The Express.
London, England, 1863-01-09 00:00:00

TAE EXPRESS, FRIDAY EVENING, JANUARY 9, 1863.

THE POLICE COURTS.

GUILDHALL.

Mr. Alderman Bidney,-timnian-is-ate oa the rota for the
present weak, on entering the justice-room for the purpose
of disposing of the ordinary billions of the day, was some-
what surprised to find a blank list, there being not a giants
charge of any kind requiring the exercise of his judicial
Powers ; and whet was even more remarkable, the public, as
if with the intuitive knowledge thetithere war no business,
did not favour the court with their yrewna. The worthy
alderman expressed the gratification a felt at the apparent
decrease in the amount of crime in the district, and at the
same time availed himself of the time- honoured custom Oil
such occasions, and accepted the usual honorarium in the
shape of a pair of white kid gloves.

.MARLBOROIIOWSTREET.
Three youog men, named Jai* Brown, We,. Doran;
and Joseph Bias or Shaw, all well dressed, were charged
before Mr. Knox with loitering in the Haymarket, for the
of committing a felony. Mr. Edward Lewis, of
real Marlborongli•irtreet, appeared for Hives.
The evidence of Sergeant Cole, 23 0, went to show that
on the previous night be saw an elderly lady and a gentle-
man come out of an alamode-beef shop in Tiohborne-street,
and saw Durant leave the others, and go up to the side of
the lady and put his hand down by his ads and feel the
lady's pocket. He thou followed the primates with the
view of getting assistance, when he saw them walk up and
down the Haymarket two or three times. He then met
Sheen, 272 B, who had also been watching the psi/own
pushing amongst persons in the Haymarket. The prisown
then all went into Barnes's public.bouse in the Haymarket,
and ou coming out they were taken into custody. On
searching them 104 was found upon them, and a pair of
spectacle..
Sheen oorroborated Cole, and said that he had known
Brown four years, and bad seen him convicted at the Lam-
beth police court, and in prison morel times. He (Brown)
always dressed very respectably, generally as a midshipman,
and this season be had sported a saddle pony and a pony
and trap.
Sergeant Cole said Durant had been convicted several
times of picking pockets.
Mr. Lewis adthemed the magirtrate at some length on
behalf of Hives, and said that he bad only recently come
from Yorkshire, and bed accidentally fallen into the other
pleonasm' company. He was in respectable employ, and not
imown to the police.
Mr. Knox committed Brown and Durant for three
months' each with bard labour, and said he would remand
Hives for a week, that inquiries might be made.

The Rev. George Aloud Maciomiell, of 42, Brunswick-
tared'', Oarnberwell, one of the curates belonging to St.
Peter's Church, Walwortb-road, apprized before the Hoe.
G. C. Norton, to answer to a airman@ charging him with
an aaault on the person of Mrs. Nary Taylor.
Mr. G. Lewis, pm., of Ely-place, attended for the rte.
gentleman.
Mrs. Mary Taylor, 10, Thomas-street, Kensington, dress-
maker, deposed that on the night of the 29th of last month,
the rev. defendant knocked violently at her front door, and
she got out of bed and opened the door, when he walked
into the WOW, and addressing her, said. "Where is my
wife sod child r She replied that she did not know where
they were, sod he then called her a villain, said that old as
she was he should have her transported, and pushed his hit
against her right eye. She called out to her sou to some
to her aleatoric., sod when be came into the painage, Mr.
Maodonnell struck him on the head, Marled him down, and
then went away.
The witness, in croweramination by Mr. Lewis, said that
on Mr. Macdonnell's inking her when his wife sod child
were,. her reply was that she keen nothing about them,
though at the same time she knew that both Mn. Maeda,-
sell and her child were under her roof and in her bed, and
therefore told a lie. _ .

Evidence in support of the charge was given by the son
of the last witness.
Mr. Lewis, in defence, designated the charge as prepos-
terous and ridiculous. The fact was that some alight dif-
' fineness had arisen between Mr. and Mrs. Maodonnell. and
to the great surprise and annoyance of the re•. gentleman
on reaching home on this night in question be discovered
that his wife and child were gone. He made inquiries, and
having every reason to believe that they were at the how.
of Mrs. Taylor, he more naturally went there to irmnire
about them, sad that inquiry was met by a gross falsehood.
His client denied in the most solemn manner having
samulted Mrs. Taylor or her son.
Mr. Norton observed that he could make much allowance
for the feelings of the reverend gentleman on the occasion
end under the circumstances, yet he was homed to say that
he bad exceeded the law ; but, without expressing a judicial
opinion of the came, he would recommend the reverend
gentleman to withdraw with the complainant and settle
matters with her.
The defendant refusing on principle to act upon this sug-
gestion, and Mr. Norton declining to send the case to the
SWISSODS, the reverend gentleman was convicted in a penalty
of le, and 2a costs.
Mr. Lewis requeated that his worship would enlarge the
penalty to a sum that would give a power of appeal, but his
worship emphatically refused to do so, observing that it
would in his mind be signet injustice to pntthe complainant
to the annoyance, trouble, and expense of defending an
appeal when the case was proved to his satisfaction, and
when he bad jurisdiction. His worship, in conclusion, said
he had given his derision, sad should not alter it.
The determination of his worship was received with un-
mistakable approbation by the large audience in the court.

