthur Gough, of
Euston-road—also known in connection with the
same demonstrations—and immediately began to
speak to a few people who quickly gathered round the
Nelson Column. The police who were on duty in the
neighbourhood at once ordered Wicks to desist, and
on his refusal took him into custody. Gough there-
upon struck Police-constable Ernest Cragg, 97 A, a
heavy blow on the helmet with a stick, breaking his
helmet, but not seriously hurting him. Gough was
then likewise apprehended, and both men were taken
to the King-street Police-station, where Wicks, who
described himself as a pianoforte tuner, was
charged with disorderly conduct, and attempting
to create a disturbance; while his colleague,
a joiner by trade, was charged with disorderly con-
duct, and assaulting the police. After striking Cragg,
Gough threw away his stick, but it was picked up and
found to be heavily loaded with lead at the upper
end, thus forming a very formidable weapon. Both
prisoners were in the evening allowed out on bail, Mr.
W. T. Stead, of the Pall Mall Gazette, being one of the
sureties for Gough. It may be added that the men
went into the square with apparently no attendants,
and that the action of the police in preventing the
meeting was variously criticised by the small crowd
which assembled, some of those present exhorting the
constables to take the prisoners off to gaol, and others
suggesting that they should be allowed a chance of
saying what they had to say.

At Bow-street on Monday, Alfred lliCkg, giving an
address in the Carlton-road, Kentish-town, and de-
scribed as a cabinetmaker, was charged before Mr.
Vaughan with disorderly conduct in Trafalgar-
square.
. Mr. Corrie Grant defended, and asked that sufficient
evidence only might be taken to justify a remand, as
he had only been hurriedly instructed, and it was de-
sired that the man should be properly defended.
Mr. Vaughan acquiesced in the suggestion.
Inspector Peters deposed that a quarter to four on
Sunday afternoon he saw the prisoner and 40 persons
following him. Witness said, "I understand you
intend holding a "meeting here." He replied, "Yes, I
have come for that purpose." Witness said, "You cannot
be permitted to do so. Be good enough to pass
away." He answered, "I shall not; I intend to hold
the meeting or be locked up."
Mr. Vaughan: Did he state what the meeting was
for P—Witness : Not then. He said, "If I have done
wrong lock me up." Witness remarked, "There is
no occasion for that if you go peaceably away." The
accused refused, and as the crowd commenced
hooting and surging about witness said, "You see
what the effect is, and that a disturbance is being
caused." Witness pressed against him to endeavour
to induce him to leave. He went to the south side of
the square, followed by the crowd shouting "Lock
them up," while others said, "Let them have fair
play." Defendant sat on a seat. At that moment a
man named Gough assaulted a constable. Witness
went to the spot, and on returning found Hicks in
custody.
Police-constable T. Prescott, 78 AR, stated that de-
fendant was removed from the plinth of the Nelson
column when he attempted to speak. Witness con-
firmed the evidence given by Inspector Peters. When
Gough was arrested defendant stood up on a seat on
the north side of the square. He commenced to speak,
and said: "Friends and fellow-workmen, I have come
here to test the rights of free speech." He refused to
get down, and was taken into custody. Fifty or 60
people weTe round him at the time. He went quietly
to the station.
Mr. Vaughan: What was the demeanour of the
crowd P--Witness: They created a disturbance by
hooting and halloian...
Police-constable Collier, 64 A R, gave corroborative
testimony.
Pefend?,nt was remanded.
Arthur Gough, a joiner, who stated that he resided
in the Euston-road, was charged with disorderly con-
duct and assaulting the police in the execution of
their duty in Trafalgar-square. _ _

„
Police-constable Craig, 97 A, stated that defendant
was parading the square with some disorderly people.
He stood on one of the seats and commenced shouting
and halloaing. Witness requested him to go away,
but he refused, and whilst the constable was enta-
youring to keep the people back defendant str. ck
him two blows with a stick on the helmet, which was
broken. The stick was a loaded one. Gough thew
it up in the air and shouted, ” Go for it,'" but anotii
constable seized the stick, and the prisoner was lar-
p
rested.

with
jHe
squire
A
assault
:L.

Inspector Peters deposed that defendant was
Hicks in the square, and was advised to leave.
did not reply, but went to the north side of the
with Hicks and the crowd, followed by the police.

struv,gle ensued, and witness saw defendant
the last witness with a stick.
A remand was ordered in this case also.