The Express.
London, England, 1861-09-10 00:00:00

M A RLBOROUG H-STREET.

Prim Janie. and Alexander Davidson, two very
respectable lads, and both apprentices to an engineer, were
charged before Mr. Ideation with attempting to pick pockets
in Piccadilly.
Gordon, 3:14i A, said—At a quarter to eight on Saturday
night, as a ride corps was passing through Piccaihlly, I saw
the prisoners in company with another lad, whom 1 knew as
a thief, of the name of Ricketts. I watched them, and
saw them get behind three gentlemen, and saw Ricketts
take up the tail of one of the gentleman's pockets with his
right hand and insert his left hand ; be afterwards saw
James make a snatch at a gentleman's watch. They then
left, and went to St. Jame. s Church, in front of which
there is a hoarding, and he saw James put his hand into a
gentleman's pocket, and the gentleman struck the lads right
and left with his cane. I tried to seize the prisoners, but
they ran under the railing and got among the crowd. I
called " Stop thief," and caught James, who said he was
only larking, and Davidson was taken by 79 C. On
James I found a cigar-case and some cigars, and 2s. Id. on
Davidson. . . _

Mr. Meador—Nothing suspicious
Gordon—No ; I cannot say whether James had his hand
on the gentleman's chain or not.
Mr. Edward Lewis, of Great Marlborough-street, for
the prisoners, put several questions to the constable. in an-
swer to one of which he said that James got his band so en-
tangled in the gentleman's pocket that he could hardly get
it out.

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Mr. Beadon —Then, why did you not seize him!
Gordon—Because of the people.
Mr. Beadon Surely if you saw the gentleman striking
the lad you could have then taken him and asked the gen-
tleman to assist you.
Gordon-1 went to the residence of the lad'a parents,
and found them respectable people. The gentleman did not
go to the station. I knew Ricketts as a thief, and he ran
down Church-passage.
Mr. Besdon—Why, aa you knew him to be a thief, did
Yyou not go after him—you could have taken him there.
on say the parents are respectable.
Gordon—They are, your worship ; and the prisoners are
sot known to the polio*. I told James three week. ago he
was in the company of a thief.
Mr. Be don—You said nothing was known of them, and
then you tell me that you had cautioned one of them.
Why do you wish to prejudice the case ? I shall discharge
them. After this they bad better be careful.
Mr. Lewis—l hope your worship will not adhere to that
remark. They are highly respectable lads, as I can show.
The officer must have made a mistake, as they tell me they
never saw the officer before.

Mr. Beadon —1 only may to them what I would say to
any other respectable lads—to he careful of the company
they keep.
SOUTHWARK.

Henry Rogers, an elderly man, by trade a smith, was
placed at the bar before Mr. Combe, charged with savagely
assultiog Mary Ana Savage, his wife.
The latter, who appeared with two black eyes, said she
had been married to the prisoner only three months, and
immediately after the marriage he commenced beating
her, and she was compaled to leave him. On Saturday
night last her husband met her in Suffolk4treet, and at-
tempted to take her shawl and bonnet off. She reoisted,
when be took her by the hair of the head by one hand and
struck her over the face with the other until she became
needy insensible.
The prisoner said she attacked him first, and he only
acted in self-defence. She was a bad woman, and was now
living with another man.
The complainant here informed his worship that prior to
her marrying the prisoner she bad seven children hyanother
man, and her husband knew it. When he turned her out
of doors she was compelled to go back to the father of the
children for support. She worked very hard for a living.
Mr. Combe asked when she left the prisoner
She replied—A fortnight after the marriage. He gave her
during that time several black eyes.
The prisoner denied that.
Mr. Cibis had no doubt that he had savagely assaulted
his wife, whose antecedents he was aware of before his mar-
riage. He should, therefore, sentence him to six months'
hard labour.