The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-11-10 00:00:00

COUNTY MAGISTRATES' COURT.

CHARGE OF PICKING POCKETS IN RAILWAY CARRIAGES
AND OMNIBUSES.—On Saturday two respectably dressed
young women, named Jane Gough and lldaty Johnson,
were brought before Messrs. Theakstone, Tinne, and
Campbell, at the County Magistrates -office on two
separate charges of picking pockets. The first charge
was preferred by a lady, named Mary Virginia Houghton,
who was going out to Wavertree in the omnibus last Thursday,
and on getting in observed the two prisoners there. Ono of
the prisoners spread out her dress so that it lay partly over the
prosecutrix's dress. When the fares were taken, the latter
produced a sovereign and a sixponco together, paid the fare with
the latter coin, and put the sovereign back into her pocket.
sovereign
Immediately
was
gonele.avilntg theh
happened
e n omnibusedth that
she
detective
foundofficer
thatr
Scott
was on the roof of the omnibus, as having some reason to
suspect the prisoners ho was engaged in watching their
movements. Ho had been looking through a hole in the roof
but did not observe anything remarkable occur. When the
omnibus stopped he arrested the prisoners, and found two
sovereigns and a half in the possession of one of them. Mr.
Snowball defended the prisoners, and contended that there was
no case against them, the only circumstance in the least
suspicious being that one of them spread out her dress, which
was a perfectly natural movement, and most commonly done
by ladies on taking a seat, or changing position, in an omnibus.
The magistrates were of opinion that, although the case was
one of very strong suspicion, they would not be justified in
sending the prisoners for trial. The case was accordingly
dismissed.—The second charge against the prisoners was made
by a lady, named Mrs. Williams, who came from Manchester
on Wednesday, in a second class railway carriage, and saw
the two prisoners in the same carriage. A gentleman, who sat
next the prosecutrix, got out at Rainhill, and then one of the
prisoners came and sat next to her. The prosecutrix on entering
the carriage at Manchester put her purse into her pocket,
containing a sovereign and some silver. On getting out at
Lime-street the lady took a cab and drove home to Mount-
pleasant, and, on arriving there, she found that her purse was
gons. She did not, however, while in the train observe any
suspicious movements on the part of either of the women ; and
there were two or three other persons in the carriage. Mr
Snowball defended the prisoners in this case also. The bench
did not think there was evidence to send the prisoners for
trial. The prisoners were accordingly discharged.

CAUTION TO SHIP-MASTERS NOT TO
OMIT THE USE OF THE LEAD.

The following letter has lately been exhibited in the Under-
writtrs' Rooms :

Office of Committee of Privy Council for Trade,
Marine Department, Whitehall, Nov. 3rd, 1856.
Sir,—Referring to the letter from this department, dated
20th November last, on the subject of the culpability of ship
masters in neglecting to use the lead, I am directed by the
Lords of the Committee of Privy Council for Trade to re-
quest that you will bring to the notice of the Liverpool
Underwriters' Association the two following instances of
wrecks, which have occurred within a recent period, and in
which it has been reported that the accidents were attribu-
table, in a great measure, to the want of this precaution,
my lords have suspended or cancelled the certificate of the
masters of these vessels. The first case is that of the
Zebra (s.s.), which was lost off the Lizard Point on the 22nd
ofJuly last. In reporting this case, the court, consisting of
Mr. Mansfield, the stipendiary magistrate of Liverpool, and
Captain Schoenberg, emigration officer at that port, stated
that they considered the omission of the ute of the
lead a very grave one, and one of the main causes of
the loss of the ship. My lords, therefore, suspended the certi-
ficate of Mr. William E. Betts, the master, for twelve months.
The second case is that of the Bi unella, stranded near
Gir van, on the 14th September. The Local Marine Board of
Greenock conducted the enquiry, and reported that the
master, Mr. Alexander L. Black, was guilty of misconduct
by neglect of duty, tending to the serious damage of the ship,
one important element in such neglect being the omission to
use the lead. My lords, in this instance, cancelled Mr.
Black's certificate of service, and sanctioned his going up for
examination for a certificate of competency after a lapse of
three months, in accordance with the recommendation of the
Local Marine Board. My lords trust that the steps taken
in these cases, will tend to impress on shipmasters the
necessity of a due observance of the simple and obvious
precaution which has been so much neglected.—l am, Sir,
your obedient servant, JAMES BOOTH.
The Secretary of the Underwriters' Association.

