The Express.
London, England, 1867-01-11 00:00:00

PALACE.

John Barnett, a checktaker, in the employ of Mr.
Strange, at the Alhambra Palace, Leicester-square. was
charged before Mr. Knox. with assaulting Mr. James B.
Payne, a gentleman residing at the Grange, Brompton.
Mr. Sayer, from the office of Mr. E. Lewis, Grant Marl-
borough-street, appeared for the defendant.
Mr. Payne said—After dining with some friends yeste.d iy
evening. amongst them Mr. Mortimer Collins, it wa. sug-
gested that we should go to the Alhambra Palace. Mr. Collins
The
himself to the doorkeeper at the stage entrance.
The doorkeeper asked Mr. Collins who he was, and on his
telling him. he said that we could not be admitted. I told
Mr. Collins that he had better provide himself with a
proper ticket, and come another night. A man then came
behind me, and seized me by the back of the neck. The
prisoner was the man. He struck me three very severe
blows. My elbow was knocked against the wall. Ire.
calved a kick on the spine, and my eye was blackened. I
not said a word, and was smoking a cigar at the
time.

By Mr. Bayer—l em engaged in literary pnrenitm, and
am a commanding officer of volunteers. It was a quarter
to 12 when we got there. It was the stage entrance. I
don't know whether it is near the room where the holies
of the ballet dresa. I was not attempting to get on the
stage. There were stairs leading to the stage, but I was
not on them. The doorkeeper (Mr. Coles) did not say we
could not go on the stage, that the ladies were dressing,
and that we must leave. We did not insist on palming.
Mr. Collins wished to advance but in smart courteous way.
I did not refuse to leave the place. The doorkeeper told
Mr. Collins that he could not enter. I swear confidently
that the defendant struck me. I was put out the back
way,
and then went to the front entrance and charged the
prisoner. . . .

Mr. Mortimer Collins—lt was suggested that we shonld
go to the Alhambra, and through the stage entrance. The
door-keeper said we were too late. I said our reason for
going to that entrance was that we did not care to go
round to the front. I had scarcely time to expostulate
with the door-keeper when we were seized by two fellows
like garotters, and one struck Mr. Payne and the other
struck me. When I turned round to remonstrate, the man
struck me full in the face, and but for the fact that my
hand has been hurt I should have been able to have given
a better account of the man.

Sy Mr. Sayer—l went to the stage entrance because it
was the nearest, and being connected with the press I
have passed in that way before. 1 am not aware that
there 11 a notice that only persons connected with the
Alhambra are allowed to pass in that way. I have a note
from Mr. Strange in which he requests me to go in
that way. The doorkeeper said we could not go
in, because it was too late. We did not persist
in trying to force ourselves on to the stage. I do not
know whether anybody came to the doorkeeper's assist-
ance, but I know that somebody gave me a severe whack
in the eye. (A laugh.) We should have left if we bad
not been prevented. I will swear the defendant struck
Mr. Payne. It was not dark at the time. The parties
attacked us in • brutal way.
Fred. George Mayne, sergeant, 16 A— I was on
duty inside the Alhambra List night ; and Mr.
Payne charged the defendant with assaulting him. The
defendant denied being at the part of the building where
the affray took place. The defendant was quite sober,
but the others had been drinking, but knew what they
were about.

By Mr. Sayer—l had seen the defendant acting as
check-taker at the front entrance several times during the
evening, and about the time spoken of by Mr. Payne.
By Mr. Payne—You asked me to look at you and nee
your state, and I saw you had =arks on you, but you did
not ask me to notice whether you were sober or not. I
did not hear the inspector say you were perfectly sober.
Mr. Sayer, on behalf of the defendant, said the facts of
the case were these :—The two gentlemen went to the
stage entrance of the Alhambra Palace last night, and
tr,ed to force their way on to the stage by the private
entranoe, the entrance being near the room
where the ladies of the ballet dressed. They were
refused permission to pass, when they persisted, and
becoming very obstreperous, Mr. Coles, the doorkeeper,
got some assistance' with the view of ejecting them,when •
scuffle ensued, and finally they were ejected. He would
call witnesses to show that the defendant had nothing
to do with the matter, and that he was in • different
part of the building the whole evening.
Mr. Richard Coles, doorkeeper at the stage entrance of
the Alhambra, said—About 20 minutes to 12 last night
the two gentleman came to the stage entrance, and
requested to see the stage director. I told
them he had left, and they then wished to go
on the stage. I said, " Certainly not. I cannat
allow it." I was pushed till I got down two ',take. I re-
quested them to leave, and as they refused, I sent for as-
sistant*, and two persons came and put them out, there
being a sort of scuffle. I was afterwards sent for by Mr.
Strange to know what it was all about, and I told Mr.
Strange.
Mr. Knox—Were the gentlemen drank or sober!
Witness—Mr. Payne was not exactly drunk, but Mr.
Collins was more so. The ladies were just coming off the
stage from the ballet, The defendant was not one of the
persons who came to my assistance.
Mr. Payne—Did I do more than advise Mr. Collins to
leave and to provide himself with proper credentials and
to attend on another evening?
Witness—No.

