The Express.
London, England, 1866-11-03 00:00:00

THE POLICE COURT&

MABLBOROIJOH-STREKT.
Joke Young, charged with causing the death of Edward
Willmott, in • prize sparring fight ; Williank Shaw, land-
lord of the Queen's Head Tavern, Windmill-street, the
house where the fight took place ; George Flynn, Daniel
Morris, Edward Donnelly, Tliontai Dane James Good, and
Josses Ernes, charged with aiding and abetting in causing
the death of Willmott, were brought before Mr. Knox
for final examination.
In the course of the inquiry Evan was discharged,
and admitted as a witness.
Mr. Knox having minutely gone over the evidence, said
—I think we must take it as proved that the unfortunate
young man whose death forms the subject of the present
inquiry died in consequence of • conflict with one of the
prisoners now at the bar, and I have evidence before
me that there was • protracted sparring match
between Willmott and Young. At the of the
fight Willmott fell, or was struck or pushed to the
pound, and his head struck against the wall.
Willmott was taken out into the next room, became imme-
diately insensible, was conveyed to the hospital, and there
a few hours afterwards died. The house-surgeon who has
made the post examination tells us that the appearances
after death are such as he should expect to find in • man
who had gone through such • contest as that described by
the witnesses to contest in Shaw's house, and which had
so terminated. The facts being so, the next print
is, did Willmott meet with his death in the course of •
friendly trial of skill, or was the contest a prize-fight, or in
the nature of arize-fight ?On the latter supposition
there can be no dopubt that the prisoners (assuming their
share io the transaction to be made out as charged) would
undoubtedly be guilty of manslaughter. lam bound to
say that the direct evidence that this match was • prize-
fight in the ordinary sense of the term is very slight in-
deed. To be sure, we have it in evidence that there was •
regular ring, two seconds on each side, a referee,
&c., and all the usual arrangements for what
is called a prize-fight. Moreover money, as it is alleged,
was advanced by Good to Willmott in the sperring-room for
the purpose of enabling him to proceed with the match.
But whether or no this was a regular prize fight, it is laid
down on the books that public boxing matches, for the sake
of gain, are not lawful sports, and therefore if death ensue
in the course of any one of them the parties implicated will
not be allowed to excuse themselves under the head of
misadventure. I have before me the principal, three of the
seconds, the referee, the owner of the house, and two
persons who took an active share in a match which was, in
all probability, an unlawful one in the eye of the law, and
as a consequence of which death ensued. I have no alter-
native but to commit them all for trial, but I will take
bail for their appearance at the next session of the Central
Criminal Court.

Three wretched little fellows, named Michael White,
Timothy Sullivan, sad William Parrott, were charged before
Mr. Knox with begging.
Turner, Mendicity Society officer, said that between
seven and eight the previous evening he saw the boys sur-
rounding the paAsengers by the omnibuses stopping at the
corner of the Tottenham Court-road. They were offering
fusees to the passengers, and when they could not sell them
they begged of the persons. The parents of the boys were
in court.
White's father stepped forward and said he was not
aware his son went out begging, and that he would take

care of him for the future.
Turner said that Sullivan's parents grovel' abused him.
Mr. Knox—The boys are brought here in shoals. The
story told me by the parents is always the same—that they
are sent out to sell fusees, but they are really sent out tobeg.
I do not believe the stories told me by any of the parents.
I tell you, Mr. White, that you may tell me what story
you like for the first time, but let your boy come here a
second time, and I shall have no hesitation in sending him
to school, and I will do the same thing in all cases.
Just think, man (to White), what you are bringing your
child up to. You are doing that which will make him
a street thief. You are a strong man, and look at your
child. It is a scandalous thing for a man to stand before
me dressed as you are (prisonor was very well dressed for
a labouring man), and your child in such a condition. I
do not believe a word you say. Leave the court. (As
White was leaving the court with his boy (—There is the
father and there IA the child. Look at the child. The
children are sent out to beg ; the parents get money from
them, abuse the police, and tell the magistrates the old
story. I have one regret, and that is that I cannot nos
all the parents to the treadmill.
Sullivan denied sending his boy out to beg, and said that
his boy bad a bad foot.
Mr. Knox—Much you care about that.
Sergeant Clifford, E division, said the boys and a number
of others were in the habit of frequenting the soot where
the omnibuses stopped for the purpose of begging, staying
for hours, and the parents coming for the money they re-
ceived.
Parrott's mother admitted she sent her boy out, as she
was nearly blind.
Turner sail that the boy Parrott told him he wanted to
go to schooL
Mr. Knox said he would send Parrott to Feltham, and
remand the other boys, they being catholics, to see what
could be done with them.
Three other little boys, named Shepherd, Buttery, and
Dixon, were also charged with begging.
Buttery wail sent to Feltham, and the other two were re-
manded.

THE SCUTTLING OF THE SHIP SEVERN.

After our report left yesterday,
An application to admit the prisoners to bail was made
by their solicitors, but
Mr. Alderman Finnis peremptorily refused to entertain
the application.
Mr. Lewis said that,a shall had been mentioned, be thought
it might be as well to state publicly that there was a
warrant out against Berwick, not only for the scuttling
of the Jane Brown in which Webb has been the principal, but
also for another ship belonging to the port of Liverpool.
The prisoners were then removed, and the inquiry was
further adjourned to Thursday next.
The court sat till close upon 5 o'clock.