The following is the letter alluded to :
Office of Committee of Privy Council for Tillie,
Marine Department, 20th Nov., 1855.
Sir,--I am directed by the Lords of the Committee of Privy
Council for Trade to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of
the 9th instant, relative to the neglect of shipmasters to use
the lead, and stating that the Liverpool Underwriters' Associa-
tion are of opinion that an important advantage would be
gained were this Board to issue a notice to masters of vessels
that such neglect would be considered as misconduct. In
reply, I am to request you to inform the Underwriters' Associa-
tion that nay lords have directed their serious attention to the
many oases of shipwreck which have recently been investigated
under the provisions of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1854, in
most of which, as they conceive, the casualty might have been
avoided had the simple and obvious precaution of taking
soundings been observed. My lords aro impressed with the
belief that, from a desire to avoid trouble and delay, or for
other reasons, the proper use of the lead, even in thick or foggy
weather, or when upon a dangerous coast, has become so
habitually neglected in many branches of the merchant service
that masters appear no longer to look upon it as a necessary
part of their duty. My lords gladly take this opportunity of
expressing their decided opinion that such conduct cannot be
justified by any custom or practice however prevalent, and the
fact that this neglect has become common affords, in their
lordship's opinion, the strongest reason for taking every possible
means to check it, and they believe that there would be great
public benefit and little individual hardship in visiting, with
the severest penalties, persons who are found guilty of a fault
so fatal in its consequences. My lords have no doubt, from
the terms of your letter, that the Underwriters' Association
will concur with them in the views they take, and they are
glad to have this opportunity of expressing those views and of
intimating, in as public a manner as possible, their intention to
use all the means with which the law has entrusted them to
enforce the proper use of the lead on board merchant ships.—l
, am, sir, your obedient servant, T. H. FARRELL
I The Secretary of the Umit rwritere Association, Liverpool.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE

LIVERPOOL

THURSDAY

BEFORE MR. MANSFIELD.

BAD PARENTS. —A nice looking young female, named
Lawler, was brought up on a charge of having stolen a
shawl and bonnet. The ease was remarkable, for the
following reasons :—Mr. Kehoe, police inspector, said—
Some time ago, the prisoner was sent to him as a
servant. She was a respectable person at the time, but
soon after she got into had habits, and he was obliged
to discharge her ; and he had no hesitation in saying,
that she was led into her bad ways by her father and
mother, whom he described as persons of most degraded
habits, and, although the father had 28s a week, he
allowed the wretched girl to do everything had, and her
mother encouraged her also. The prosecutor did not
wish to press the charge. Mr. Mansfield said it was a
melancholy case, and ordered the prisoner to be remanded
for a week.

ATTACKING A D ETECTIV —Deft& ive• officer Wilson
charged Thomas Fegan and Thomas Gifford on suspicion
of having attacked him in the streets. The officer was
in Spitalfields the previous night, when he was attacked
by some persons at the corner of a court, who flung
stones at him, One of which broke his hat, and would
probably have done like depredation on his
head, but for the hat. The prisoners were
arrested running a.;vay from the place of attack. Whilst
the officer was locking up the prisoner, a fellow named
John Russell was brought into the station on a charge
with stealing a shirt, and he was reeogniseJ by a pers )n
who saw him throw the stone at. Wilson. Russell was
sent for trial, and the other prisoners were disehargel.
Tisa CHARITY FUND.—Mr. Mansfield said, in conse-
quence of the observations which he made on the
previous day, and which appeared in the newspapers,
ho begged leave to state that he hid received a letter
from a well known and benevolent gentleman of
Liverpool, which contained £5 for the box. The donor
would not allow his name to be given to the public, be-
cause he was one of those who " did good by stealth, and
blushed to find it fame." He begged, however, that the
reporters would publish the fact.