The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-02-09 00:00:00

POLICE COURT V E STER DAY

(BEFORE MR. BOLTON
SAM SUCK, A CLOCK-TAKER.—William Leather was
brought up on a charge of having stolen the works of a
clock, from the public-house of !qrs. Hannah, Fazakerley,
Bevington-bush. Perhaps this was about the most impu-
dent piece of theft ever committed. The prisoner went
into the prosecutrix's house, and asked liberty to warm
himself. whilst taking some bread and cheese. He was
shown into the parlour, where there was a good fire, and
also—

" A whitewashed wall, a neatly sanded floor,
And varnished clock that clicked behind the door."

The prisoner discussed his bread and cheese, and his glass
of " sixpeaey," and, after an hour, he went away, having
contrived to abstract the works of the clock. In some time
afterwards he returned, and laid the works of a clock on
the counter, saying he would leave it in pledge for a pint
of ale. The prosecutrix refused to take a pledge, not being
a pawnbroker, and the fellow went away with the " article."
(Laughter.) She did not think, at the time, that the
clock was her own property, and that she had
actually lost a dead bargain. (Loud laughter.)
The prisoner then proceeded to several brokers, and offered
the clock for sale, but all refused to purchase, but; he at last
contrived to dispose of it to a man named Stewart, in
Brownlow-hill, for 7s. 61. These facts being fully proved,
and the prisoner being an old " conveyancer" (a well known
thief), he was committed for trial.
A SACRILEGEOUS CRIPPLE.—A young man named Thomas
Chambers, a wire worker, who supported himself on crutches,
was brought up by detective officer Thompson, charged
under the following strange circumstances. It appeared
that on the 19th October last, St. Paul's church was broken
into, and a variety of articles stolen. A portion of the
property was subsequently found at different brokers in the
neighbourhood. On the night of the 23d October, the
church of St. Alban's, Limekiln-lane, was also broken open
and plundered of property. A night or two after that
occurrence, the policeman on duty in Maryland-street, heard
a breaking of glass in the church in that street, and on
going to the place met the prisoner, and took him into custody.
On his person there was found a quantity of property, which
had been stolen out of the church at Birkenhead. He was
then transmitted to Birkenhead, and the magistrates there
sent him for trial at the Knu'sford sessions, where he was
found guilty, and sentenced to three months imprisonment.
On his release, Thompson met the prisoner at Birkenhead,
when the latter told him where some things that had been
stolen from St. Paul's were deposited. The officer, on in-
quiry, discovered that the information was correct, and then
he arrested the prisoner. In the course of the investigation
Mr. Wybergh elicited from the officer that he had asked
the prisoner certain questions without giving him any
caution, and that the prisoner said to Thompson, " I will
tell you all about it, now that lam free." This raised a
point of law in favour of the prisoner, and it was referred to
Mr. Mansfield, who, however, on hearing the details, ordered
the prisoner to be committed for trial, and he was com-
mitted accordingly.
THE CHARGE AGAINST A MARINE STORE DEALER.- •
Patrick Byrne, the marine store dealer, residing in Ben
Jonson-street, who was remanded on a charge of not being
able to account properly for some lead piping which was
found on his premises, was again brought up. Mr. Chilton
appeared for the prisoner, and urged the same defence as he
had on the previous day, and there being no further evidence
in the case, the prisoner was discharged, Mr. Chilton
observing that he would be forthcoming to meet any charge
brought against him hereafter.
ROBBING A CONVENT.—A well-dressed child, named
Sarah Henry, ten years of age, was brought up on the
following charge. Two ladies from the convent of St.
Thomas, Elm-grove, West Derby-street, appeared, and one
of them, Sister Mary Jane, stated that she was one of the
persons who taught in the charity school at the establish-
ment; the child had been educated in the school for about
five years, and within the last month or six weeks a great
:riety of shawls, cloaks, dresses, &c., had been stolen from
the house. The property was of considerable value, and
had been pledged at a pawnbroker's by the prisoner. Mr.
Bolton : Is the pawnbroker here ? The officer (304) who
had charge of the case, said he had not had time to
b-ing the pawnbroker. Mr. Bolton (to the child) : Have you
anything to say ? Child (crying): I pledged them, air.
Mr, Bolton : Is it possible that a pawnbroker would take
in such valuable property from a child like this ? It is highly
reprehensible on the part of a pawnbroker to act so. An
officer of the court said the pawnbroker ought to be in cus-
tody instead of the child. Mr. Bolton : I will remand the
case till to-morrow (this day), and let the pawnbroker be
here to defend, if he can, his conduct. Remanded. (The
name of the pawnbroker is withheld until he shall have been
present, as the case as it now stands is ex parte so far as he
is concerned.)

