The Express.
London, England, 1855-03-29 00:00:00

THE POLICE COURTS.

salty in defending themselves against charges under the
act in question, and wets necessarily put to considerable
, expense and trouble io bringing pat ties from a distance if they !
'by chance ascertained who they were. In the present case
there were two coachmen and two footmen who bad put up'
their masters' carriages and horse' for a short time after a 1
jJurney from London, and it would be most inconvenient to
those gentlemen to part with their servants the whole of the 1
day to appear as witnesses from London, and therefore they
would see be present today ; but fortunately in this cue he
had ne beat he should be able to sad, fy the bench that the
whale M else persons in the house at the time the polies
visited It were " Manful* traveUen" within the meaning of
the set. This he should do by the evidence of the ostler
and two gentlemen who were in the house at the time the
police were there, and who at great inconvenient* bad some
front London te give their tesamony, all which tamable sad
expellee slight haws been avoided if the police had wade-
wended to make the necessary inquiry when they visited
the house, because the parties in the house could have given
a satisfactory explanation who they were and where
they came from, and could have pointed out the
vehicles they came in, which were at the door
and ht the yard at the time ; but that did
not suit the policeman: nothing bat an information
could satisfy him. Ile made a hasty inspection, and refused
to listen to any explanation ; and the defendant had conse-
quently to endure the expense and annoyance of the present
inquiry, which he subnatted must end in a dismissal of the
charge, after hearing the evidence he should adduce on the
defendant's behalf. The policeman Kent would not admit
the tact of there being several children in the room, or that
the person alluded I. by him in the tap-room was a lodger,
although he knew him well; in fact, he would not admit
anything that might operate in the defendant's favour.
The following witnesses ware then examined by Mr.
Dancombe

Stephen Larkin, the defendant's ostler, proved that he
bed been ostler at the defendant's house for ten years. That
two carriages belonging to gentlemen from London, and
their hone., were brought to the defendant's stables
about half-put three. Two coachmen and two
footmen were with them. The horses were put
into the stable. The coachmen and footmen then
went into the home and had refreshment, and were
at the bar when the police entered. They were
ordered for 5 o'clock, at which time they left with the
carrieges and horns. A gentleman and tally is a phaeton
pulled up at the door; the gentleman is a traveller to a dis-
tiller in London, and had come from Bennoaks. The
gentleman entered the hots., and had some refreshment,
and the buss had hay and water. The gentleman wu in
the house when the polite entered. Two gentlemen drove
up in a chaise, and entered the hoses, and had some refresh-
ment. The horse had hay and water, and had the appear-
ance of having been driven some distaste. These gentle-
men were at the bar when the police entered. A chaise
and two phaetons were driven to the house ; the persons in
them were all one party from London, and consisted of
gentlemei, their wives, and children ; the horses were taken
from the carriages and fed, and the ladies, gentlemen, and
children went into the front parlour, and had refreshment.
The name of the person in the tap-room wu Osborne, and
he had lodged at the defendant's two or three months. The
defendant u allowed persons in the neighbourhoed to
have refnahment at his house during the forbidden hours
on Sunday., although they were regular customers. If
strangers came he always made inquiries to satisfy himself
they were travellers.
Richard Battenby, of Doekhead, Bermondsey, stated
that he drove frem London to the defendant's house with a
friend, in hie chaise, and that two phaetons, with gentlemen,
their wives, and children, also came from London to visit
the defendant ; they were all of them acquainted, and came
is consequence of an invitation given some time ago. The
horses were pat up and fed, and witness with his friends
went into the front parlour, and had some necessary re-
freshment. Believes the policeman must have seen the
children, u there were several of them. There was no
person in Oat room when the policeman looked in, but his
(witness's) party that came from London. That he had
come from London to-day at great inconvenience to give his
evidence, considering he was bound in justice to the land-
lord to do so.

The magistrates here stopped the case and dismiseed the
information, much to the satisfaction of a number of the
inhabitants of the town who were present.
Mr. Duneombe again complained of the conduct of the
policeman Kent, in refusing to listen to any explanation
from the landlady, or the persons present, who could have
satisfied him beyond all reasonable doubt that they were
travellers. Such conduct Mr. Dunoombe considered vexa-
tious and unjust, and ought not to be tolerated by the au-
thorities.