The Express.
London, England, 1867-04-30 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

(THIS DAY.)

COURT OP COMMON PLEAS.

- - - - ---•
Sittings at Nisi Prizes in Middlesex —(Before Mr. Justice
Wines and a Common Jury.)
•IAILIVO V. 111C4SENGER.-OARRETE r. THE NAME.
•••••

These two actions were brought againat the defendant,
the keeper of a beer-house, called the Bremen Flag, in
St. George-street, St. George's-in-the-East, to recover in
each case 100/. penalty, upon the ground that he had had
public music and dancing in his house without being
licensed for that purpose.
Mr. Beaky, in opening the case, said that although
nominally the actions were brought by informers for
penalties, the proceedings were really taken at the instance
of licensed victuallers having houses at the east end of
London. They themselves would not be allowed to have
music and dancing without first going to quarter sessions
and obtaining a license from the niagistrates for that pur.
pose, and they thought it hard that beer-shop keepers
should exercise the privilege without having any license.
Evidence was given by police officers that on many oe-
Calliollll they hail seen from 12 to ;Xi persons dancing in a
room in the house. The defendant was in the house at
the time, and refreshments were served to those who were
dancing. There was a piano, a violin, and sometimes
brass instruments played, and the players were paid by
those who danced.

Mr. "'Ward, for the defendant, submitted that ttere
was no evidence that the defendant had kept his house
open for the purpose of having public music and dancing.
The most that was shown wns that the defendant did not
prevent the music and dancing. Another point was that
in any event only one penalty could be recovered.
His lordship, after some discumaion, said that he should
direct a verdict for the defendant in the second action,
and in the first action be should direct a verdict for the
plaintiff, subject to the opinion of the full court upon the
question whether the facts showed that the defendant
kept his house open for public music and dancing so as to
render him liable to the penalty.
The verdicts were entered accordingly.

COURT OF BANKRUPTCY.
(Before Mr. Commissioner Winslow.)
IN Re GEORGE CROFT.

The bankrupt, who was described as late of 2, Pork-
crescent-terrace, Brighton, builder, came up for examina-
tion and discharge. Ilia accounts show :—Crediton
on-
aecured, do $l. 2s. 2d. ; ditto holding security, 1:1,8411.
10*. Md. ; against property hi Id as security, 73,000/., con-
sisting of houses in Holland.road and Atlingworth•street,
Brighton, and at Pelham-pl.sce, Seaford.
Mr. Linklater, for the assignees, said it would be neces-
sary to examine the bankrupt upon his accounts, which he
proposed to do at a private sitting. He was instructed
that there were other encumbrances on the property mort-
gaged besides those stated in the accounts, and that there
was not a large surplus as represented by the bankrupt.
His Honour granted an adjournment.

THE POLICE COURTS.
(THIS DAY.)

MANSION-HOUSE.
DARING STREET ROBBIRT.
James Dalton was charged before Mr. Alderman Allen
with stealing a gold watch.
Mr. Thomas Chamberlain, living at Bow, deposed that
about .5 o'clock yesterday afternoon he saw the pri-
soner and another man " jostling" several gentle.
men who were going into omnibuses at the corner of
CornhilL They had coats slung over their arms, and wit-
ness, watching, saw the prisoner take a gold watch from
the waistcoat locket of a gentleman named Bullock, who
was trying to enter a Bow and Stratford omnibus. The
prisoner then got on the omnibus, and witness gave him
into custody.
Mr. Thomas Bullock said he lived at Rutland-house,
Stratford, and when attempting to catch an omnibus yes-
terday seas pressed very hard in the crowd. The last
witness spoke to him, and he then observed that his watch
had been stolen. It was worth 401.

Police-constable Eames, tilt, took the prbioner into cus-
tody. He had seen him going about the omnibuses with
another man yesterday, and had been watching them,
thinking their movements very suspicious. On the way
to Bow-lane police-station, the prisoner said that if wit-
ness had released him he would have gone after a man
who bad taken Mr. Bullock's watch. He gave a false ad.
dress. The watch was not found.

