The Express.
London, England, 1867-03-26 00:00:00

THE POLICE COURTS.

(THIS DAY.)

CLERKENWELL.
TEARING lA' CI.oTHLIS IN A woßknorsz.
described as a charwoman having no home,
• harge.l before Mr. Cooke with wilfully destroying
r °au clothing in the casual ward of the Islington Work-
! i•e. and also the clothing supplied by Mr. George
I :.t. us, the master of the Islington Workhouse.
Ilor❑n, the constable of the workhouse, said that the
,]4.ll,latit was admitted to the casual ward on Saturday
and was supplied with a ■upper and a bed. On
..14.1:iy morning it was found that she had destroyed her
,!.,thing, and she was supplied with others ; and, as she
.I,,troye.l those the master gave her into custody.
.tun Uhistey, an inmate of the workhouse, said that she
(wind that the defendant bad destroyed her clothing on
the sutulay morning. The defendant had to lie in bed all
on Sinntay, as the matron said that she did not wish
disturbssl on a Sunday in giving out clothes.
Mr. l'ooke—Do you mean to say that she bad to lie in
dl day because the matron would not give her fresh

TheMtnesa—Yes, sir. I reported the matter to the
an* ; but she said that the defendant had better lie in
day, as it being Sunday she did not wish to be dis-
t,rni4l.

Horan—The defendant would not have been charged
1-xl she nut torn the clothes that the master gave her.
Dlr. Cooke said the matron must be informed that she
LI acted illegally. She had no right to take upon herself
a imprison a woman all day. She bad no discretion—
tae had no power to order a woman to be confined in bed
e. day.

Horan said that it was done with the sanction of the
master, but he would report what the magistrate had
Mr. Cooke having referred to the sth and fith Vic. c. 57,
said that neither the master nor the matron had any right
to set in such a manner. It was highly improper. He
Lino right to detain her more than tour hours after her
bredifast had been supplied to her, and they had done
try wrong to keep the defendant in bed all (lay. But
flat did not affect the offence then before him. What
LI the defendant to say to the charge of destroying her
'en clothing and that supplied to her.
The defendant—My own clothes were very dirty. I
Lee nothing to say to the other part of the charge.
Mr. Cooke said the defendant had no right to tear up
Err clothing and force the guardians to supply her with
NIL Had she asked to be supplied with fresh clothing!
lloran—No, sir.
Mr. Cooke said that this class of offence seemed to be
en the increase, and the magistrates had decided to do all
um), could to put it down. This was a bad case, for the
ddendant had destroyed not only her own clothes, but
:Ise those that were supplied to her. He then ordered her
to be imprisoned and kept to hard labour in the House of
Correction for 21 days.
The defendant was then removed.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.
tesrriTante CHILDREN CHARGED WITH BEGOTNO.
Ater Debty,9, Janes Piper, 8, Robert Yates,slo Joseph
W4bl'r, 12, all decent-looking boys, were charged before
Er. Tyrwhitt with begging in Oxford-street.
Charles Barnes, 83 C, proved seeing the boys, tecom-
Ignitsi by two others, a little older, going in turn into the
diferent public-houses and coffee-shops in Oxford-street
ler the putpose of soliciting aline, and he afterwards saw
V.VIII stop persons in the street and beg, and he then took
Lein into custody.
In answer to Mr. Tyrwhitt the constable stated that the
hlt said they were led away by the boys who escaped.
Bier of the boys had been bailed out, and were now
letter dressed than Inst night.
In answer to Mr. Tyrwbitt, the boys said they were not
sin out to beg by anybody, but the two boys took them.
The buys' parents, all respectable-looking people, stood
forward.

The mother of Piper said her boy had no occasion to go
to beg, his father being a sober and industrious man,
411.1 there being a good home. Her boy was at school up
1 o'clock.
belany's father said his boy attended school, and had
n.ecessity to beg.
% allace's father said he had a good home, but 'I unfoir-
ttelY his wife haring absconded, his boy was left with-
',,t *gone to look after him while be was out.
Tyrwhitt said he did not know what had led the
to act as they had done. He would let them go
tome this time, and he hoped the parents would correct
lb"' for doing what they had done, but if they were
.beight before him again he would send them to prison,
• Plan which he did not suppose they would much like.
The boys then left the court with their parents.

WORSHIP-STREET.
'Tlrrolaa emir or viATcH /u)OBEET IN A THEATRE.
Mirriaqhm,n, a master cabinet-maker, et Clerken-
,ll, was charged with stealing from the vest pocket of
l'arfett a watch.
This charge was preferred on the 16th lost., and the
R' 'T now appearea on his bail. The evidence went to
••" ti.•,t Prosecutor was at the Britannia Theatre, in
"•.'"4n, and having left the body of the house at the con-
of One of the acts, was robbed in one of the lobbies
ljae.ost while reusing through the crowd. The watch.
• • mai ~t pri,oner icet, was broken, and when charged
;'th theft, he denied it in terms something more
•‘n were expressive of indignation. To his apparent
~..,,oidonent the evidence of prosecutor was now strength.
by that of two witnesses, one of whom said he had
easPected the prisoner of purposed theft, and
!,0t1...r that he actually saw the article fall or drop from
tun.
.IVio thir it might not hare been dragged front the
',met-. pocket by a button of prisoner's dress catching its
'aim, or by other means, was not inquired into.
Mr. Newton remarked that the evidence given on the
occa.ion was now so materially strengthened he could
.t do otherwise than send the accused fur trial unless
Of guilty.
r I..clared his entire innocence ; he stood in the
-.k wit', unblemished character, was a householder,
"4 a Nile and family, could obtain bail to any amount,