Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-03-12 00:00:00

THE STIPENDIARY AND UNPAID MAGIS-

.IVtRPOOL POLICE INTELLIGENCEO-YnsrEnnar.
BEFORE MU. MANSFIELD.
In the case of Mr. Ellis, a
defendant produced ort of which appa
young
in
our paper of yesterday, the
man named John Hodson, who corroborated the statement
made by him (Mr. Ellis), 'but Mr. Mansfield was of opinion
that Mr. Ellis should not have interfered with the police,
and fined him lOs and costs for the assault.
ASSAULT ON BOARD AN AMERICAN SHIP.—John WPher-
son and John Crook, two sailors on board the American
ship Richard Busteed, were charged with having assaulted
John Gibney, the second mate of the ship. Mr. Cobb
was for the prisoners. The complainant said there was a
fill-rigged brig passing them in the river, when
the prisoners and some other men began to jeer
and abuse the people on board, and he told them to
conduct themselves properly, when one of them hit him on
the head with a "sling-shot," and the other drew a dagger
and threatened to stab him. To Mr. Cobb : There was a
rat in the chains of the brig, and that caused the observa-
tions. . Mr. Cobb said the facts were these :—There was a
rat in the chains of the brie.', and one of the men said to
another, " if I were on board thep,,brig, I would serve the rat
this way," at the same time raising the sling-shot, which
came in contact with the mate's head. The mate denied
that, and said the blow was given him on purpose, and the
-Other man threatened to stab him. Mr. Cobb : But you do
not wish to press the case. -Complainant : Yes, I do
wish to press it, as I have no notion of being mur-
dered in this way. Mr. Cobb : But your head must
be. very thick when it is not cut ? Mr. -Mansfield said it
was unfortunate the American mercantile 'service had not
some arrangements here to get respectable seamen, and the
consequence was that they got all sorts of blackguards on
board. He fined the prisoners £2 each, or two months'
imprisonment.
" KNOCKING UP AND KNOCKING DOWN."—A well-
dressed young man, named Benjamin Lee, described by the
police under the comprehensive term " thief," who lives in
Limekilu-lane~ was charged with having ;assaulted George
Hume, the keeper of an eating-house at 7, Skelhorne-
street. The complainant said the prisoner, with five others,
went into the house, had something to eat, but refused to
pay, and then the prisoner broke a square of glass in the
window, and when the prosecutor asked him to pay, he gave
him a box in the jaw, 'knocked him deiten, and cut his head.
The prisoner was sett to jail for two months, in default of
paying £2 fine.
POCKET-PICKING. —Two' well-dressed- young females,
Margaret Keefe and Catherine Qhaile, were charged With
baying picked the"
pocket of Mrs. Bickerton, wife of 'Sur-
geon Bickerton, Mount-pleasant. From the evidence it
appeared that a .gentleman and a police-officer watched the
prisoners in- Bold-street, the previous evening, following
some ladies, and at last they peeked the pocket of the lady
of a purse containing 2s. They were followed and arrested
in L'iwton-street, and when 'at the station, one ,of them
dropped the purse. Mr. Blnsk for the prisoners, -cross-
examined:the witnesses, but did] not shake their 'evidence,
and as the prisoners were "ild hands," they were sent for
trial.