ROBBERY FROM A YARD.—House-keepers should be on
their guard, and not have clothes out in their yards at
night, as there are a gang of plunderers g tiug about with
hooks on long poles, with which they succeed in taking
the property off lines. On Thursday night a fellow
named James Cavanagh made a successful " pull " from
the yard of Mrs. Isabella Wilson. 4, Gregson-street,
• Everton. He got over the yard wall, and took a variety
of clothes, with which he was making his escape, but
officer 109 followed and arrested him with the property
in his possession, He was committed for trial
(BEFORE MESSRS. SANDS AND BOLTON.)
CONVICTION OF A POLICE INSPECTOR FOR AN ASSAULT.
—inspector Skermer and constab,e Bolton, 702, were
charged by a carter named Henry Goulbourne for having
assaulted him. Mr. Bluck appeared for the complainant,
and stated the case as follows. On Sunday morning last
about nine o'clock, the complainant, who was a:respectable
man in his way of life, was coming from his stables in the
neighbourhood of Vauxhall-road, and on turning into the
road, at the corner of Naylor-street, the inspector came
up to him, and without speaking a word to him, gave him
a blow with his stick across the left shoulder, at the same
time saying, " Take that you —, I know what you are
after; you are giving notice to the 'jerry shop,' and I
will have it out of you." He then made another blow at
the complainant with the stick, but the latter stooped and
avoided it. The blow struck a window sill, near which
the complainant was standing, and knocked a piece out of
the wood. The complainant then ran away to avoid
further violence, but he was immediately met by the
Constable Bolton, who gave him a blow on the ear with
his fist, and repeated the blow, but the :complainant got
away. This was the simple case, but he (Mr. Bluck)
might remark that his client was not only not giving
notice to "jerry shops " of the approach of the police,
but that he has and had been a staunch teetotaller for
the last four :years, and was a man of excellent
and ipeaceable character. All the witnesses in
the case were then ordered out of court. The
complainant, on being s worn and examined, fully
corroborated the statement of his advocate in every par-
ticular. He was cross-examined by the inspector, and
replied as follows—l was standing at Lunt's public-house
window when you came up. I live in Gascoyne-street,
and was going from the stables to get shaved when you
came up to me. You struck me without saying a word
before you did so. I swear 1 did not put up my hat as a
sign to warn either beer-house keepers or public-
house keepers of your approach. I swear most positively
you did strike me with your stick, and that Bolton struck
me with his fist. Do you know why Inspector Skermer
struck you ? Witness : I do not, and that's what I brought
him here to know. (Loud laughter.) Thomas Nicholson
examined, and stated that he was speaking to the com-
plainant at the time. He corroborated the evidence of
Goulbourne in every particular. In reply to the inspector
the witness said he resided in Rose-hill, and was on his
way to get shaved when he met the complainant. In reply
to Mr. Bluck the prisoner swore most positively to the
assault, and that there was not a word spoken until the
inspector struck Goulbourne; he also distinctly stated that
the complainant had not by signal or otherwise given any
notices to beer-houses or public-houses of the approach
of the police ; in fact he could not do so, for he never saw
the police until the inspector rushed at and struck him
with the stick.%He had known the complainant fifteen
years, and always known him to be a quiet and respect-
able man, and for the last four years he had been a strict
teetotaller. Inspector —What are you ? lam a carter.
Inspector—You are all a parcel of rogues together ! Mr.
Bluck—That is highly improper. Thomas M`Gibbon Was
examined, and swore he saw the inspector strike the com-
plainant with his stick, and saw the policeman (Bolton)
rat him with his fist. There was nothing elicited in the
cross-examination of the witness to shake his direct
testimony. The inspector then addressed the bench and
said he totally denied having struck the man at all, and
said Bolton was not with him at the time. He went to
a beer-house in Naylor-street, and saw about thirty
carters about it; he, with another officer went in and
when they came out, he saw a man put up his hat to
other beerhouse-keepers as a signal. The beer-
house-keeper in reply to the signal, did the same
thing, and then about 160 carters appeared in a moment,
and said to him, " come up, we will give you Chisenhall-
street now," alluding to a beating that the police got
there lately. The officer and himself, to avoid a collision
turned down Leeds street, for fear they would be assaulted,
but if the police did not show a bold front in Vauxhall-
road, there would be no use in going there at all. He then
called Constable Shutaeworth, 568, for the defence, but
the only thing he could say was, that he did not see
Inspector Skermer strike the blow; he said he saw a
man
nit was
holdup
hathae prisoner.
hat
porrcnaep as a signal, but he would not
swear r. The magistrates consulted,
when Mr. Bolton said the complainant had been seen in
bad company, and although he was an innocent man, it
was very unfortunate for him that he was so. There was
no doubt that the inspector did use violence, in which he
was not justified, to the man who was innocent of any
offence. There was also no doubt, that a crowd of bad
characters had assembled in the place, and who jeered and
iinn:poeccetnotr,mimana.g
insulted the inspector and his men, and this impressed
their minds with disagreeable feelings. In this case it
the inspector, a
was hard to discriminate between that party and the
and, perhaps, he
laid hands on ionTde htc:eiree
bench
h hadviolence
resolvedshown
to
on
fine
ee
himpar t of
and costs for the assault. As to Bolton, he was not up
at the time, and no doubt he, seeing the man run from the
case against him
must, therefore, be
him
to something wriTnihge,
dismissed.
him.
mussed. BEERROUSE C Lynch, Fairclough-lane,
dismissed.asEs•—jane .
Samuel Yearsley, Button-street, fined 5s and
costs. Thomas Cooper Park-road, Sunday trading,
Wand costs. Joh t t 8 d
nC. Apstead, Blunde -s ree , un ay
trading, 2s 6d and 2s 6d costs. Robert Guy, St. Andrew,
street, 2s 6d and 2s 6d costs. Joseph Ellis,
Jones'-street,
Park-road, Sunday trading, dismissed. James Walsh,
SaWneypope-street, Sunday trading, 53 and costs. 1