The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-04-07 00:00:00

POLICE COURT.-SATURDAY.

(BEFORE MR. ALDERMAN HOLME.)

FLEECING JACK.—Two young females named Mary Arm-
strong and Mary Fitzgerald were charged by a seafaring
young fellow named Richard A. Mayne with having stolen
four five pound notes and four sovereigns from him. Mr.
Block appeared for the prisoners. The prosecutor met
one of the prisouers in Paul's-square, and she invited him
to take some wine, the result of which was the loss of the
money. The prisoners were remanded for a week, in
order to look out for some of the notes.?
Two BLACK CROWS.—If a black woman could by any
possibility be called handsome, Matilda King might have
come under that definition. She might have been the
Princess of Otaheite, or the Queen of the Cannibal Islands,
instead of a thnizen of Paul-street. She really was as
fine a figure (for a black woman) as could be found in a
day's perambulation through the streets of Liverpool.
She was well and appropriately attired, a little gaudy, to
he sure, but altogether she attracted the attention of all
in court. She was put forward on a charge of having
stolen a watch from a sable brother named John Silvey.
Mr. Chilton appeared for the prisoner. Tne history of
these `• two black crows," as collected from the story of
"Master Silvay," was as follows :—On Thursday he
arrived from sea, and went, as was his wont, to lodge at
the house of the prisoner. He forgot his watch in one of
the rooms, and it seemed the prisoner took it and wore it.
The man requested his property, but she refused to re-
store it, at first alleging that she had not got it, although
be had seen it in her possession. He was obliged to give
her into custody; and officer 634 said, when he arrested
her she admitted having taken the watch, and said she
had been knocked down in the street, and the article
stolen from her. This, however, proved untrue, for, on
searching her at the station-house, the watch was found
on her person. Mr. Chilton, for the prisoner, showed
that prosecutor was in the habit of leaving his watch for
safe keeping with the'prisotra-, and that it was so in the
present instance, and that she was influenced by one John
Barleycorn, who stole away her senses, but she had no
notion of committing a felony. She was discharged, and
the watch was:given up to " darkey," who "grinned horri-
bly a ghastly smile at the "charmer" as she left th ecourt.
6 ILLUSTRATING A PRINCIPLE "—COURTSHIP AND
FELONY !—One of the most extraordinary cases of illus-
trating a principle, that perhaps was ever witnessed,
occurred in this court on Saturday. Margaret Harris
was brought up on a charge of stealing a cap, the history
and description of which will be found hereafter. Mrs.
Harris might have sat to any ancient painter, had she lived
two or three centuries ago, or may now to any modern
artist, as the original of the " witch of Endor." She was
somewhat over three feet six inches above the earth, but
this was only applicable to the right side of her body, for
her left leg was nearly six inches shorter than her right,
and she had no small difficulty in preserving a perpen-
dicular appearance ; when she stood in her natural posi-
tion, she looked like the celebrated tower of Pisa, over-
hanging its base, and apparently ready to tumble any
moment. Indeed, so apparent was this, that on one or
wo occasions when she tried to steady herself, bridewell
keeper Campbell, who sat on one side of her, instinctively
jumped from his chair and seized her, so as to prevent
her falling, as he no doubt imagined, but she did'nt.
Her little dark grey eyes peeped out from under the leaf
of a bonnet, that was a perfect libel on modern fashions,
and might have served for a sunshade for half a dozen
young ladies in St. James's-park. The moment one cast
a look on this "interesting" figure, the first impulse was
to laugh out right. The individual who charged her, was
no less an object of admiration, and although the name he
had given himself on the sheet favoured strongly of
another sect, yet he was sworn as an Israelite, on the
Old Testament—the name on the sheet was John Digman.
The complainant, so far as his beard and hair went, might
be likened to some antideluvi an patriarch. The only part
of his face that was visible, was a portion lying between
the but of his hair and eye brows. His
coat was buttoned up as far under his chin as the
crop of hair that sprouted from it would permit ; but the
garment was by no means " a world too wide" for him,
for it must have been a remarkably convulsive effort that
got him within its folds without having made " shreds and
patches "of it. When he stepped into the box, and gave
a familiar nod of recognition to Mrs. Harris, which she
attempted to return by raising herself on her good foot—a
movement, as before remarked, ;that nearly upset her on
Bridewell-keeper Campbell, an involuntary shout of
laughter arose from all present, and even the gravity of
the worthy alderman was not preserved, for he laughed as
heartily as other people. " Silence" being proclaimed by
Mr. Lloyd, the alderman asked the gentleman in the box
what his complaint against Mrs. Harris was ? Mr. Dig-
man, for ought any one could tell, might have replied, but
if he did, it was with the motion of his lips only—the
tongue did not do its office, although, from the agitation
of the hair about his mouth, there was a strong
suspicion that he was endeavouring to say something. The
alderman told him that he must speak out, and never was
general obeyed by soldier with greater alacrity, for the gen-
tleman, in a voice resembling a miniature thunder clap,
cried out, " She stole my smoking cap !" Alderman Holme:
Might I ask what is your business or profession ? Witness :
You might ; but, perhaps, I might not answer you ; but
as you express some anxiety—its a laudable anxiety I admit
—a thirst after knowledge, I will enlighten you. I am a
