The Express.
London, England, 1868-01-01 00:00:00

THE POLICE COURTS.

(THIS DAY.)

BOW-STREST.
INTIMIDATING WITNT,SEN.
George Britten .Reistorre was brought up on remand,
charged with attempting to intimidate George William
Day, to deter him from giving evidence at the last Old
Bailey sessions, on the prosecution of one George Gould,
alias Uriatowe, for obtaining goods by false pretences.
Mr. Abrams, who conducted the case, stated that the
prisoner's father, George Bristow°, was recently committed
for trial fromthis court foe obtaining by false pretences a set
of harness from Mr. Phipps, of High Holborn ; • coat from
Mr. Robins, • salesman ; and other goods from other
parties. The frauds were committed under the name of
" Gould." It was part of the false pretence that he
((lould) was the owner of property at Barking, and had a
farm in that neighbourhood. He also represented that he
was in the habit of bringing large quantities of milk from
the country, end kept • shop in London to sell the
amides by retail. To give colour to this repre-
sentation he took a small shop in Charles-street, Hatton-
garden, near Bleeding Heart-yard, where a Mr. George
, Gould carries on a pretty extensive business, so that per-
sons calling upon him, and seeing the carts and the vans
of the real Mr. Gould in the yard, readily arrived at the
conclusion that they belonged to him. He was committed
to the last Old Bailey sessions. Ho was tried before Mr.
Commissioner Kerr for the fraud upon Mr. Phipps,
but acquitted; the learned commissioner being of
opinion that the case was one which ought to
have been tried at a county court. The next
day, however, he was tried upon the other charges before
the Recorder, who took a different view of the matter, and
he wee convicted. tioveral previous convictions were
moved against him, and he wise sentenced to five years
penal servitude. Now, in order to understand the present
charge, it was necessary to state that Mr. Day, who is an
extensive cattle dealer, was called at the trial as a
witness for the prosecution to prove that he had
known Gould, alma Bristow', fur about 25 years.
end knew that he had never been a farmer at
Ito-king or elsewhere, and had no property there. On the
other hand, George Britten Bristowe, the present pri-
soner, was called for the defence, to prove that his
father bail a farm near Barking, and had recently pur-
chased four houses in Barking from him (G. B. Briatowe),
though be had some difficulty in explaining
how lie himself had acquired the property, having
reoently been bankrupt, and remanded sine die.
It appeared that on the first day of the sessions,
pending the trial of the father on the first charge, the
preemie prisoner met Mr. Day in Portugal-street, and said
to him, in the presence of Mr. Robins, " You —, if you
come and give evidence against my father, I will kick your
inside out." He attempted to strike Mr. Day, but
Mr. Robins interposed and prevented him. Mr. Day
came to Bow-street, and obtained a variant against him.
The next day they again met at the sessions, where Mr.
Day attended to give evidence against the father on
the second charge. The prisoner repeated his threats,
and put himself in a fighting attitude, hut was
prevented from doing ached violence to Mr. Day
by the opportune arrival of Buck, ore of the summoning
officers of the court, who hail come to serve the warrant.
The prisoner, however, violently resisted apprehension,
and it was only be the assistance of Taylor, another of
the Bow-street summoning officers, and a City policeman
(No. Ill), that he was ultimately overpowered, and re-
moved to Bow-street.
Mr. Vaughan said this was a most perking offence, and
one which mud be restrained with the utmost rigour. It
could not, under soy circumstances, be tolerated that wit-
nesses giving evidence in the cause of justice should he
interfered with and threatened or maltreated. In this case
there was the aggravation that the person in whose behalf
the menaces were used, was evidently an old and hardened
offender. The relationship which existed between them
could not for a moment be aduaittee, as an excuse. The
prisoner must be committed for trial.
MARLBOROUGH-STREET.
NIGHT Newman&
Wm. Lee, Alfred Sherwood, Catherine Guinan!, and
Sitaanowth Callen, were charged before Mr. Tyrwbitt with
loitering in Oxford-street, for the purpose of committing •
telony.
Briosted Webb, a plaia clothes officer of the C division,
saw the prisoners in Oxford-street, and suspecting diem
he followed them about for a considerable time, and
watched them, and saw the female prisoners stop several
gentlemen, the male prisoners sometimes being before
them and sometimes behind them, and occasionally stand-
ing on the opposite aide of the way, waiting for them,
and ready to receive anything from the female primacy*.
Sherwood said that be was on his way home from the
Victoria Theatre, when he met the female*, and was go ing
with them to have a cop of coffee when they were tsken
into custody.
The female prisoners said they met the men, and they
were invited to have some coffee, and were going to have
it when they were stopped by the constable. They never
spoke to any gentleman.
Joseph Lane, 210 I), said that Les had been convicted
of felony, and was a constant associate of thieves, and
walked the streets all night. Several of Lee's associates
had been convicted, and he knew Sherwood as a companion
of Lee.
Lee said he was never locked up in his life.
Lane said that be had been convicted ten times for
assaults on the police ; the last time on Monday last, when
he was fined 40s. at Marylebone Police-court.
Patrick Geraghty, 26 D, gave driller evidence to Lane,
and said that Lee was the worst character he knew, and
was in the habit of prowling about the streets all night
with bail characters trying to fall acmes drunken men. He
had seen Sherwood in custody at Marylebone, and had
cautioned the female prisoners several times.
Mr. Tyrwhitt said he bad no doubt the female prisoners
were hunting for drunken men to rob them, and the male
prisoners lying in ambush in case their services were
required. He should commit the male prisoners for three
months each, and the females for a month each.