WANDSWORTH.
Wi/fiasi Preirea, • boy, wee charged with a robbery at
the Barnes National School-room.
It appeared that the prisoner was • scholar at the school,
which is now closed for the holidays. On Monday after-
noon the schoolmaster's desk wax found broken open, and
the missionary box, which was kept inside, was also broken
open and the contents (about 10s. in money) taken away. A
quantity of writing paper and pens was also missed. The
priemsor, who was outside at the time of the discovery, was
called in and questioned about the robbery, but he daekd
all knowledge of it. On Wednesday he was taken to the
Rev. Mr. Coplestoee, the rector of Barnes, and again inter-
roOssd, and after some time be admitted committing the
Tebbe". He stated that be entered the school-room by the
window, and that he took 6s. from the box. The prisoner
was seen by another school-boy about ten o'clock on Monday
monde, to ester the window and to return the same way,
but lie warn not observed to have anything in his hands.
The Rev. Mr. Coplestone did not wish to press the ease
severely, bet he wished the boy to receive some slight
punishment, as be bed been guilty of pilfering before.
Mr. Ingham sentenced the prisoner to three days' impri-
moment, and to receive eight strokes with a rod.
Mr. Bolder, the usher, introduced two females, whose
united ages amounted to 166 y sera, for their annual gifts
from the poor-box. These poor old ladies have each re-
ceived a half sovereign annually for some years, and are
bothdeserviag persons.
Mr. Ingham 'skid the age of the shortest of the two
females, whose name is Blake, and is a widow living in
Battersea, and she answered with a low curtsey that she
was 04.
The other mid she was 72.
Mr. Ingham said they should have their usual gifts.
A sovereign was handed to them, with instructions to
divide it between than.
The applicants thanked his worship for hie kindness, and
they both walked oat of the oourt without any assistance.

EXTRAORDINARY CABs OF ANION.--Grest excite-
ment was oceasiosed at Kings Lysa ow Wednesday in
000•040•000 of • bookseller (who for many years has main-
tained a respectable position in the tows), named John
Robinson Smith, having set fire to his premises, with the
intention, it is supposed, of burning his wife alive. Smith,
who has of late years been somewhat reduced in dream.
stances, seems to here been much annoyed because of his
inability to get possession of some property which his wife
has in her own right. The poor woman appears to be bed-
ridden, and he had been heard to threaten to kill her. On
Wednesday morning he proceeded to carry his threat into
execution, by lighting a boofire of papers, books, writiog.
desks, in a back room with a boarded floor into which
the stairs fed, so that there could be no way of escape but
through the flames, if even the poor invalid could bare
mauled out of bed. The attention of Sergeant Butcher was
attracted by the smell of fire, sod by noticing the smoke
issuing from the shop door at about 4 o'clock on Wednesday
rooming. He tried the door, found it unfastened, and then
discovered Smith watching the progress of the flames, which
were weeding to the furniture and woodwork of the room,
ready, it is supposed, to decamp so won as the fire had
gained • enflicieot hold. To the of query, "What are
you about rhe replied, " Warming the house." Butcher
at once set ho work, found some water, and by almost super-
human effort succeeded in extinguishing the Eames. Smith
in the meantime decamped. The poor woman, his wife, was
found alnicat suffocated by the smoke. Smith has been
taken before one of the borough magistrates, and remanded
on the charge of erne._

t2lnrza IN LIVCRPOOL.—It
ap-
pears that great numbers of 'salon are enticed from their
ships upon their arrival in Liverpool mad are take° to please
of the worst resort, sad demorelised by crimps. The crimps
attend the ships in small river boats, and having easy cern-
municstioo with the shore, manage to ply their infamous
trade with the utmost facility. To check the evil, Mr.
Bushell, one of the members of the Mersey Docks and
Harbour Board, has announced his intention of maims the
board to consider the propriety of establishing a river police,
and to put such restrictions on river boats as will tend to
check the crimping system. Any measure in this direction
would be of considerable benefit to the town, as the most
serious stabbing cases sod rows arise either in crimping
bonsai or establishments of ill resort which sailors and
crimps frequent.
Cararst. EILLACL—In addition to the numerous
attractions of the New Year's entertainments M. Leotard
has been espied for a special tnipere performance to-mor-
row. Motel symphony by Haydn will be repeated by desire.
DI. DI JONGH'iI LIONT-BILOWN COD Livia On..—
.. Oootbiams and Genuineness." says Dr. Chadwick of Rochdale.
are qualities of primary Importance Is Cod Liver 011. When I
seed my patient. to a thwWet they are idles induced to buy as
Inferior kind bet I have found that in wombs Dr. de Jonah's
Oil they always obtain the genuine astl. dew In Its peculiar
Artois. as I ballets, tar say other."—flold only In car tiled
heed" la Id., 4a. end Oa, by Dr. de Jongtts
Mader& mad Ors, 17,11tesed,lendrea, sot elemelds—[
mot.]