The Express.
London, England, 1862-06-21 00:00:00

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.

OLD COURT.
(Before the Peoorder.)

Thomas Cochrane, 30, labourer, was charged with the
manslaughter of Thomas Courtney.
Mr. Balton and Mr. Besley prosecuted, and the prisoner
was defended by Mr. Lloyd.
It appeared that the prisoner and the deceased Iran
labouring men, and that on the 16th of May, they and seve-
ral other working men had been drinking at different pub-
lic-houses, and all, including both prisoner and deceased,
being the worse for liquor, a quarrel and fight took
place between them. They were at this time cline to the
Tunnebsteire' ou the north aide of the river, on their way
home to Bernioodsey, where they resided, but before cran-
ing the river, they agreed to fight. The prisoner had the
worst of the encounter, and was anxious to give in, but
the deceased Insisted upon his continuing the fight, and he
then, it appeared, drew • knife from his pocket and said,
"lflam to fight, I'll fight with this," and immediately
stabbed the deceased in the chart, and inflicted an injury
of which he died two or three days afterwards. After the
occurrence, the prisoner appeared to have expressed the
deepest regret at what had taken place.
Mr. Lloyd, in his address to the jury for the primer,
endeavoured to show that be had acted only in self-
defence.
_ _ _

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The jure, however, returned a verdict of Guilty.
The Recorder, in passing sentence, made some observations
upon the frequent use of the knife, and said that no one
was justified in resorting to the use of such a deadly weapon
unlearn big own life was in imminent danger. He then
sentenced the prisoner to eight months' hard labour.

THE POLICE COURTS.
Bow.ersEri.

A post-office letter-carrier, named Thome Knott, was
charged with stealing a money letter.
Mr. Osborne, from the office of the Post-Aloe solicitor,
promoted.
Th. prisoner was massed en Wednesday, the 4tb inst.
(the Derby day), in delivering letters in BasioghaDstreet,
when two men who were paean observed him opening •
letter, the cooteata of which he transferred to hie ket.
He tore the letter in small fragment* and eoooaaled them
in the peons of OM of the houses there. They gathered up
the fragments and found that the letter had been addrered
to Mr. Clarke, the manager of • loan °Mee in Pinbsury.pleme,
and had coatained • -sovereign and five postage stamps.
They communicated with the Post.offios authorities, and
the prisoner was apprehended.
Mr. William Clarke, manager to the Monetary Advance
and Dimwit Company, Fialibtuy-phies, was celled with
a view to prove that he bad not received the letter. Upon
being examined, however, he declared that he could not
tell whether it had been received or not. The person who
had addressed the letter to him called on him the same
day, and paid the money, saying that he bad sant it in •
letter, but he had learned from the Post.office that the
letter had not been delivered.

-31 r. Oa boi.ne—You sorely would not take that money if
you had already received it
Mr. Clarke-0k we never refuse money.
lir. Hoary @eked if no account was kept of letters re.
orivect?

Yr. olarke maid there was as such amount, but perhaps
the clerk might know.
. . . .

Mr. Henry asked wbo were the proprietors?
Mr. Clerks-0111y oos, Mr. John Jacobs.
Mr. Henry—Then I must have him and the clerk here to
produce all your books, that I may use how your business is
conducted. _ _ _

Upon this lir. Clarke eaddenly became toertais that he
had sever received the Tatter. _ _

Mr. Henry oommitted the prisoner for trial, ordering
summonses to be issued for the attendance of Mr. Jacobs
and the clerk at the trial.
SOUTHWARK.
In the course of the morning a young woman attended
before Mr. Comte to complain of the conduct of the
keeper of a Servants' Home, at No. 38, Charlotteetreet,
Blackfriamroad, for detaining her clothes and 21. in money
without any just cause.
Applicant stated that the name of the propii•tor of the
home was Porter, and he callel himself a city =Wormy.
He received servants out of place and girls off the streets,
and pretended to get them situations. The institution wag
called ' The Servants' Home and Female Reformatory."
Mr. Combe directed Chsdbezd, the warrant officer
at-
tacbd to the court, to proceed at once to this Mr. Porter
and request his attendance to explain the matter, as the
court was not aware of any reformatory being in existence
in the district.
. . _

During the afternoon sitting Mr. Porter at-
tended, when the young woman was sworn. She
said that she had been unfortunate, and rather
more thee a week ago she applied for sdmiaaion
into Mr. Porter's home. She was received with
her box of clothes, end she headed Mrs. Porter 31. to take
care of. She was "to be reformed to be a servant." She
remained there a week, when she went to look for a situa-
tion, and then received 11. of her money from Mrs. Porter.
Yesterday she returned to the home, and demanded her
clothes and money. Mr. Porter refused to give her either,
and ordered her away, oomequeritly she came to hie
worship for advice.
Mr. Combs to Mr. Porter—What explanation have you
to give for detaining this young woman's clothes and
mosey ?
Mr. Porter—She was brought into my home from Wales
by a missionary is Dsosmhsr, 18030, and remained until the
following March, when a situation was obtained for her,
and she was provided with clothes, for which she gave an
lOU for 21., which had never been oincelled.
Mr. Combe—Was the I 0 U for money lent, then?
Mr. Porter—No, sir ; it was for the clothes lent to her to
go toservies with. We, however, never put in force or ask
them for it, provided they do well.
Applicant—The clothes were given to me, and they have
been worn out long ago while in service. I recollect again
a paper some time or other, bat I could not read it.
Mr. Porter—We never let the young women have sloshes
under any other condition, and the I 0 U would never have
been put in force if she bad conducted herself properly.
She grossly misbehaved by staying out all night.
Mr. Combs, on examining the f 0 U, said there was
nothing on the face of it to show that it was security for
clothes. Every one would think it was for mosey adnueed.
It would be more straightforward end to the credit of the
institution if it were clearly specified on the face of the
documents when the girls are asked to sign them.
Mr. Combs—Why don't you give the girl back her money?
Mr. Porter—l know nothing of the money. Mrs. Porter
received that and she has suddenly been celled into the
countrynn business. As for her clothes, I thought it better
to detain them, to prevent her from returning to prosti-
tution.

ii
Mr. Combo—You have no right to detain them, and I
must say that it is a disgraceful affair altogether. and looks
very suspicious. If you have any regard to be thought re-
spectable, you had better give this young woman her
clothes and money directly. As to detouring them, you are
more likely to drive her to prostitution I*, doing so.
Mr. Porter—She moat satisfy the I 0 U.
Mr. Combs—You have no right to detain her property,
and if you wish to recover that, sue her in the County Court
and see how you will pt on there. This is a most dis-
graceful affair, sod if it is the system adopted at the so.
called Reformatories or Homes, the sooner they are put am
sad to the better.

Yr. Purter—Bat she has stolen things from other girls.
Oombe—lt is most disgraceful on your part to make
charges against the girl because the demands sad Maisie
upon the restoration of her property. If she had, as you
ray, robbed the other girls why did you not give her into
custody? I don't believe a word of the accusation. Where
is this so-mud Home and Reformatory ?
Girl—At No. 38, Charlotteetreet, Blackfriessecad.
Mr. Combo—Well, all I can say is that it is disgraceful
conduct on the part of the owners, and the sootier tt is ghat
up the better. I hope the prom will expoes it as it so
justly deserves.
Mr. Porter left the court, grumbling at his worship's on.
marks, but promising to restore the young woman her
clothes and money immediately.