THE DANGER OF KNOWING THE LAw.—Michael Itoberts,
a respectable looking young man, was charged by 'a
.poliee
officer with having been drunk and disorderly in St. James's- .
place the previous' night. The officer wanted him to o
away, but he refused, saying he was an attorneys clerk,
and that he knew the 'law better than any pOliceman in.
England, and he would:A:each it to the police. However,
the officer taught him the value of power over law, for he
took bim to the station—not by the strong army f the law,
but by the power of the sinews of his righ arm.; and
Mr. Mansfield, also, taught him an additional chapter on
4' personal liberty," by ordering him to country lodgings at
.Kirkdale, for the space of 72 .hours, provided he did not
find 53. and costs, to keep him from the pleasing society of
Mr. Gibbs, the governor of that suburban retreat for gentle-
men .and ladies who know the law, but who fail -to obey it.
VIOLENT ASSAULT ON SHIPBOARD ON A BLACK MAN.—
Thomas Parrington, the second mate of the ship Samaritan,
was charged with having committed a violent, if not fatal,
assault on a black sailor, named William Campbell, who
belonged to the ship. Mr. Black was for the -prisoner.
The injured man hes at the Northern Hospital in, as was
stated by certificate, a serious state. John Warren,a.rigger,
said he was working on board the ship Busteed, about 400
yards from the Samaritan, and he saw a man on board the
:latter in the rigging beating another, with a rope, for from
half to three quarters of an hour. The man with the rope
was on the.royal yard, and the man he was beating above
him. When the man got the last blow, he fell, but witness
could not see where he fell to. He went on shore, and told
-the police. Cross-examined by Mr. Black: I could not
tell who either of the men were ; could tell it was .a human
being he was beating ; could not say if the man was black
or white. I saw it was a rope, and could see the man struck
with it. The man who struck the other was 14 ,or 15 feet
from the man he struck. I saw the man tumble down, and
I consider it was from a blow that he lost his kohl, and I
think he fell more than 145 feet. Francis Hallman, a black
sailor on board the ship, was examined, and said : About
half-past four o'clock the prisoner sent the injured man to
grease the sky-sails. The man said he was just after doing
so, when the prisoner caught up a rope and ran after him,
and was beating him from half to three quarters of an
'hour. The man went up as high as he teuld, and:
at last the prisoner struck him on the hand lay which
.he was holding on, and then the man fell to the brace'
:and then on to the deck. He was beat chiefly about
.the thighs. The man was singing out to the
prisoner not to beat him. He fell for about 140 feet before
he met the brace, and from that to the deck 15 ,fir 16 feet.;.
he laid out on his back and stretched out his arms, but never
. spoke a word after. There was nothing done with him,
except carry him to the forecastle. The captain saw him
in abont three-and-a-half hours after, but he did not seem
to care about him. He is about twenty-one years of age,
but witness knows nothing more about him, except he
heard that he came from about New York. The police
came about half-past eight or nine o'clock and :took him
-ashore. 'William Henry, another black sailor, gave similar
evidence. Mr. Black hoped the man would be soon
able to attend from the hospital. His Worship
hoped so, for the sake of the prisoner, but if the man
died, the case, as it at present looked, would be rather worse
than manslaughter. .The prisoner was remanded until the
result of the injuries on Campbell could be ascertained.
BEFORE MESSRS. ANDERSON AND HOUGHTON.
EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF SWEARING.—WiIIiam •Smith,
who described himself, as a general agent for the sale of
goods of all sorts, summoned Maria M'Parlin, milliner,
91, Scotland-road, for an assault; and Mrs. MtParlin
-summoned William Smith for an assault. Mr. Black was
for Mr. Smith, aud Mr. Cobb for 'ithe lady. Mr. Smith's
case was first called on, and from his extraordinary
manner,
,gestures and otherwise, he created a
peat amount of merriment. He said, en the 3rd
inst., between four and five o'clock, he was in the neigh-
bourhood of the defendant's house, when he saw her -look
at him in a very disrespectful way, put out. her tongue at
him, make "bacon" with her hands at him, and otherwise
insult his feelings. He stepped over to her, and asked if
- she alluded to him ? She said, get away you bailiff, and
-then struck him in the face, tore his collar, and used other
indignities to him. He really did not know what ,she
meant by a bailiff, and he thought she was mad when she
made at him and grasped him like any tigress—a very
tigress. (Laughter.) People might laugh, but it was not
anything to laugh at to be caught in the 'arms of a she
tigress. (Loud laughter.) He thought she was a lady,
because he had a wife and six little daughters, and therefore
he could not do it. Mr. Black : Do what? Mr.
Smith : Release myself from the arms of the lady
tigress, by giving her a blow—"no, not I ; no, not L"
The moreso, as I did not know the meaning of "
Mr. Block : What did you think about it ? Complainant
with great earnestness and ludicrous gaiety : 'Why, my
dear sir, think, what do you think Leould think about it ?
Mr. Cobb : Oh, but I will make you think about it before
I have done with you. Now, sir, are you not one of the
'‘f forty thieves." and do you swear you do not know what
a bailiff is ? Certainly I do not my dear -sir. (Great laugh-
tee.) Mr. Cobb : On your oath, sir, avill you tell the
magistrates here, in the face of this court, and the people
1-1,t,!. that you, William Smith, one of the well-known
forty thieves',
bailiff means ? of Liverpool, that you don't know what a
Oh, I know what a bailiff means,
but I did not know what she meant when she applied
to me, and
t'at's what I said. Mr. Cobb : Oh, I
see Mr. Smith, I must speak by the card, or your equivo-
cation will undo me,
oil say you are a commission agent
for all sorts of goods ?
your extensive
Mr. Cobb: aud where
do you carry on
transactions ? At 51,
Currv-street. Mr.. Cobb : 0n Your
ev oath,, sir, are you not
one of the gang_ of the "forty
Mr. Smith : Can
you, sir, prove I am ? Yes sir, I
ee! ?
you
a .f Oh, not at all my
answer me. Did you know the lady 'l,,t*,,rlV I Will make
clear sir—she was a foreigner--quite
-my
goodforeigner to me.
Were you inside her shop ?
die tigress"
my coat tail
was not there. Mr. Cobb: And the
t
you ? Fitness : My very good sir, and friet'aess " held
you are,
no doubt, a an of wide experience, cultivated
gentlemanly d meportment, and elevated idea, hut you mind
nev'
yet saw wliat I saw ! Mr. Cobb : You are certainly the
most extraordinary fellow I ever met. Mr. Smith
proves the saying —" The longer we live, the more we
know." Mr. Cobb : Well, I really would not like to know
many such fellows as yon are. hid you kick the lady ;
Sir,
I would cut my hand, or my leg, or my foot—
.nay, my head off, before I should do such a deed.
Did you kar her gown ? Nu; not even the atten-
tion of the "tigress " could induce me to do that. Did
you not drag her into the street ? You are wrongly
• instructed, because you were. not present. You, my very
good sir, have no advantage at all in this case; why I
. would not do such an unmanly action for one thousand
guineas. Mr. Cobb : I will not ask this man anything..
m re, for it appears to ins be is a madman. Mr.
Smith dolead himself into a theatrical attitude, and

