The Express.
London, England, 1863-06-10 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HOWIE.
Yesterday, as on the previous day, in consequence of the
police court at Guildhall having been converted into use
on the occuion of the ball, the charges which ought to have
been heard there were brought to the Mansion-house and
disposed of by Alderman Finals, who wan sitting for the
Lord Mayor. The number of charges yesterday was up-
wards of thirty, being chiefly for stealing pocket-handker-
chiefs and watches, and also for making attempts at pocket.
picking in the vicinity of Cheapaide and Guildhall. In one
or two of the cases where the prisoners succeeded in ab-
stracting, being very well known, they were committed for
trial ; in other cues they were sentenced to three months'
imprisonment with hard labour. Others were sentenced to
periods of imprisonment varying from six months to six
weeks. Two respectably-dressed young men were charged
with an assault upon the police-constables.
In the first case, the prisoner,
_S. Rottelson was charged
with striking Inspector Dudley, of the City police, upon the
head with a stick.
At about half-put 5 o'clock that morning, the company
having retired from the Guildhall, a number of policemen
were assembled round the principal entrance for the pur-
pose of preventing any persons from entering the hall. The
prisoner was on the platform, and on being requested to
move declined to do so, and Inspector Dudley took him by
the arm and removed him, and on approaching the edge of
the platform the defendant slipped and fell. The officer
was about to proceed to remove some other parties, upon
which he received a violent blow on the head from a stout
walking stick which the prisoner carried in bis band.
The defendant, who admitted having struck the com-
plainant in the heat of the moment, was fined 40s.
In the other charge, a young man, of very gentle-
manly bearing, named Richard Percival, a wine merchant,
was charged with striking police-constable 631 in the face
with his fist.
From the statement of the complainant it appeared that
he was clearing the read in Cheapaide at about half-past
twelve on the previous night, as the Prince and Princess
were expected to come along, when the defendant and two
other young gentlemen were walking in the road, and on
being requested to go on to the pavement they declined to
do so. Complainant attempted to force him on to the pave-
meat, when he struck him in the face with his fist and
knocked his bat off.
The statement of the defendant, however, was that the
constable took him by the collar of his coat and tore it all to
pieces, and he begged of him to take him by the wrist, but
be declined to do so, and in self-defence he gave him a push
with his open hand, and in the scuttle his bat fell off.
A witness corroborated this statement to some extent,
but admitted that he and his friends declined to go on the
pavement when required to do so ; but added that he dis-
tinctly saw a man totally unconnected with them knock the
officer's bat off.
Mr. Alderman Finnis said that the officers had a very
difficult duty to perform. They were ordered to keep the
road clear, and they were obliged to do so. According to
defendant's own witness they had refused to go off the road
when requested to do so. He fined the defendant 21h.,
and obaerved that he thought the police had managed ex-
ceedingly well, and kept order in a most admirable manner,
and he bad heard it remarked by every one.