The Express.
London, England, 1866-10-01 00:00:00

THE POLICE COURT&

MANSION-HOUSE.
Mr. Thomas Ortrt Evans, of No. 14, Lawrence-lane,
Cheapside, surgeon, surrendered in discharge of his bail to
answer a charge of wantonly and violently assaulting Mr.
Robert David Smith, the proprietor of the Old Ball's Head
Tavern, No. 33, Wabrook, in hie dwelling hones.
It appeared from the evidence of the complainant, that
between three and four o'clock on Friday afternoon the
defendant and a friend of his entered the bar and requested
to be supplied with two bottles of soda water. At that
time the complainant was in his cellars, attending to his
business there, while his wife was attending to the bar.
On coming up-stain, he received an information from his
wife that the defendant had insulted her by offensively
addressing her as "my dear," and desiring her not to be
nervous. On this intimation he desired the defendant to
leave the house when both the defendant and his friend
became very abusive; the former "mins that if be would
come round to the front of the bar he would pusohhis head
for him. When he told the detendart that he had in-
sulted his wife, who was a highly respectable maned
woman, the defendant said he was a liar, and
also applied the same offensive epithet to his
wife. The complainant again desired the defendant
to leave the premises, and, on his refusal, the pot-boy was
ordered to fetch a police-constable, but the lad's
W' II prevented for a time by the friend of the defendant,
and while this was going on the defendant, after placing
his stick upon the counter, turned up the cuffs of his coat.
and, spitting on his hands, doubled his fats, and struck
the complainant a violent blow in the mouth, the effect of
which was to cause the blood to flow from his lips and
gums. The friend, whom the complainant regretted he
lad not included in the charge, impudently remarked
that if he could ge near, he would give Lim something for
tending for a policeman. By this time the constable 577,
C'ty, arevid, and the defendant was given into custody
and conveyed to the police 'tenon, when be gave his mud,
which described him as being a surgeon, residing in Law-
rence-lane, Cheapride.
Mrs. Smith, the wife of the complainant, a lady-like
person of del'cate appeararee,was next called, and to the
full corroborated her husband's testimony as to the assault
upon her husband. She added, with great clearness and
self-possession, that the defendant and his friend entered
the house together at the time stated, and called for the
soda-water. She proceeded to open a bottle, but the cork
broke, neon which the defendant said, in a moot offensive
and familiar manner, " My dear, do not be nervous, I will
open it for you." She desired him not to be impertinent,
and said that if he and his friend would conduct them-
selves as gentlemen she would serve them with what they
required. The defendant called her a liar, and at this
juncture her husband came into the bar, and the sequel is
known.
The defendant, in answer to the charge, denied that he
had ever struck the complainant. It was true, he ad-
mitted, that he had addressed the last witness (the wife)
familiarly as " my dear," but not at all in an offensive
manner, and he contended that such a familiarity was
constantly practised in the bar of every public-house with-
out any insult being intended or supposed. He alleged
that the present was a most scandalous and unfouaded
charge; and he should ask the magistrate to award him
compensation for his loos of time, and for the position in
which the complainant had placed him. The
magistrate
would perhaps hear the evidence of his friend who
with him on the occasion in question.
Mr. William Scott Lynn (the friend alluded to) was
then called, and sworn, but after a good deal of fencing
with the gaestioas put to him, and after being reminded
by the chief clerk that he had sworn to speak " the whole
truth," be reluctant admitted that his friend (the defen-
dant) had "snapped" his fingers in the complainant's
!ace, but denied that any blow had been struck, or that