chewed something, supposed to be.
furiously, and continued to do -.0 tobacco, very
'WAR .the case
terminated. Henry Francis, of
street, and a gift
proved that they saw the defrAdant assault Mr. Smith.
These were cross-examined Ir.(
was not shaken. This we Mr. Gobb, but their eyidence
.4 the cast for Mr. Smith, and then
Mrs. M'Parlin proceed;ctd with her case against him. She
swore he came into tsn,o
some-
thing, when he F as she thought to buy
he was u brother-in-law of a man over
the way, and fr..setta,e. .A.A
uer instkting a boy. He dragged her
out, tore her gown,
v 4 and. ill-used her very much. This was
corrobore;
witness, and y Arne Money, George Owen, another
partly 'by a policeman, who was called towards
the 'end ef the Rraettshin." Mr. Cobb-then addressed thecourt,
when Mr. '!inderson said it was one `s the most extraor.linary
cases of F.weating he had either ever heard or read of. The
witnesses on both sides were evidently respectable, and the
magistrates were bound to believe them. If there Was only
one assault committed, there was gross perjury -committed
somewhere, but the only thing the bench could do was to
conclude that there were two assaults committed, and there-
fore, they fine each party 11 and costs. •
A Mrs. Haiming, the wife of a captain now at sea,
summoned Mr. Spooner, the proprietor of the Ship Inn.
Mersey-street, for hay p.: detained certain articles and
pawn tickets, which le held as security for a debt, as
she had tendered him °a certain amount, but he refused to
take it, alleging that There was more due. Mr. Campbell
was for the. aomplainant. and Mr. Blutk for the defence.
A question was raised by the latter as 'to the description of
property, which he alleged did not tame within the meaning
of the act, and -this being ruled in 'favour, the case was
dismissed.

