The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-10-28 00:00:00

DEATH OF RICHARD COPE

On Saturday evening the police authorities in Scotland-
yard received the announcement of the death of Bichard
Cope, the unfortunate victim of the murderous attack in
Parliament-street, on Monday night. The man in custody
for the crime, who gave the assumed name of Jenkins,
was the holder of a ticket-of-leave, which he received, in
April last.. He had been sentenced to seven years'
transportation in 1853, and having served the period of
imprisonment to which such sentences are commuted
under the regulation in force, he received the ticket of
leave as a matter of course. For some time after his
release he was in the employment of a stable keeper
near the Waterloo-road. He had no excuse of destitution
or inability to earn a maintenance honestly, therefore,
for relapsing in`o crime. But in all probability be fell
into the hands of his old associates, for he left 'his
employment, and soon afterwards passed a number of
forged £5 Bank of England notes to different publicans
in the neighbourhood where he had been employed. In
these attemptshe succeeded by using his late master's name,
and being known to have been so employed. The signature
of Mr. Kemp was pretty well imitated upon the notes,'
which were themselves skilful imitations as to the
engraving. The lad who disturbed the assassin at his
deadly work and prevented his escape, displayed great
courage and presence of mind. At the time his attention
was attracted by the moan be heard in the shop as he
was passing, the door was surrounded by some confede-
rates, who in vain triad to put him off, by saying it was
a man and woman quarrelling, and then endeavouring
to prevent his entering. By a very singular coincidence
the man who, hearing the cries of" Stop thief!" raised
by the lad Lerigo, after the prisoner, stopped him in
Palace Yard and took him to the station house, happens
to be the brother-in-law of the murdered man Cope.
This case will increase the great dislike with which the
adoption of the ticket of leave system has been viewed
by the public. There is no doubt that desperate crimes
are on the increase ; and, whatever statistics may say
the worst of them are mostly committed by men of this
class. In the present case, but for the accident of the
lad Lerigo passing at a fortunate moment, Cope would
have been murdered on the spot, and the assassin in all
probability would have remained undiscovered

THE POLICE AND THEIR NUMBER

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMEI

v a cra
Sir,--I was very glad to read your remarks on the dis-
graceful conduct of the police. Ido not see why the
watch committee should deal at all with such cases. They
ought to be openly investigated before the magistrate.
The police, from inspector and superior tenders down.
ward, are, I fancy, very naturally inclined to give the
most favourable testimony for their own order, and the
watch committee may frequently perhaps, be led in this
way to pass leniently over faults, which, if investigated
before the sitting magistrate, would be more severely dealt
with.'

A few weeks ago, I saw a man taken into custody. He
was charged with being drunk and disorderly. The man
had been having some liquor, but he was not drunk, and,
as I believed, he was pushed and jostled, and irritated
by a policeman, he resisted, he asked for the number of
the policeman—a not very polite expression was made
use of towards him at this request, and he was then fol-
lowed and taken into custody. I requested the number of
the policeman, who, as I imagined, grossly exceeded his
duty, and really " picked a quarrel" with the man, so as
to have an excuse for locking him up. I endeavoured to
ascertain the policeman's number, but could not see it.
I asked him for it ; he wanted to know what I wanted it
for—refused to give it me, and told me if I wanted it, he
would be in court the next morning. Now, in my
simplicity, I thought first that the number was put on the
coat to be easily seen ; and, secondly, that a policeman
was bound to give his number when civilly requested to
do so, but I am mistaken in both.

Let any one attempt to make out a policeman's number in
Liverpool, about or after dusk, and his eyesight must be re-
markably good if he succeeds. The metallic flourish that is
put about the figures is, I presume,to aid policemen in keep-
ing people in ignorance of what their number is. They
have this effect, whether this is their object or not. You
will remember that the dastardly attack of a London
policeman on a young lady some months ago, caused a
suggestion to be made in the House of Commons, that
only the plain figures and letter should be worked in the
collar of the coat of the London police, minus all the
flourishing and artistic design. I was then living in
London, and the change was effected, and a very advan
tageous one it was. I beg to suggest that all this
metallic disguising number ornament be removed from
the collars of the coats of the Liverpool police, and the
plain unadorned and readable figures, worked in worsted,
placed thereon in all their naked simplicity. The number
then will be of some avail. At present it is an elaborate
piece of mystification, and an aid to impertinence and
concealment on the part of the police. I write this not
in opposition to the force, for whatever tends to check
the evil disposed among the, police, tends to raise the
body in the estimation of the community at large, and is
to the manifest advantage of the police , _ force.—l am,
your obedient servant, ALPHA.