lecturer on phrenology, and electricity, and drunkenness. I
show how drunkenness acts on the brain of man and woman,
and how destructive it is to the entire system of animal
economy—its worse for the brain than for any other
part of our system. Alderman Holme : I don't require a
lecture, but it seems to me, from your present state and
appearance, that you have been giving practical illustra-
tions of your own philosophy. Witness : That is a matter
of private opinion, and may be accounted for on natural
principles, thus : I have not been in bed, and as I am a
genleman, I have not taken a glass of whiskey toddy since
one 'clock this morning. Alderman Holme : It must have
been rather potent, for there are visible effects of it yet.
Witness : That is another matter of private opinion—but
we shall not quarrel on the point. You see I came here
from the Isle of Man, as I want to enlighten the people of
Liverpool on electricity, and the baneful effcc's of drunken-
ness on the brain. I want to teach them, too, the science
of phrenology, hut I had not been here many minutes when
th It lady (bowing to Mrs. Harris) stole my smoking cap
and gloves. Mr. Wybergh : What are you, sir Witness :
This is mere seeking after knowledge—l'll tell, sir—l'm a
gentleman—that is lam a gentleman in disguise—do you
want to know more about me ? I'll tell you—l am a
captain in the 11th Hussars—l am Doctor Bushea, esquire.
of the same noble regiment. Now, are you satisfied ?
Alderman Holme : Well, how did the prisoner steal your
smoking cap and gloves ? Witness : Why, sir, to steal is
as easy as lying. Nothing easier than to steal. I suppose
it's quite sufficient for you to know that she took my
smoking cap and gloves out of Mrs. Jones's in Cases-street,
and that she levanted with the same identical articles,
which were found in her pocket by the extraordinary
vigilance of this policeman. Now, sir, I could endure the
loss of all my property with patience, but the loss of my
smoking cap I will not suffer at any price ; it's the most
valuable thing on earth, is my smoking cap. Here this
valuable article was held up by the policeman, amid a burs
of laughter. It oonsisted of a piece of very common red
cloth, with a blue tassel dangling from the top, and if so
disposed, an " old clo"-m in might, in a fit of benevolence,
be tempted to give a penny for it. The Alderman asked
the prisoner it she could give any explanation in reference
to the little red smoking cap ? She replied that at half-
past one o'clock the previous morning she went with Mrs.
Jones to regale herself with a glass of Parry's brown ale.
The complainant was there, and advised her not to drink
cold ale, but to take hot whiskey, for which he paid. He
then talked very " Cupid-like" to her. (A shout of laughter
followed this wonderful announcement.) Alderman : Oh !
then there was a courtship between you, was there ?
Prisoner : Oh, dear, yes sir, there was indeed ! Alderman
Holme to complainant : You began to make love to her,
did you? Complainant, in a voice that startled all in court :
No sir. Alderman Holme ? Did you give her the cap ?
Witness :No sir. make love to the like of her ? Do you
think I'd disgrace the 11th Hussars ? Prisoner :'1 here
were two gentlemen in the public-house, and one of them
had that bit of a dishcloth (meaning the cap). Here the
complainant flung his arms about in the wildest manner,
exclaiming, in horrible accents, Oh, my smokirg cap, my
smoking cap, to be called a dish clout. What has the
world come to ?" The prisoner went on to state that one
of the gentlemen had the clout on the top of a stick,
whisking it about, and he gave it to her, and then
Complainant : You old trollop, why treat my smoking cap
with such indignity ; it was not enough for you to steal it,
but sow you add insult to injury. Oh, my smoking cap,
my smoking cap ! Alderman Holme : Well, I'll put an
end to this smoking cap affair. I find the prisoner has been
here several times for tricks of this sort ; had this been her
first time I would discharge her, but, as she has been here
so often, I will send her to gaol for one month. She was
then removed, and, on leaving the court, the complainant
shook her very cordially by the hand, and retired, amid
a convulsive screech of laughter.
THE WATCH BURGLARY. —James Brown, described as a
grocer and provision dealer, having a shop in Peach-street,
was brought up on remand by Inspector Murphy. It will
be remembered that some time ago the country-house of
Messrs. Dixon and Sons, Rumford-place, was broken into,
and a box containing 12 watches stolen thereout. The prisoner
was stopped offering some of the watches in pledge a few
days after the robbery, and the inspector subsequently
found eight of the watches in the prisoner's house, and
three others which he had pledged. He got all the watches,
but the only account the prisoner could give of where he
got them was that he bought them from a man named
M'Donnell or M'Donough, who told him he lived in Eldon
place. The inspector nowproduced Mr. Heatly from London,
who made the watches, and identified them. The prisoner
was fully committed for trial.
INGENIOUS SWINDLE.—A young woman named Elizabeth
Goodier, was brought up by Wilson, detective, on a charge
of having obtained considerable quantities of goods from
grocers, provision dealers, drape's, and others. It appeared
that for some time past the prisoner carried on an entensive
trade in this way—She would order goods from shopkeepers,
say she came from this or that hotel in the neighbourhood,
would get a boy or girl sent with the things, saying she
would send bail{ the money, and then she contrived to get
the goods from the messengers, and gave them the slip.
Several cases were fully proved against her, and she was
committed for trial at the sessions.
(BEFORE MR. MANSFIELD.)
IMPORTANT TO EMIQRANTS.—Messrs. Sabel and Cortis,
emigration agents, Regent-road, appeared to answer a