The Express.
London, England, 1863-06-27 00:00:00

THE POLICE COURTS.

(THIS DIY.)

WORSHIP-STREET.
ATROCIOUS ASSAULT.
MeMel Riley, tail, thickeet, ruffianly-looking Irish-
man, vu charged before Mr. Cooke with violently moult-
ing' Mary Ann Maloney.
The complainant, on being put forward into the witness-
box, was men to be totally blind, about 23 years of age,
sad miserably clad. She stated upon oath :—" I lodge in
Flower and Dean-street, Sintalfields. Last night I wan in
the kitchen there, when some man came to Met and I went
into the passage with him. He began to take liberties.
Not any one else wan there but us two. (Complainant here
mentioned an infamous proposition made to her by Coe
fellow.) I refused; he got very violent, and I struggled
and screamed out, as loud as I could. Presently a
man mine sod took him into custody."
Mr. Cooke—What induced you to leave the kitchen with
the man!
Complainant—He said that be knew me, and pomaded
me to go out with him. When 1 wouldn't let him have
his
way he threw me down. I feel certain this is the

Polies-constable 11194-1 beard screams inside the hones
I. question last night. It is a lodging home. On entering
I saw this blind woman on the floor of the passage. She
was lying on her back, and the prisoner was kneeling on her
stomach. I pulled him away. He said that he had made&
harpin with and given her sixpence, and that he would
carry it out. She declared that all this was false.
Mr. Cooke—ls what condition was she?
Coestable—She ♦had evidently been struggling very much,
and her mouth was full of blood. She gave him in charge
for the assault.
Mr. Cooke Ito prisoner)—Now, what have you to offer in
defence of this evidenceagaiust you? The constable saw you
kneeling upon her.
Primmer-1 was drank at the time, that's all I know.
Mr. Cooke—Was that so
Constable—No, sir, he was perfectly sober.
Mr. Cooke—What is he?
Primmer—Why I'm a knife grinder. I don't remember
anything about this except that I was drunk.
Mr. Cooke—Thu is assuredly the worst case of
the kind ever brought before me—an extremely
bad ease, and had the graver offence been charged
against you it would have been my duty to have
sent you for trial, where in all probability a severe
sentence would have been passed. As it stands before me,
however, in the shape of an aggravated assault, I deal with
' you under the powers of that act, and the sentence n for the
full term, namely, six months' hard labour in the House of

DREADFUL PIA' AND LOSS OP MFR.-MIRA-
CULOUS ESCAPE OP SEVEN PERSONS:42IIIS
DAY.)

Between three and four, as a police-constable was '
patrolling Unionetrset, Borough, he perceived smoke
pouring forth from a clump of tradesmen's houses, built
principally of timber, and being Noe. 171, 173, and 169. In
the course of a few minutes the fire.escape arrived;
but during the ioterval a lamplighter passing along, and
thelpolionoonetable succeeded in rescuing seven human
beings. The conductor then entered the front houses, but
was unable to find anyone ; and being told by Mr. Asbe,
ironmonger, and owner of No. 171, that his wifo and family
were out, and that he had seen them all in the street,
he made no further attempt to search the building.
The Southwark Company's fire-mains yielded such an abun-
dant supply of water that, with the nil of stand-pipes
alone placed in the plug-holes, copious streams of water
were scattered into the fire, when three or fat houses were
blazing furiously. The flames were not subdued until the
premises of Mr. Ash. were destroyed, and those of Mr.
P. Curran, hstrnaker. 173, severely damad
ge by fire. At
the back of this building was another wooden structure, lot
out to several poor families. A man, whose name is
unknown, was occasionally in the habit of sleeping therein ;
unfortunmely he slept there last night, and after the fir*
was extinguished it was discovered that he had been burnt
to death. The cause of the fire is unknown. The losses
will fall spoil the General and Royal Vire-offices.

An innovation in French journalism is an-
nounced. The Moniker, which has hitherto bees a morn.
tog paper, is henceforth, it is said, to appear in the evening
like the Patric, the Temps, and the other papers.
It is rumoured that Captain Sir Robert John
IA !drearier M`Clure, C. 8., the officer who made the north
want Plairage, is likely to be an early recipient of a good
service peneion.