The Express.
London, England, 1867-10-23 00:00:00

TBE POLICE COURTS.

MANSION-HOrSE.

1 Selina Salter, &young woman who has been frequently
before the court, was charged with creating a disturbance
at the homeless poor ward of the East London Union, in
New-street, Bishopagate-street. It appeared that she had
called there and asked for an order to admit her into the
workhouse, but was told to go to the relieving officer.
Instead of doing so she commenced kicking at the door and
caused considerable annoyance, until she was taken into
custody. In her cell she was visited at 2 o'clock by an officer,
who found her lying on the door with one of her
tied tightly round her seek, and it was believed if startehels;
been left for some time longer by herself she would have
been strangled. He immediately cut the garter, and
walked her up and down the penman for a short time
afterwards visiting her every ten minutes. At a quarter
to five he found another garter tied round her neck as
tight as the other, and on being questioned as to her con-
duct she said she would rather commit suicide than go to
Holloway again.
Mr. Alderman Dakin—How often have you been in
prison'
Prisoner—l do not know.

Partridge, an officer of the court—Fifty times, I should
think, if not sixty. (Laughter.) The officer added, that
three weeks ago, in accordance with instructions from the
Lord Mayor, who had done everything for her he could. be
accompanied her to Paddington station, and paid her fare
to Bath, where her friends resided. He gave her a sand-
wich and some money, and saw her off by the train, but
whether she had gone to Bath or not he could not say.
The prisoner said she had, but her father, seeing her
name so often in the papers, did not want her to stay.
Alderman Hokin said she had been guilty of an offence
in attempting to commit suicide, and he had no alternative
but to send her to prison. She must find security for her
future good behaviour, herself and one surety in 20/. , or go
to gaol for two months.
The prisoner was then removed to the lock-up, where she
conducted herself very violently, and continued for some
time screaming at the top of her voice.
J,hn Barton, a foreman tailor, was brought up on a
charge of robbing his employer, Mr. Robert Bousfield,
wholesale clothier, P.Ni Houndsditch.

The prisoner bad been in the service of the prosecutor
for thirty years, and his duty as foreman was to superin•
tend the other eighty or ninety men employed in the
tailoring department. Hitherto he bad borne a good
character, but for a week past Mr. Bousfield had had
reason to suspect him. In consequence of this he called in
a detective, who searched the pnsoner as he was leaving
the premises about 7 o'clock on Monday evening, and
found concealed in his pockets and hat 21 yards of cloth
and 4 yards of alpaca, value about If. His wages during
the whole time bad been :His. a week. At his house there
were several pieces of cloth, but the prosecutor could not
identify them as his property.
The prisoner, who admitted his guilt, was committed to
the Old Bailey for trial.

LAMBETH.
William &reread 110bert Frederick Refry appeared on
an adjourned summons before Mr. Elliott, charged with
an aggravated assault upon George &gen, a brother
workman.

Mr. Foggo prosecuted, and Mr. Neale appeared for the
defendants.

It appeared from the evidence, which was very volumi-
nous, and to a great extent of a most conflicting charac-
ter, that about 30 or 40 carpenters, plasterers, &c., were
engaged under Mr. Waterson at some works at Dul-
wich School, and a slater's boy was proceeding up •
25 round ladder, with some slates on his head, when the
complainant stepped out from an upper window, and made
the boy descend the ladder again. This was considered
unfair oonduct on the part of the complainant by
the other men in the slop, and, according to their
rules, a fine of " half a gallon' was inflicted
upon him. This be refused to pay, and on a certain
evening at the end of Auguot he states that the men sent
for him into the shop, and there tied his legs with • rope,
and suspended him from • beam 15 feet high for about
25 minutes. The complainant alleged that this violent
conduct caused him to be seriously ruptured, and he was
under medical attendance. He admitted that he had been
previously injured.
In answer to Mr. Neale, some of the witnesses admitted,
much to the astonishment of the court, that it was a
practice in the " shop " to adopt similar proceedings if an
offending workman did not obey the rules or pay the fines
of the shop.
The principal question before the court was that of
identity, and
Mr. Elliott fully committed both prisoners for trial,
accepting substantial bail.