Mr. Alderman Allen remanded the prisoner until Friday.
CLERKENIVELL.
STEALING A WATCH.
• •• • •• • • - -

A dirty dissipated-looking woman, who gave the name
of Esther Langham, aged 34, and was described as a laun-
dress, residing at 67,Central-street,St. Luke's, was charged
before Mr. Cooke, with stealing from the person of Mrs.
Margaret Bond, of Ma, Shepperton Cottages, Islington, a
gold watch and chain of the value of 51.
The complainant, a smartly-attired young woman, said
that she met the prisoner in Central-et/est, St. Luke's,
and knowing her by her husband working in the same
gas factory as her (the complainant's) father did, she
went with her into a public-house and had
something to drink. After that she went to
' the City and returned with a Mrs. Mary Glazer, •
German, and again meeting the prisoner they went to a
public-house and had more drink. The prisoner handed
her a glass of gin, and after she but drunk it she became
stupefied. end the prisoner took her to her borne and put
her on her bed. Whilst she was lying on the prisoner's
bed she dozed for • few seconds, and during that time the
prisoner took off her watch and chain and made off with
them. The guard chain produced was her property, and
was the one stolen from her by the prisoner.
The prisoner—Were you not drunk ?
Complainant—That has nothing to do with this matter;
nor does it matter how many public-houses I went into ;
you stole my watch and chain.

. -
The prooner—lied you not been toe fortune-teller's to
ascerhun when your husband would die

Witness—No:

The prisoner—You know you went to a fortune-teller's,
and you got drunk because she could not tell you when
your husband would die. Is that not right?
Witness—l saw some children who wanted me to have
my fortune told, hut I would not have it done. You are
a nasty thing to say such things of me. (laughter.)
The prisoner—Did you not go to the fortune-teller's and
have brandy there, and ask her whether you could marry
a German gentleman when your husband died!
Witness—Row can you say such things? It was only the
children that wanted me to have my fortune told.
The witness, in answer to further questions, said she
was not in the habit of getting intoxicated, nor was she
aware that the prisoner had pawned her own cloak to treat
her (prosecutrix) to drink. She was quite aware that
she went into more public-houses than one and had drink,
bet she was not drunk, and knew what she wee about
till the prisoner gave her a glass of gin.
Mrs. Mary Glazer, of 11, Essex-street, Islington, said
that she was with the prosecutrix, and went with her
from the public-house to the prisoner's room, a dirty place
in Central-street. Whilst the prosecutrix was lying on
the bed, the prisoner took the prosecutrix's watch and
chain and left the room.
The police stated that the chain produced had been
pawned by the prisoner in Westminster ; but the watch
could not at present be found.
The prisoner said she was guilty, but all of them were
drunk ; and it was whilst in that state that she took the
property.
The magistrate remanded the prisoner for a week.

WORSHIRSTREET.
CRUEL ROBBERIES.

A miserable-looking young woman, who gave the
name of Elizoluth Hurler, without any place of abode, was
charged before Mr. Newton with robbing children of their
clothing.
It was proved that on the 20th of February last Alice
Bennett, aged 5 years, and Polly Everett, aged 4 years,
residing with their parents in the Marlborough-road, near
Balaton, were playing in tome fields adjacent, when the
prisoner, under pretence of buying them a doll and
sweetmeats, led them further off, and in a " hole"
as one of the youngsters described it, stripped the eldest of
her frock and two petticoats, and " Polly" of her frock
and three petticoats and her boots. Fortunately the
screams of this child reached the ears of her father, who
had missed her, and the prisoner was given into custody a
week since.

Mr. Newton inquired what had occasioned such delay, a
period of two months.
A constable who bad the conduct of the case replied
that on the occasion in question she escaped apprehension,
but almost immediately afterwards was in custody for a
similar one, and had utdergone a two months' imprison-
ment. He took her on these charged at the termination
of her sentence at the gates of Westminster prison, a week
past, when his worship remanded her.
The prisoner, wha was suckling an apparently half-
dying infant, could offer no defence ; not anything tran-
spired as to her past history, and Mr. Newton sent her
for another two months' imprisonment, at the same
time remarking that he looked on this class of offence as
being most cruel, the prisoner, though herself being a
mother, yet clearly indifferent to the consequences of such
a theft on her victims. One of these children he greatly
regretted to hear bad not been well since—most probably
having experienced a shock to the system.
Prisoner cried bitterly as she left the dock for the cells.
MARLBOROUGH-STREET.
_..C.FILIOCB CASE OF ROBBERY.

Caroline Williams, • well-dressed young woman, an
unfortunate, was charged before Mr. Tynvbitt vide steal-
ing four sovereigns from- the person of Charles Finch, a
cabinet porter, No. 10, Leicestersquare.
The prosecutor said that last night, about 10
o'clock, he had just left the station in the Port-
land-road, when the prisoner accosted him and after
some conversation he agreed to treat her with a glass
of ale, and did so. On leaving the public-house he stood
talking to her about ten minutes, when she suddenly ran
away. Thinking her conduct rather suspicious, he felt in
his pocket and missed four sovereigns. He went in the
direction the prisoner went. and spoke to a constable, giving
Win a description of the prisoner and her dress, and some