The Express.
London, England, 1867-09-06 00:00:00

THE POLICE COURT&

Sidney Osborn Fowler, aged 30, alias Dr. John Galt, of
2, Shepperton.cottages, Islington. doctor of medicine, was
brought up on a warrant before Mr. Cooke, and charged
with selling indecent prints.
Mr. Sleigh, barrister, appeared forth, prosecution ; and
Mr. Hubert Wood, solicitor, for the defence.
Mr. James Thompson said—l am an inspector of the de-
tective force, Scotland-yard. I received from the Com-
missioner. of Police a circular, headed " Messrs. Galt and
Co.,rich,rare, and classical photegraphersand book dealers,
Sliepperton-oottagee Islington, ' and following that was a
list of indecent books, and at the end of the circular was
the following:—•• The publishers will forward any of the
above works post free on receipt of stamps for the amount.
They have also on hand a very extensive collection of Lice-
tions, erotic, novel, and voluptuous photographs, stereo-
scopic slides, cartes de visite, scarce and amorous bookie,
French prints, and everything obtainable in Europe and
America. A catalogue of the above works forwarded on
receipt of four stamps. If desirable, goods will be sent
securely packed up, so that inquisitive people cannot tell
the contents." With that menhir I received instruc-
tions to make inquiries. In consequence of that I called at
No. 2, Shepperton-cottages. I saw the prisoner's wife, had
some conversation with her and then I eft. Early on the
following morning I received a book by port, accompanied
by the following letter :—" 2, Shepperton-cottages, New
North-road, 3rd Sept.; 1(4670 Sir,—l regret exceedingly
not being at home when you called this afternoon, but to
prevent further disappointment shall stay at my residence
as above to-morrow until one o'clock. You can
ride from your door by the Chelsea omnibus, which will
bring you to the New North-road, after which you will
have only a few minutes' walk to my residence. NVe can
supply you with every variety and class of goods you may
require.—Yours, respectfully, Galt and Co." In conse-
quence of the appointment made is that letter I called at
that address at one p.m. of that date. I saw the de-
fendant's wife, who showed me into the parlour, and
shortly afterwards the prisoner entered. He asked me if I
was Mr. James, the gentleman who bad called the previous
evening and ordered the book called " The Social Evil." I
said, " Yes ; are you Mr. Fowler 1" He replied, " I am,
and ! sent you the book last evening, accompanied by a
note." I then produced the list that was banded to me
by the Commissioners of Police, and told him it
had been received by a gentleman in the artillery stationed
at Portsmouth, and I wished to know if I could have any
of those books. He said, " The proper way would be to
send stamps, and that then the books would be forwarded
on the receipt of those stamps, but as I was there he
would show me a few specimens," and then be left the
room. He returned shortly afterwards with a packet of
slides and other articles. I selected six slides and paid
him for them 24,. He said he would let me have them
cheap, as he intended travelling in the provinces with a
large quantity of these things; that he intended
visiting Portsmouth, and perhaps could introduce
them to the officers of the garrison. He re-
marked, " I suppose you are an officer yourself."
(A laugh.) And I said, " Yes I am." (Renewed
laughter.) He further said that be had sent by post a large
number of the lists, and on an average received one reply
for every three circulars he sent out, and on the receipt of
the reply he sent out a catalogue headed, " Catalogue of
Exciting and Amorous Works." He then showed me
another catalogue, and called my attention to page 20,
where India-rubber models are described, and said he
would get me anything in that way if I required it. I
told him I would write to him on Tuesday, an would then
order what I should want, and would probably enclose a re-
mittance • and if I sent a Post-office order I wanted to
know where it was to be made payable. He wrote on the
catalogue, "Payable to John Galt, at the General Post-
office."

Sergeant Langley, of the detective force, said—l accom-
panied the previous witness to the residence of the prisoner.
I assisted to 'march the house, sod I produce a number
of indecent prints, &0., that I seized there. The pri-
soner said—" I am not John Galt, but Dr. Fowler."
I took from his pocket-book a post-Ake order, which was
signed John Galt, and that was in the same handwriting as
the prisoner wrote on the circular produced by Inspector
Thompson.
Mr. Sleigh here asked for a remand, and said that there
would be further evidence against the prisoner.
Mr. Cooke remanded the prisoner, but consented to take
bail, three sureties in the sum of 3001. each, and the pri-
soner himself in double the amount, with 24 hours' notice

THE TRAGEDY IN LINEHOUNIE.—John Wiggins,
a lighterman, charged with the wilful murder of Agnes
Oakes, • woman with whom be cohabited, and with cut-
ting his own throat in Lower North-street, Limehouse, on
the morning of the 24th July last, was brought up on
remand for the fourth time at the Thames Police-court
Pesterday. An arrangement was made between Mr.
oland, counsel for the crown (who is instructed by Mr.
Pollard, clerk to the Treasury solicitor), and Mr. Charles
Young, the prisoner's solicitor, that the prisoner should be
brought up yesterday, no evidence offered, and be again
remanded until neat Tuesday. This arrangement was
carried out, and the prisoner was put into the dock, and
formally remanded. Inspector Brady, of the K division,
applied for • summons to enforce the attendance of •
witness who could give important evidence against Wig-
gins. Mr. Paget granted • summons.

At the Bangor Petty Sessions, Mr. William
Johnston' of Ballykilbeg, and 25 others, appeared in
answer to a summons charging them with being present at
an unlawful assembly at Bangor on the 12th July last,
having arms and emblems calculated to provoke a breach
of the peace. All those charged, with the exception of
two, were committed for trial at next maize/.

A man has been captured at Teignmonth and
sent to the Exeter assizes, charged with having committed
more than a dozen burglaries. He has eluded the police
for months.

At a recent meeting of the Hull Sanitary Com-
mittee, the clerk reported that Mr. Pretty, of her Ma-
jetty's Customs, h►d waited upon him, and stated that
there had been 87 deaths from cholera in a week at
Rotterdam.

REM/OWEN/3ES or STARCH.—Starch was made
of all hues ; in the reign of James I. yellow was the
fashionable colour. Our ancestors ware indebted to the
notorious Mrs. Turner, said to have been the widow of a
physician, the willing tool of that infamous clique who
poisoned Sir Thome. Overbury in the Tower, for the in-
troduction from France of that graceful tincture ; and she
was at once alpha and omega of the custom, for on its
becoming known to the world of fashion that she was
executed in " • yellow starched titling ruff and cuff," that
absolute monarch decreed that his eubjects should no more
be clad in so infamous a hue, and " yellow starch and
wheeled fardingalea were cried down."—Osoe a Week,