The Express.
London, England, 1861-10-15 00:00:00

THE POLICE COURTS.

!lANS!ON-H0!713E.

Cornelius mile •aiawii;wih, were brought
before the Lord yor, charged with an assault
John Hickey stated that the *amen were both em-
ployed at tailoring, and he lodged and worked with them
at No. 2, Artillerydane, Bishopspte, and on Saturday night
a man named Morris Murphy,- also a tailor, called for him
at about twelve o'clock, but he happened to be downstairs
in the yard, so he missed him and on going upstairs again
be heard a row, and saw the male prisoner, between whom
and Morris Murphy there had been a previous difference,
beating him over the bead with a poker, and the
female prisoner also with a poker, and a can of boiling
water which she was pouring over him. The man was
lying insensible on the ground, and he (the witness) went to
protect him, when the prisoner Cornelius struck him over
the eye with the poker, and the women poured some of the
hot water over him. He was stunned with the blow, and
fell downstairs. The jpitisooars followed him, soil were
taken into custody. The man Murphy was taken to the
hospital
Ellen Sullivan, Whyte., said she was passieg No. 2, Ar-
tillery-lime, on Saturday night, when she besrd cries of
"Murder." She went upstairs, and saw the man Morris
Murphy lying insensible on the floor, and the prisoners
each with a short poker in their hoods, and saw the woman
throw the hot water which she had io a can, over the wit-
ness., Hickey.
On being questioned by the male pri.ooer, she said she
was a married woman, and her husliaod's name was
Maloney, and Sullivan wee her maiden name, and that she
lived off and on with the man Hickey.
A wit nese, named John Horan, gave a very diff crest version
of the affair. He stated that be was also a tailor, and lived
and worked with the prisouers. On Saturday night he was
looking out of the front window, and he saw the two wit-
names, Hickey and Sullivan, with Morris Murphy and his
wife, all drinking together is a publloshouse opposite, and
about 12 o'clock they left the public-house and came over to
tle prisoner's house, and Morris Murphy went upstairs
with Hickey. and Murphy struck the prisoner's wife, and the
prisoner pushed him out of the room and shut the
door. Murphy broke in the panel of the door and got
into the room again, when the husband gave him a push
and he fell backwards down the stairs, striking his bead
against the bannisters where the stain turn. Hickey then
wont into the room and slapped his hands on the table and
broke a lamp that was worth Is. The room was then in
darkness, and he did not see either of the two pieces of
iron designated pokers used, nor did he see anything of the
hot water. . .

The officers produced • certificate from the hospital,
which stated that Morris Murphy was not in any danger at
Present, but would not be able to leave the hospital for •
day or two.
The Lord Mayor said as there was one person so seriously
injured be should remand the case for a few days, but con-
gealed to take bail, the prisoners in their own sureties in
W. sash, and two sureties in 101. each.

Three young fellows well-known to the police, who gave
the annum of Williams Clark, William Darin, and Williass
Edwards, but who are known under several other aliases,
and who refused their addressee, were placed at the bar
charged with uttering two counterfeit shillings, and also
with having a large quantity of counterfeit shilling pieties,
at the pariah of Islington, with intent to circulate the
rue.

evidence went to show that the prisoners were seen
by Police-cowstable 'hammers, 136 N (an officer in plain
clothes), in Islington, and suspecting that they were up to
no good, he watched them. Ns saw the priaouer Davie pass
something to cosh of the other prisoners, and they west into
differest slope. Fluting from inquiries that he had made
that ow el the priamers had samisedsd in passing