Mr. Payne—Did I not request Mr. Collins to leave
Witness—Yes.
Thomas Carter, employed at the Alhambra—When I
went to Mr. Cole's assistance I saw Mr. Payne on the top
of the stairs and Mr. Collins defying the doorkeeper, who
said they could not pass. They refused to leave, and we
closed with them. I closed with Mr. Collins, and we had
a scuffle. Defendant was not there at all.

Mr. Payne—Did you request me to leave
Witness—Yes, and you refused.
Thos. Palmer, another person employed at the Alhambra
(after giving similar evidence to the last witness), said—
I ejected Mr. Payne after a scuffle. The defendant was
not there at all.

Mr. Knox—Were the gentlemen drunk or sober?
Witness—Not drunk and not sober, if your worship
underst►nds.

Mr. Payne—Did I strike yen'
Witness—l don't think you did.
Mr. Payne—Did you strike me'
Witness—l might have done so. Perhaps I did.
Mr. Knnx—As far as I am concerned, and as far as the
defendant is concerned there is an end of the case. Here
is a man who says he did it, while other witnesses say the
defendant was not even there. Mr. Payne, you have placed
yourself in a very awkward position by what you have
done. Yon have rendered yourself liable to an action,
and you may depend upon it the matter will not end hero.
The defendant of course is discharged.

FIRST DAY or TEE-M.—To-day Hilary Term com-
mences, and will end on the 31st inst. Before next term
the question of additional judges—one to each of the three
common law courts—will probably be determined. It is
the intention of the government to bring forward a hill on
the subject, and the judges of the superior courts are
understood to be in favour of an increase in their numbers.
Term will commence with an arrear of nearly 250
Hiles and other matters of judgment and argu-
ment, besides cases to be heard at nisi ptius.
It has been suggested that one of the additional judges
should hear patent cases, with an appeal to the full
court. Another suggestion is that a court should sit
in London and Middlesex after the commencement of
the long vacation, to prevent the rush now made to
Guildford and Croydon on the Hoine Circuit ; and,
further, that one judge should sit from 10 till 4 o'clock
at chambers, in and out of term, to be relieved every
week, and thereby facilitate the hearing of formal
matters, and, with two of each court sitting, great benefit
would arise to the public.
THE SHERIFFS.—We have been requested to
state that Mr. Alderman Stone and Mr.Wllli.un M'Arthur,
an Australian merchant in Coleman-street, will be put in
nomination to fill the oftioe of Sheriff of London and
Middlesex for the ensuing year, and that there is good
reason to believe thAt those gentlemen will present them-
selves before the Livery when the time of election arrives.
nag AT SIR JAMES WILDE'S MANsION.—OR
Wednesday morning an alarming fire broke out in the
mansion of Sir James P. Wilde, the Judge-Ordinary of the
Divorce and Probate Courts, ho. 2, Grafton-street, New
Bond-street. The alarm was given at the Regent-street
Fire Br'gade station at half-past 8 o'clock, and Inspector
Teviotdale. the head officer there, proceeded to the spot
with three steam engines and one manual, and a force of
nearly 30 men. They have since complained that a delay
of about five minutes, which is a serious matter at the
beginning of a fire, took place from the want of water.
The company supplying that district is the Grand Junc-
tion. The fire occurred in a back drawing-room, on the
first floor, and before it could be extinguished it hail de-
stroyed the whole of the furniture and much of the oak
panelling and other ornamentation. Further damage
was done to other parts of the house by smoke, arid•luraril
attempts made by the brigade toprevent the fire syresding,
which were fortunately successful. It is attributed to a
defect in a flue. The furniture was insured in the Law
Insurance Society. Sir James Wilde was out of town at
the time.