The Express.
London, England, 1863-09-28 00:00:00

THE POLICE COURTS.

THAMES,

George Wilson, the master of the charity school of St.
Botolpn Without, Aldgate, appeared for the second time
before Mr. Partridge to answer a charge of violently as-
saulting John Edward Jones, one of his pupils.
Mr. Partridge read the evidence given ea • former occa-
sion, sod Mr. Stoddart addressed the magistrate at length
io favour of the defendant, and called • greet number of
wither's, including the Rev. Mr. Roberroo, incumbent of
Aldgate, several of the toys educated in the school, and
the parents of other boys, who all spoke in high terms of
the promeer's general kindness sad humanity. There had
been four master of the school in the cores of the last
three years, and Mr. Wilson, who was elected by the sob-
seriben, 120 in number, six months ago, was lees severe
than any of his predecessors.
Mr. Partridge, in • lucid summing up, recapi-
tulated the whole of the evidence, sod then said
the complainant was punished for telling • lie,
is • private niaooer after school boon, the door
of the school room was locked, the window blinds
pulled down, and the boy was blindfolded with a head.
kerchief, and 30 strips. were inflicted with • doubled strap
on bin posteriors, noire was no doubt that the punishment
was very severs. He could not shut his eyr to the fact
that the boy's bands were severely cut when he applied for
the summer, and his posteriors masted with black/and blue
stripes. The boy's heads were cut by the defendant with •
cane • fortnight ago. All the boys called by the defendant
said he wee very hied. and took two of them to Reinstate
• few weeks ago at hie owe expire. All the boys eta-
' mined had been punished with a cane, and some of them
' • good many times. One of than was blind-
folded and flogged in private on his bare posteriors •
fortnight ego. That was a remarkable oonfirmatioe
of the complainent'a statement, sad showed that he
was sot the only one who had been timed in private. A
schoolmaster who bad charge of • school in Lierie-grove,
said he allays flogged in private, and that to Aug a boy on
his hare terra before hie schoolfellows would frequently
rinse the boy to lose hie self-respect. He differed from the
witness altogether. No such system as private leggier,
would be tolerated in our old-cetablithed public schools, and
he had a very strong opinion that private floggings ought
sot to be tolerated in private whore sad charity schools.
He would troy out, for the consideration of Mr. Ro-
bertson and his co-trusters, whether specific roles aod regu-
lations ought not to be laid down for the guiders' of the
master a( the Aldgate charity school, the flogging in
private abolished, and the maximum and minimum number
of stripes to be Millard for breaches of school discipline
✓ated. The high education which the defendant had received
would be takes into onerderatir ; but it was clearly proved
to his satisfactionthat undue and severe rausiabineet
had been inflicted on the boy on Monday last. Although
he gave effect to the tvideoce in favour of the defendant's
general kindness and humanity, the state of the boy', hands
must not be forgotten. He would make another siggertioe
to the Rev. Mr. Robniton to confer with his eo.trestees,
✓id abolish the cruel practise of cutting children over the
hands with • cane. It was a mode of punishment to be
severely reprehended. Not for one moment would such in.
Motions be tolerated in our public schools, and, therefore,
ought not to be followed in charity schools among the chil-
dren of the poor. He -should be wentiog in juries to the
public, and neglecting his dry, if he did not inflict a smart
dee on the defendant. He teed him hi, ; sad in default,
two months' imprisonment. (Loud applause followed the
reclusion of the magletrates address.) Mr. Partridge on-
damned such disgraceful eividlltion of Wiest is • run of
justice, and directed that the court should be domed im-
mediately.