The Express.
London, England, 1855-06-29 00:00:00

THE POLICE COURT&

BOW-STRRET.
Aka Burrell sad Richard Surforseerd were charged be-
fore Mr. Hall with a violent assault upon George Mead, a,
eonstable of the F division.
The officer was attempting to dispene a mob of the
worst characte whenitreet, Drury.lano, on Wedges-11
day &florae's, he found it necessary to take ono of
the ringlembees into custody. The prisoners immediately'
acenassesd • @cowardly attack upon him, rescuing their ,
ossiaporsien, sea striking and kicking the officer is the
loos and body until he became completely ezhaustod. The I
arrival of eras other coostables led to the apprehension of I
the prisoners. after they had ones escaped.
I Inspector Dodd said the complainant was brought to the
station in a frightful state, hie face bruised and bleeding, his
eyes blackened, and his uniform torn to pieces.
Mr. Hall, alter 'awning his regret that mattestratas
had no power to inflict an adequate amount of punishment
upon man charged with these violent assaults on the police
in the discharge of their duty, committed the two prisoners
each to a month's hard labour.
The prisoner Eluttoawood was charged with a similar
assault a few days previously, by a gentleman who had
remonstrated with him for ill-treating a child. On that oc-
casion, the officer having described him as a convicted thief,
the prisoner said to Mr. Henry, " There the officer is woes.
I admit I have lived by thieving for many years, but I hens
never been once convicted of felicity. I have been pushiest
for assaults, but
it was a bold statement to make in court of justice, and fined
him the full penalty of bl. for the assault In question or
two months' imprisonment. The fine was immediately paid,
and the minds at the pollen-dation show that on the night
of the assault a gentleman in Osilled•strest was robbed of
3W. in the same neighbourhood, being at the time too midi
intoxicated to identify his emanate.
HAMMERSMITH.
James Rockley, a sergeant in the Royal West Middles*:
Militia, stationed at Turnhans-green, was charged with
neglecting to maintain his wife and four children, whereby
they had become chargeable to the parish of Fulham.
Mr. Poynter expressed some surprise at a soldier being
brought before him upon such a charge, as he had no power
to deal with the case, that offence, together with an affilia-
don order, being particularly mentioned in the Mutiny Act,
which prevented any soldier from being brought before the
magistrate, or that he should be held liable for any of those
offences.
Mr. Parkins Jones said that was the very question Ors
board of gnsrdians wished to have tried for their Mars
guidance. The prisoner had been promising week after
week to contribute towards the maintenance of his wife
and children, and not having dens so the board felt it to
be their daty to proceed against him.
Mr. Poynter wished to know if the prisoner beloard
the embodied militia ?
The Prisoner said he did, although he was not ordered to
accompany his regiment, which bad within the last few
days left 'Tarnham- green for Plymouth, on their way to
Malta ; but he would have to remain on duty with a few
others at head-quarters. He wished to know under what
authority he had been locked up.
Mr. Bunter observed that if he had known that the
prisoner belonged to the embodied militia he certainly
should not have granted a warrant. If the prisoner had
not been
gembodied, that would have been another question
Accordin to the terms of the last Militia Act all the pro-
visions of the old Mutiny Act were to be applied to the
embodied militia, and therefore an embodied militia regi-
ment would be upon the same footing as the regiments in
the regular service. He must discharge the prisoner, but
be should advies him, for his own peace and comfort, to
sontribute towards the maintenance of his wife sad family.
The prisoner said he had been paying off a debt he had
Warred, which had prevented Nm from fulfilling his
Iranian.
The prisoner then left the ooart.