The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-06-30 00:00:00

POLICE COURT.--SATURDAY.

(BEFORE MR MAN-FIT:LB.)
STABBING BY A FEMALE.—A female, named Mary
Wiingh. was charged wi h having stabbed another
female, named Catherine Collins. It appea*ed that the
parties resided in Mason's row, Albion-street, and that
on Friday they had some drink, aft-r which they west
to tea A dispute ;pose between them in reference to
their husbands, and the prisoner having a knife in her
hand, inflictel two or three incised wounds on the cem.,
plainant's face. A certificate front a surgeon was pat
in, which stated that the wounds were serious, hot at
present there was no immediate danger apprebeuled.
The p isoner was sent for trial
ANOTHER A,SAULT BY A FEMALE —An elderly well./
dressed woman, natned Mrs. O'Toole, who resides in
Blundell-street, was charged with having assaulted a
hoy, named Edward C !molly_ It appeared that a son
of the prisoner had been playing with other boys. anti
that one of them ran off with the lad's whip. She accused
the complainant, but he denied it. She then took up
a VII can and struck the boy a violent blow on the fore-
head. Mr. Jones, one of the surgeons belonging to the
Southern Dispensary, said the wound was a smart
incised one on the temple. At pre=ent he did not
apprehend any serious consequences. The prisoner was
fined 5s and costs.

(BEFORE MR. AFREN.)
AN OLD HAND:—A well-dressed young woman, named
Anne Clarke, who had been several times before the
court, was charged with having picked the pocket of a
lady, named Anne Lee, who resides at Liscard, of a
purse, containing 12s Od. The lady was on board the
Egremant steamer, and the prisoner was there also.
When leaving the boat at the landing stage, the prisoner
passed close to the prosecutrix, who at once missed her
purse, and gave the alarm. The prisoner was arrested,
and at first she denied having the purse, lint afterwardd
she handed it to the lady. In reply to the magistrate;
the prisoner said, " I stole the purse, and I want to get
transported." She was committed for trial.
" A FRIEND IN NEED."—Margaret Conne was charged
by Agnes Smith, the wife of a butcher, residing in
Trowbridge-street, under the following circumstances:—
It appeared, that about three weeks ago, the woman
Smith was charged with, and convicted of, an assault on
one of the parish surgeons, and was sentenced to pay a
fine of 10s, or to be imprisoned for twenty-one days.
The woman Conne, being a friend of Mrs. Smith, offered
to do her any service she could. She was, therefore,
sent to the house of the latter, who informed her of a
certain place in the house where two sovereigns were
hid, and she was instructed to get the coin and pay the
fine. It appeared that she obeyed the instructions, to
far as procuring the money was concerned, but and
became quaj 9blivious in reference to the appropriation
of a part of it:nati;fly, the payment of the fine. She
not only did not pay the fine, but she spent the money
in drink, and not satisfied witi !hat, she stole half of
the property in Mrs. Smith's house, ai disposed of the
proceeds in drink also. Mrs. Smith suffered ;:pr twenty-
one day's imprisonment, and on being liberated she mede
the discovery that she had been deceived and plendered,
and then, with the aid of a policeman, she discovered
the prisoner, who was now remanded on the charge.
(BEFORE MESSRS. BRNN AND 7. AMES )
BRUTAL CONDUCT OF A GERMAN PROFESSOR —A tall,
hn„iingtiLzr looking German, whose card bore the fold
lowingi on either
si,-;e." Charles de Kerchherg, Professor
t
de Piano," and " Count tic; Magnieris," was pat forwata
before the magistrates, ch Iged w;:12 having committed
the following outrage:—The prisoner was handsomely
dressed, and exhibited some apparently valuaLle
jewellery. He was, however, rather repulsive looking,
and what added to this was, a black patch was tied across
one of his eves. Several Germans attended to hear the
case. Mr. Campbell defended the prisoner. An exceed-
ingly interesting looking, and very intelligent child,
named Elizabeth Sewert, said she lived wi,h her parents,
near Bolton, and she was at present on a visit
during her holidays from school, st the house of Mrs.
Drummond, No. 11, Ash:on-street, Pembroke place. She
is (she said) nearly eleven years of age. On Friday
evening she and Anne Drummond (Mrs. Drummonifil
daughter, a pretty child about ten years of age), siedi
out to walk; they were passing from London road h
Pudsey-Street, when the prisoner spoke to theni, an
asked her to go into Devon-street to take a small parce
for him and lie would give her sixpence. 'the eoni-
plainant at first refused, hut he at last succeeded lei
inducing her to go with him, on the praini,e of money,
cakes, and sweet things. The three then proceeded to
No 1, Devon-street, and the prisoner took out a key
and opened the door ; he told the little girl Anne
Drummond to wait in the street, and she did so. He
then took the complainant into the parlour, hank the
black patch off his eye, and shut the door. She then
detailed the brutal con luct of th prisoner towards her.
She called out, and asked to he let go out, and at that
moment a knock was heard at the door, and some one
talking, and then lie let her go, and she immediately
ran into the street and called her little friend, to whom
she told what had taken place. Her little friend at
once called a police officer and told him. Mr. Wybergh :
You did very tight, my good little girl ; you acted very
properly. It appeared that the prisoner attempted to
escape, but a large crowd of women collected in the
locality, and had they been allowed to act as they wished,
there would not have been any necessity for the assist-
ance.of a constable, for they would have " Lynched "
him on the spot. Police officer 549, who took the
prisoner into custody, said when he arrest-d him. he
offered the child a fourpenny piece if she said nothing
about it. The evidence of the complainant was fully
borne telt by that of her juvenile friend, Anne Drum-
mond. Both children elicited the applause of all who
heard them, and the utmost disgust was manifested at
the beastly conduct of the prisoner. The magistrates
asked Mr Campbell if he had any defence on the part
of his client ? The learned gentleman made an
ingenious speech, but said, from the nature of the case,
it was impossible he could call any witnesses After
some consultation, Mr. Benn delivered the judgment of
the court, and said it was one of the worst class of cases
of the sort that had ever come before the court. He
censured in deserved terms the conduct of the prisoner,
which he designated as brutal in the extreme. The
highest punishment allowed by law would be inflicted,
and that was a fine of £2O, or in default of
payment, six months' imprisonment, with hard labour.
In reply to Mr Campbell. Mr. Wybergh said the punish-
ment was inflicted under the act, fur the punishment of
aggravated assaults on women and children. Mr.
Campbell hinted something about an appeal from the
decision. [We are satisfied that no court, hearing the
details of the case, would for one moment hesitate in
confirming the very just sentence pronnuced by the
magistrates in this case; and, although the punishment
was the highest the bench had the power of awarding.
yet it was not at all an adequate punishment for the con-
duct of the prisoner.]

(BEFORE MR. S. ROLME.)

EXTENSIVE ROBBERY BY A SHoPMAN —Henry Rankin,
who had been remanded, was again brought before the
bench, charged with stealing a very large quantity of
drapery goods, handkerchiefs, gloves, &c., the property
of Mr. Naylor, of Church street. Povey and fki‘Cullocb,
the two detective officers who had charge of the case,
and through whose vigilance the prisoner was detected.
gave the same evidence as on a former occasion, which
was reported in this journal at the time. It was to the
effect that they had watched the prisoner, and upon his
being apprehended, took from his possession upwards of
100 pawnbrokers' duplicates, all relating to property
purloined from his empl,yer df.iring the last twelve
months. A great quantity of the property was pro-
duced and identified, and had been pledged at different
pawn offices. The depositions having. been taken, the
prisoner was committed to take his trial.