The Express.
London, England, 1853-07-21 00:00:00

THE POLICE COURT&

MANSION-HOUSE.

John Taylor andßichard Neenah were charged with
having robbed Mr. William H. Melville,' barrister, of his
pocket handkerchief, and the latter was also charged with
having committed a desperate assault upon Knight, the de-
teethe officer, who took him into custody for the robbery.
Knight, who had been conveyed immediately after the as-
sault to the hospital, appeared with his head hound up is
bandages.
Mr. Melville stated that on Monday night as he was
passing over London-bridge, between 10 and 11 o'clock, he
missed hie handkerchief, which had been safe in his pocket
a few minutes before. He identified the handkerchief pro-
duced by Legg, a policeman. He saw a struggle going on,
but did not know who had been struggling.
Joseph C. Knight (437 detective) said —I was with Legg
on Monday night on London-bridge, at • quarter past 10
o'clock, and saw the two prisoners coming towards the Bo-
rough together. Taylor took hold of a gentleman's pocket,
but I could not see whether his hand was in the pocket or
not. Afterwards I saw the prisoners close in upon two
gentlemen, and Legg caught hold of Taylor, in whose hand
I saw the handkerchief produced, and who threw it towards
Keenan. I got hold of the handkerchief as N tried
to throw it on the ground, and I held it till
Legg took it from me. Heenan said " Let me go. let me
go ; I have nothing to do with it." Two gentlemen imme-
diately interposed and said " Let hint go. They have the
thief there." Heenan said to me, no doubt encouraged by
the interference of the gentlemen, " I'll kick you to pieces,
you —, if you do not let me go." Oae of the gentlemen
said " that's right," and caught me by the left arm, and
said I ought to let the man go. As the gentleman held me
by the left arm, Heenan struck me with all his might
with his fist, and split open my lip. He continued to hit
at me and to kick at me, but 1 parried his blows. He then
tried to slip his jacket. To prevent his getting away I
closed in upon him. He then caught me with both arms
round the loins, and lifting me right off my legs threw me
backwards and on me. The back part of my head came
in contact with the kerb. We got up together and strug-
gled for some time, although I was bleeding very much.
Whether he threw me again, or whether I fell from
loss of •blood, I do not know. My impression is that
he threw me, as my shoulder has been very painful ever
since, and I had net received any violence there before. He
got away. I remained on the pavement till I received as-
sistance, and I was taken to St. Thomas's Hospital, and had
my head bandaged, and my lip sewn up. I have since
been attended by Mr. Childs, the police surgeon.
The Lord Mayor said be apprehended that serious mis-
chief was frequently occasioned by the injudicious inter-
ference of strangers, in in which the police were con-
cerned. It was evident, his lordship represented, that in
the present instance the interruption to which the officer
had been subjected, who was well.known to be in the
habit of performing his duties with remarkable mildness
and caution, was very near causing fatal injury, and he
hoped a lesson would be taken from the statement.
The prisoners were ordered to be committed for trial when
the depositions should be completed.

Thomas Bentley, the conductor (No. 69) of a Padding
ton omnibus, was charged with having load insulting and
abusive language to Captain Joseph Burton, opposite to the
Mansion hone. . _

The complainant, who is a captain in the army, and re-
sides at No. 7, Omer-terrace, St. John's Wood, said—
Between 11 and 12 o'clock to-day I went into the defend-
ant's omnibus near Upper Baker-street, for the purpose of
being pat down oppotite to the Mansion-house, upon arriv-
ing at which place I offered him 41. Ho acid he would
not take that sum, as his fare was 6d. I said I would pay
what the police constable would say I ought to pay, upon
which he asked me if I was a gentleman or not, and he
declared that I was not one for not paying the amount he
demanded. He then said that I was an old vagabond, and
I gave him in charge. This was all said in the hearing of
the police constable.

George Payne (464) said—At half-put 11 o'clock this
day the defendant and the gentleman who makes the com-
plaint came over to me at the corner of the Bank. The
latter wanted to know what the fare was. The defendant
said, " You old vagabond why don't you pay the fare ?"
and the complainant gave him in charge.
The Lord Mayor said it was odd enough, that at the very
commencement of the operation of the new Carriage Act
an extraordinary number of instances of insolence and at-
tempts at extortion bad occurred. The present was rather
• remarkable sample of the gross conduct of the class which
the law was meant to correct and improve ; and he would,
tuerefore, adjudge the defendant to imprisonment without
giving the alternative of a penalty. The sentence upon the
omnibus conductor was imprisonment for seven days, but
if any future case should be proved against him the sentence
should be the most severe the magistrate could inflict.
The defendant departed in the custody of the gaoler, in a
very dejected condition.