blood Sowed.
The constable contradicted the latter statement, and
proved that when the complainant gave the defendant in
charge, the blood was Sowing from the complainant's
mouth.
Mr. Alderman Abbiss said that he had listened most
attentively to the evidence, and was of opinion that the
case bed been very clearly and satisfactorily established
against the defendant, whose defence has been in no way
assisted, but on the contrary, by the testimony of the
solitary witness he bad called. The defendant had ad-
mttted he had used expressions to the wife which
could only be construed as being offensive, and the hue-
baud very natnarlly remunetraterl when he bad been
p
astyinsulted and assaulted by the defendant. The
assault has been completely proved, and for that offence
the defendant must pay a fine of forty shillings, and in
default be imprisoned for 14 days.
The defendant paid the penalty and quitted the coot,
vowing that he would elsewhere seek to recover compen-
sation from the complainant for his loos of time.
William Per/rain, a young man of highly respectable
exterior, was brought up in custody by detective officer
Bull, on • warrant granted by the Lord Meyer, charged
with larceny, as bailee of a certain valuable picture, the
property of the trustees of one Muller, a picture dealer.
Mr. Griffiths, barrister-at-law. appeared on the part of
the prosecution, and stated that some time since Mr. J. P.
Muller, a picture dealer, executed a deed of composition
for the benefit of his creditors, and by that deed Mr. Hobert
Martin and other gentlemen were appointed trustees.
Among the property thereby assigned was • valuable
oil painting by Verbrock Hoven, a celebrated Dutch
master, of the value of 15W., and it appeared that on the
28th of July last the prisoner resented himself at the
bumbles, !premises of Mr. Martin, in the City, and ex-
In mimed a desire to see that gentleman on business of urgent
importance. Mr. Martin's porter informed the prisoner
that Mr. Martin bad gone home, upon which the prisoner
desired to be furnished with his address, repeating with
urgency that he must eve him without delay. The porter
supplied the address, and learning that the prisoner bad a
cab in waiting, asked him if he would have any objection
to take up the picture in question with him, as he (the
porter) had been instructed to take it to his master's
residence, 28, Boundary-road, fit. John's-wood, and that
the prisoner's compliance would save him (the porter) a
journey. The prisoner acquiesced, the picture was placed
in the cab, and with it the prisoner drove off, and nothing
more was seen of him or the picture. From in sissies,
however, it was ascertained that he had sold the
p'cture to a dealer of the name of Wegsell,
and that he was located in Manchester, where
he was captured on Friday by detective officer Bull at a
picture gallery supposed to belong to Mellor, near the
Royal Exchange in the city of Manchester. When appre-
hended the prisoner declined to bear the warrant read,
declaring that he knew all about it, and that it related to
• picture.
The evidence of Mr. Martin as regarded the execution of
the deed of composition by Mullor, as also that of the
porter Foster, as to the delivery of the picture by hiss to
the prisoner was taken, and
Mr. Alderman Abbias (on the application of Mr.
Griffiths) remanded the prisoner to Wednesday next, re-
fusing to accept hail for his appearance on that day.
Charles Barraby, an athletic young man, was charged
with stealing from the person of detective officer, A. W.
Monger, a silk pocket handkerchief, his property.
From the evidence of Monger, a most astute officer of the
City police, it 'moored that on Pride/ evening, about half-
part nine o'clock, he went with some friends into the pri-
vate bar of the Horse and Trumpet Tavern, in Crotched.
friars. On entering he saw the prisoner seated in the com-
partment with • stick (now produced) between his legs.
While leaning forward to reach the beverage he had or-
dered, the officer felt the prisoner's hand pass his back, as
if it were leaving his coat pocket. The officer turned
roend and saw the prisoner pass something into his trou-
sers' pocket. He at once accused the prisoner of the rob-
bery, which the latter denied, but the handkerchief was
found in the trousers' pocket. The prisoner said be had
picked it up from the floor, and begged to be let go, but
the officer told him he had got hold of the wrong sort of
person, and had, in truth, " caught a Tartar." The pri-
soner resisted very violently, but with resistance be was
conveyed in custody to the police-station.
The Chief Clerk—Then that is the case against the pri-
soner

The officer Monger—Oh dear, no, sir, there is more to
follow. While I was charging the prisoner at the station,
the stick which I had seen between the prisoner's legs was
brought to me, and on examining I found a quantity of
wax on the point of the handle, and was just such an in-
strument as adroit thieves use for abstracting coins from
the shelves of publicans. While in the public-house where
ray handkerchief was purloined I noticed a pile of 16 or
18 sovereigns on a shelf behind the bar, justjopposite the
prisoner, and (with the end of the stick) within his reach.
Mr. Alderman Abbas desired to be informed of the
manner in which the stick could be used for such a pur-
pose.
The officer Monger afforded the alderman a practical
illustration by placing • half-crown on the front of the
witness-box, and extending the waxed end of the stick to
the coin, raised it, and brought it safely and silently to his
own hand.
The prisoner was remanded for inquiries as to his pre-
vious character and occupation.
Josiah Redmond Anderson and Maurice Henry Goodman
were brought up on remand, the former charged with em-
bezzling divers sums of money to the amount ef upwards
of 2001., which he bad received for and on account of
Messrs. Liddell and Co., of 126, Cannon-street, wholesale
, his masters, and the latter with receiving BW. of
grocersa money, well knowing it to have been stolen.
It will be remembered that Anderson had been clerk
and collector to the prosecutors, and in that 'opacity had
received the moneys, and that be had given the other pri-
soner Goodman SOL to take care of for him. Goodman at
first denied that he had received any money from An-
derson, bat afterwardiradinttted that be bad received 801.
in notes, which he had destroyed on hearing of Anderson's