TRATES.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMES.
Sir,—On Tuesday you published a report of some
proceedings which took place at the meeting of
magistrates held on Monday. The summons con-
vening the meeting stated the object to be to take
into consideration the state of prostitution in
Liverpool. You have frequently advocated the
appointment of a second stipendiary magistrate,
and the observations made at that meeting
more than ever confirm me in the correctness
of your views. We have plenty of the " great
unpaid " justices in Liverpool ; but, with , few
exceptions, these gentlemen do not attend, either to
the duties of the magisterial office, in the adminis-
tration of the law, nor even at a meeting, except
upon special occasions. How often, for the last two
or three years, have your columns been the medium
of the public complaints consequent upon the non-
attendance of lay magistrates, to dispose of the
public business ? This, surely, is some proof that a
second qualified and competent stipendiary magis-
strate should be appointed. It would be beneficial
to all parties.
Now, the meeting on Monday, although called
ostensibly for the purpose named, was as wide of
the mark as "chalk differs from cheese." The whole
discussion was directed against an order made by
Mr. Mansfield, in June last, with regard to certain
proceedings against certain houses in Lime-street. I
stop not here to enquire into the propriety of the order,
but that Mr. Mansfield had the power to make it is
unquestionable. This appears to be the point that
thorned the great unpaid. Their dignity was hurt,
they were not consulted, and therefore they got
vexed, because a man who really knows the law
made, an order without consulting their high mighti-
nesses, the great unpaid. This was the whole
point they fiddled on at the meeting, and not a word
in regard to the subject that called them together
was mooted. No doubt Mr. Castellaine pro-
duced a return issued by Major Greig,
alleging that houses of ill-fame and pros.
titutes had increase 1 since Mr. Mansfield
made the order. The latter gentleman, however,
produced statistics equally good, to show that the
report of Major Greig was, as he stated, exaggerated,
if not utterly false. This is a decided " fix ' for the
Major, and let him get out of it in the best way he
can. Mr. Mansfield I take to be the best
authority of the two. Mr. Mansfield also
made grave charges against the police, and
manfully charged them with gross and open corrup-
tion in their proceedings towards the houses in
Lime-street ; but although the " bench.' of magis-
trates assembled at the meeting were " loud in
clamour" against the order made by Mr. Mansfield,
not one uttered a sentence against the accusation.
Silence gave consent; at all events, it was
prudent that they should be silent. I am
not going, just now, to discuss . the ques-
tion of ether the Lime-street houses should
be shut up or not (I think, if the latter the better),
because it is not the real question. The point at
issue on Monday was, whether Mr. Mansfield had a
right to issue the order, without first having.con-
suited the lay magistrates ? I think he had, and if
he did so improperly he was open to correc-
tion or censure, but not from the bench
of lay magistrates, who came to that meet-
ing to " Scholar" him for his act. I might
refer at more length to this point, but I think my
views are those entertained by the common sense of
the whole community, and I think there could
not be a greater
.or more proper rebuke
given to the men who attacked him, than
when he told them to rescind the order if
they wished, but first to correct the gross
profligacy and corruption of the police, and
not to stultify themselves by one batch of the
unpaid coming one day, and upsetting what another
batch did the day before. The fact is, until we
have another paid lawyer on the bench, we shall
have, occasionally, justice a laughing stock on the
bench, and the administration of the law, not as it
ought to be, but a public farce.
With regard to the bit of an introduction in the
small scene that took place between Mr. Evans and
Mr. Wybergh, I have only to say that the " oldest
magistrate" does not seem to have improved in wis-
dom as he has proceeded- Ile has openly proclaimed
himself a partisan by stating that he is, on the
bench, an enemy to publicans, and that's enough.

