The Express.
London, England, 1868-08-25 00:00:00

WESTMINSTER.

Robert S(i Milt, beer-house keeper of Chelsea, was sum-
moned for keeping his house open for the sale of beer at
11.40 on the evening of Wednesday last. The charge
was proved, but the defendant said, that Mr. Hazel,
landlord of the British Lion, Manor-street, Chelsea,
was keeping hie house open, and he thought he was
entitled to do the same. It appeared that Mr. Hazel
made an application to Mr. Selfe last week to ask his
opinion as to whether he could keep open until 12 o'clock,
Chelsea under the new Reform Act being a borough. Mr.
Selfe recommended him to apply to the Commissioner of
Police. In order to try the question Mr. Hazel kept open
as did the defendant, and both were summoned for an
infringement of the act.
Mr. Selfe said—ln metropolitan boroughs beer houses
were allowed to be kept open until 12 o'clock, and the
boroughs were named in the act, but Chelsea being a new
borough no mention of it was made. He was, therefore,
of opinion that although Chelsea was a borough, beer-
houses could not be kept open after eleven. If the atten-
tion of the legislature was called to the inconsistency, it
probably would be altered, and Chelsea would be placed
in the same position as other metropolitan boroughs. As
the defendant's object was only to obtain a declaration
of the law upon the subject, he would only order him to
be mulct in the costs, 2a.
Mr. Hazel was also ordered to pay the costs.
SOUTHWARK.

n&mos Roswell, 48, a brick-maker, was charged with
maliciously stabbing his wife with a knife in the waiting-
room of this court.

The wife, a careworn-looking woman, said she lived in
Clement-road, Bermondsey. Between 2 and 3 o'clock she
was in the outer room attached to the court, waiting to
appear against her husband on a summons for assault.
While seated there he came up and wanted to talk to
her, but she declined. He then said, " You must listen
tome; are you going to preen the charge against me *:"
She told him she intended to do so, and whatever he had
got to say he had better tell the magistrate. He then put
his hand in his trousers pocket and drew out a knife.
Seeing that she became alarmed, screamed, and got up
from her seat. He then seized hold of her shoulder with
his left hand, and made a blow at her neck with the
knife, but falling back, she escaped it, and only received
a slight cut on the arm, which she had put up to protect
herself.

The prisoner said that he did not intend to do his wife
any harm, but she refused not only to live with him,
but to hear what he had got to say in defence.
Mr. Burcham said the prisoner would be fully com-
mitted for trial for unlawfully wounding.

MARYLEBONE.
TVilliata Wall, one of the men employed by the con-
tractors for supplying the carriages on the Metropolitan
Railway with gas, was charged with the following con-
duct.

Mr. Gibbons, chief inspector on the Metropolitan Rail-
way, attended and watched the case.
George Bew, porter in the company's service, said—At
half-past eleven on Sunday night the prisoner came on to
the platform of the Bishop's-road station after the last
train had gone. He was requested to leave, and instead
of doing so he made use of very disgusting language.
John Adams, another porter, said he went to assist in
putting the prisoner out, when he was violently struck on
the face, and nearly knocked on to the metals.
Jones, 62 X, said that at the station house the prisoner
was exceedingly violent, and threatened the inspector.
He also made use of disgusting language.
Mr. Knox said it was very bad conduct on the part of
the prisoner.; He would not send him absolutely to prison,
as it might ruin him for life, so he would give him the
option of paying a tine. At the station his conduct was
that of a madman. The company's servants must be pro-
tected. There was danger to life and limb by such
conduct. He must pay the full penalty of dl., or go to
prison for one month.
THAMES.

Nathaniel Wood, a young man, appeared before Mr.
Benson to answer a summons which charged him with
assaulting the Rev. Richard Lee, Rector of Stepney.
Mr. Thomas Beard, solicitor, appeared for the defence.
On the 17th of the present mouth the rev. gentleman
came before Mr. Paget, and represented that on the
previous day, in the course of divine service in the parish
ihurch, he had occasion to send one of the pew-openers to
the defendant, one of his oougregation, to reprove him for
giggling and otherwise misconducting himself. On leav-
ing the church, and while in conversation with two
parishioners, the defendant accosted him, laid hold of his
arm very roughly, and asked him why he had the
audacity to send a message to him. His arm was dis-
coloured by the violence of the defendant. On this state-
ment Mr. Paget granted a summons against Mr. Wood,
who is a clerk to a merchant in the city.
Mr. Thomas Beard said the reverend complainant did
not appear, and as his apolication for the summons had ob-
tained considerable publicity, he wished to state ou behalf
of the defendant that hedistinctly denied havingcommitted
any wank whatever. He then put in a letter, of which
the following is a copy, addressed by the rev. complainant
to Mr. Wood's father :
" The Rectory. Stepney, August 72, 1868.
" Sir,—l had resolved in the course of last week nut to
press the charge against your son to-morrow, being
actuated by no revengeful spirit, but solely by the desire
natural to the lowest of the brute creation, of self-protec-
tion. lam now confirmed in the wisdom of a peaceful
sentiment of consideration, that I shall not appear in sup-
port of the summons. Your deportment in church to-day
assures me I am right.—l um, sir, yours faithfully,
R. Lim."

Mr. Benson ordered proclamation to be made for the
complainant in the usual manner, and on his not answer-
ing dismired the summons.

GREENWICH.

William Coale- Knaecka. aged 42. of 1, Elder-cottages,
Sydenham, was Charged on remand with vio-
lently assaulting Samuel Webb by striking him on the
head with abalioner.

The complainant appeared with a large wound on the
left side of the head. He said that he carried on the Du:4-
MM of a greengrocer in premises adjoining those of the
prise uer. On returning home in the evening he heard the
making use of a most disgusting expression
towards his his wife, who was in the shop, and which exas-
perated him so much that he could not abstain from
striking and knocking down the prisoner, who afterwards
went away and returned with a hammer in his hand. with
which he struck him a violent blow on the side of the
head, at the same time saying, " I will give him something
to care for."

The conlplamaut s daughter and a led in his service
having given corroborative evidence,
John Morris. of 3, Raglan-mud, SyJenham, said that
seeing the prisoner strike the complainant with the
hammer he called him a cowardly fellow for doing AO,
when the prisoner abused him, and witness in self defence

'dim* at the prisoner kmad knocked kink down. The
inircutr was under the indoeuerc of drink at the time.
Mr. Furuheld, Nolicitcr, who eppeitied for the priwiner,
while not juktifyarg the ipe of a i‘inituer, urged that the
coulplaiticnt Ll3lll fr.• wind,. bud provoked the iiriroiler to
loenbik O toper.
Mr. Almelo bll/141 0.14 in uU ikiken 01 a,•.:eull brow tat
Udine 1l i ttt in which weapn. were 10..1 he adieu), tarie
against lenity, but ecniticieriug that provocation
.b
teed, he should require the primmer to find two •ein7tie: in
201. each to keep the Wild: for three, month.~ Ltd t e c
rn-
plaiusnt atm to cuter into re,cetnikasives on the like e