The public are aware that during the last twelve
months very extensive alterations and improvements have
been going on in the interior of the Gaol of Newgate,
they have now been brought to • conclusion, and it is hoped
that this prison, to which offenders; are sent from a district
comprising nearly three millions of souls, will in future be
found better suited to the humane spirit of the age than it
has been for a great many years. The alterations that have
just been completed have reference to the female side of the
prison, which is now made to correspond with the male side,
each prisoner being confined separately, and thus all chance
of mutual contamination is avoided. Until eery recently the
male prisoners awaiting their trial were all mingled indis-
criminately together; and although possibly& prisoner charged
with some atrocious murder or other heinous offence was
kept apart from his companions in crime, yet the general
and indeed unavoidable practice was for all the prisoners to
be mixed together, and it frequently happened that bur-
glars, ticket of leave men, and old and hardened criminals
of every description, were placed in the same ward with
young men who were charged with a first offence, and as
there was no means of preventing them from conversing
together, the principal amusement of the gaol consisted in
old offenders giving an account of their various plans of
plundering the public, their escapes from justice, sod de-
vising fresh schemes of villany. This, of course, had •
moat mischievous effect, sod repeated representations were
made to the government and to the corporation of London,
who have the immediate charge of the gaol,
upon the subject, and these representations at
length had the effect of inducing the corporation
to interfere, and the whole of that portion of the gaol de-
voted to the reception of male prisoners has, within the
last three yam, been completely re-modelled, every prisoner
having • separate cell, and thus no opportunity was afforded
for the old offenders to contaminate • noviciate in crime.
This alteration was found to work so well that earnest en-
deavours were made to effect a oorrespondiog alteration on
the female aide of the prison, and happily these endeavours
have at length been crowned with success. It appears
that the average number of female prisoners confined
in the gaol is thirty.five ; but accommodation has been
provided for fifty prisoners, each of whom has a
separate cell, and they will have no opportunity of corn-
munioatiog with or contaminating each other. Under the
old system all the female prisoners occupied the same ward,
prostitutes, and women of notoriously bad character, being
mingled with servant girls and prisoners charged with a
first offence ; and here, as with the male prisoners, the old
offenders appeared to take a wicked delight in endeavour-
ing to bring their more innocent companions to their owe
level, and thus extinguishing every hope of their reforming
or becoming good members of society. The arrangements,
which appear meet admirably calculated to effect the ob-
ject sought for, have been effected under • contract with
Messrs. Brown and Robinson, at • cost of something
like 10,00 W. Upon the old site four corridors have been
re-erected, connected together by au iron staircase in the
centre, and which contain each thirteen cells. These cells
are twelve feet long and seven feet wide, and contain the
necessary accommodation for their intended inmates. Every
cell is bested by hot air, conveyed through pipes at the top,
and each prisoner can obtain • copious supply of external
air by merely moving a small iron lattice window. In
the event also of a prisoner being taken ill or requiring
assistance during the night, she can, by pulling
• handle, communicate with a gong which is
plactsl outside the corridor, and which can be heard all
over this portion of the building, and would be immediately
attended to by the female warders in charge. The laundry,
in which the prisoners will ultimately be employed, is of the
most complete description, and comprises • steam apparatus
and every convenience. The apartments allotted to the female
warders are in the basement of the building, and the whole
place is constructed so as to give them an opportunity of
seeing everything that is going on, and in the event of
any of the prisoners being violent or refractory, she
can readily obtain assistance from the male side. In wa-
ne:ion with the altered arrangements of the gaol, a mast
spacious airing-yard has been made, where the prisoners
will have an opportunity of enjoying healthy exercise dur-
ing a considerable portion of the day ; but of course under
strict supervision and in silence, no conversation being per-
mitted to take place between them. Effectual means have
been taken to preserve cleanliness and to prevent the intro-
duction of contagious or infectious disease@ into the gaol.
Two cells are specially prepared for the reception of every
prisoner, and she will have to remain when first
brought to the prison until the medical officer
certifies that she is in a fit state to be placed in her par-
ticular class. There are elan hot and cold baths in this por-
tion of the prison, and an abundant supply of hot and cold
water. It, of course, frequently happens that a prisoner
conducts herself in • violent and unbecoming manner, and
refuses to conform to the regulations of the prison, and the
punishment adopted for such conduct is by placing the re-
fractory party in a cell, of which there are two in the base-
ment, which is totally dark, and she is here confined, of
course under medical superintendence, until she becomes
penitent. This mode of putushment,which has already been
adopted in the male side, and which has hitherto been
found most effectual, will doubtless be attended with a
similarly salutary effect in the case of female prisoners. The
whole of the building is now completed, and it is expected
that by the next, or at all events the November session, the
different cells will be sufficiently dry to be ready for the re-
ception of the unfortunate persons who will have to occupy
them, and the Gaol of Newgate will, undoubtedly, hencefor-
ward be entitled to rank as one of the model prisons of the
country.