THE RAILWAY QUESTION.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMES.

Sir, —Your contemporary the Albion has obtained,
from its country correspondent, an assurance that
not less than 255. per ton is charged for bale goods
from Manchester to • London. - Considering the
manner in which the question was put, the answer
might have been more full. The rate charged, and
the rate actually paid, are two different things . very
often. I should have been glad to know if the
London and North Western do not engage Man-
chester .;
goods at a through rate to India, and what
rate is .left to the rail, per ton weight, after paying
the Shipper his charge per ton measurement? Is it
255., or is it 20s. ? One thing is certain, the
companies to the south do give every facility and
encouragement to this trade through London, and
Liverpool can only ask for the same consideration.
We are told that terminal charges are against a
lower rate for the shorter distance ; but only rail-
way terminal charges are instanced, and they are
over-stated. The canals being differently situated,
and not connected with so elaborate a system as the
railways, are satisfied with less terminals. Do we
in consequence get the advantage of the cheaper
conveyance ? No, the rates are fixed at a profit to
the rail, and by agreement between the parties, the
same rate is charged upon the canals. It is main-
tained that the rail rates are not too high, and,
indeed,that they should be higher to reimburse the
proprietors for the capital expended. This is a
curious argument to be put before the shippers
of Liverpool, and on the part of the London
and North-Western, who have been expending
their millions upon a favourite policy, that of
getting into their hands half ,of England, and
which policy is • now set down as mismanagement.
So long as -this policy was confined to the London
and North-Western, with one or two other smaller
companies,. there was no need of fear that it would
succeed, as it -was easy to see that some day a rival
company, acting in the same line, or in self defence,
would -upset the scheme, and this has happened to
the London and North-Western, before it had
reached the interesting point for applying its success,
in the reimbursiag of its proprietors for their outlay.
The danger is w.eater now ; the rival .companies
appear to be coming to a better understanding, and
to be acting together. As a means of -preventing
foolish co-mpetitionithis is all very well; but the temp-
tation to go beyond this will be great ; and we may
find, perhaps, when it is too late to prevent much
mischief, that some steps have been taken, which,
though very acceptdible to those whose property
has been thrown into the sea, may not be such
as to serve the interests of the public gene-
rally, or Liverpool in particular.
The public should now do for themselves, what
the jealousy and rivalry of the railway companies
have hitherto done for them. Should they fail, we
mar, even under parliamentary sanction, enter
upan another phase of " the railway question."
• A. T. C.

THE LONDON GAZETTE.

BANKRUPTS

Robert 'Wheeler, oil and colourman, Crawford-street,
Middlesex.
John Elliott, blacksmith, Farnham.
Walter Boutcher, master draper, Hackney-road.
George Morris, victualler, King Edward-street, London.
Thomas Slattor, grocer, ate .of Maida-hill East, but now of
Park-place Terrace, Paddington.
John Weston Baudel, carman, Well-street, Middlesex.
Edward Hawkes. tobacconist, Birmingham.
Joseph Baxter, builder, Birmingham.
James Hunt, miller, Warwick.
John Lambert, tailor, Nottingham.
Thomas Leake, the younger, furniture dealer, Nottingham,
Francis Witton Huggins and Charles Witton Huggins,
spirit merchants, Derby.
Jonah Jenkins, boot and shoemaker, Llanrahan, Glamorgan-
shire.
William Joliffe Gregory, innkeeper, King Weston,
Somerset.
Edward Levy, maltskT diid builder, Marwick, Derbybhire.