Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-01-25 00:00:00

l'i4-(I,TIMrN DAILY TIMES

LIVERPOOL POLICE-COURT.-YESTERDAY,

(Before Mr. BERN)
OBTAINING MONEY ON FALSE PRETENCES.—SaIIiIIeI
Jones, a man of colour, was brought up at the instance
of Mr. Kelly, American shipping master, on the charge of
obtaining money from him on false representations. Mr.
Cobb appeared for the prosecution and Mr. Bluck for
the prisoner. It appears that Mr. Kelly was employed
to pay the seamen belonging to, the ship, Ellen Maria, of
which the prisoner was one of the crew. On Saturday,
he called on Mr. Kelly and received the amount due to
hinirviz., £1 from the clerk. He called again on Mon-
day when he saw Mr. Kelly.and represented himself as
Elijah Peters, another of the crew, and received on his
account £3. Receipts were shown bearing his mark,
which were sworn to by Mr. Kelly and his clerk. The
fact of both Jones and Peters being black prevented
their being so easily recognised by Kelly and his clerk.
Mr. Bluck contended that the story was improbable.
The magistrate, however, considered the case against
the prisoner was clear. He was consequently committed
for-trial.

(Before Messrs. BENN and HoLT.)
UNPROVOKED ASSAULT.—Thomas Nolan, a young
fellow, apparently about twenty-two years of age, was
charged by Mr. Roby with committing an assault on
Charles Young, the manager of Mr. Harrison's As-
sembly-rooins, Upper Beau-street. It was stated that
Mr. Harrison gave strict orders to exclude all disreputable
characters from these rooms. • On Saturday evening last
he was refused admittance, but forced his way in, despite
the efforts of the door-keeper. On Monday night again
her performed a similar feat, but, before leaving the
place, walked deliberately up to Charles Young, the
manager, and without the slightest provocation knocked
him down. Several witnesses were called, who deposed
that they saw the assault, and that it was unprovoked on
the part of the complainant. The prisoner was ordered
pay a fine of 10s. and costs.
A BAD MOTHER.-Hannah Dawson, a middle-aged
woman, and her son, a lad about 10 or 12 years of age,
were charged, the one with stealing, and the other with
receiving, a quantity of boots and shoes, the property of
Mr. Jones, 83, Byrom-street. It appears the woman
had 'engaged her son to the prosecutor as an errand-
boy on the 6th December last. After he had been there
a few days he commenced to steal boots and shoes, evi-
dently at the instigation of his mother, who pawned
them. Several pawnbrokers appeared, who identified her
as the woman from whom they received the articles.
There were fourteen pairs altogether, and Mr. Jones
proved they were made at his establishment. Both
prisoners were committed for trial.
6110PLIFTING.-Patrick Gibbons,. who was charged on
Tuesday last with stealing three pairs of boots from the
shop of Mr. Dix, Byrom-street, was brought up on re-
mand, and, further evidence having been produced, he
was sentenced to go to prison for two months.
(Before Messrs. BENN and HOUGHTON.)
CHARGE' OF CRUELTY ON BOARD A SHlP.—William
Wilson, chief mate of the ship Severn, was brought up
on the charge of maltreating one of the crew, named
Robert Apsey, who is at present lying in the Northern
Hospital. Mr. Cobb appeared for the prisoner. It
appeared that the prisoner went out as chief mate of the
ship Express, which sailed from Liverpool on the 24th
of August last for the Brass River, off the coast of
Africa. The crew of this vessel was transferred to the
barque Severn, which belongs to the same company
(Messrs, Stewart and Douglas).—John M‘Lennan was
the first witness called. He said he was an able seaman,
and sailed in the Express for the coast of Africa, on the
24th of August last. Robert Apsey was an ordinary
seaman on board the same vessel, and was at that time
in good health, and able to perform his duty. He was
also a quiet tempered man. They were scarcely at sea ere
the mate commenced with-tricks which he (witness) had
heard of on board American, but never saw practised
in English ships. The first time he saw the mate abuse
Apsey he used a hand-spike, with which he punched
him. The blows were not very hard; if they had been,
Apsey would have been killed. They were so severe,
however, that Apsey cried out. The next time he
observed Apsey maltreated by the prisoner was after
their arrival at the Brass River. There was occasion
for getting out the long boat, and the mate thinking
Apsey dilatory, again struck him with a handspike.
Apsey had given no cause for such usage.—ln cross-
examination by Mr. Cobb, witness stated that Apsey
was in ordinary health at.the end of the voyage, but he
complained to the whole of the crew of the usage he had
received. Some of the men were taken with fever, but
Apsey,was not before he was wounded.—Albert Douglas
was called. He also shipped on board the Express, and
knew Apsey to be, a quiet obedient man. After they.
had been at sea about fourteen days, he heard the pri-
soner give Apsey an order, which he thought he was
not quick enough in performing, in consequence
he_lifted his foot and gave him a kick behind. On
another occasion he saw the prisoner strike Apsey several
times on the head. He stumbled and fell over the chain
cable, upon which the mate kicked him.—James Wise,
a coloured man, was called. He was cook on board the
Express, but never saw Apsey receive any ill-usage from
the mate till they were at anchor in Brass River; when
he one day saw the prisoner lift a piece of iron hoop and
strike Apsey with it over the shoulder, after which he
threw him down and kicked him. He (witness) called
out to the mate that it was a shame to abuse the boy
that way. In answer to Mr. Cobb : Apsey took ill the
next day.—Alfred Wilson was next sworn. This witness
was one of those men who had been ill with fever and
was still in a very weak condition. He joined the barque
Severn in the Brass River, but never saw Apsey mal-
treated in any way. The mate, however, hit him on
the belly, and with such force, that it broke the steel of
a truss which he wore. Last Friday night he was so ill
that he was unable to move, but had arranged with some
of the men to do his work. The mate, nevertheless,
came down and dragged him out of his berth.—Henry.
Tims was called.. He was a lad of seventeen, • and bad
gone out in the Express. The mate had also struck him
with a handspike, but he believed that Wilson, the last
witness, was worst used by the captain.—Mr. Renshaw,
house surgeon of the Nerthern hospital, was called, to
speak as to the condition of Apsey, who he said was
unable either to stand or speak. He was suffering from
extreme exhaustion, but what this arose from he did not
feel himself at liberty to say. There was no organic
disease about him. Though the blows he received in
October last were pretty hard, the marks of them would
not now be visible. Apsey himself attributed the diffi-
culty he experienced in speaking to having been seized
by the throat by some one. He had not the same yellow
colour that the other rcen had who were ill with, the
yellow fever.—Mr. Cobb, in his address on behalf of
the prisoner, said that he considered the evidence,
brought forward in support of the case had
totally failed. The first witness, McLennan, had told
them that Apsey hactbeen bandspiked from day to day,
and he thought the next witness would have corrobora-
ted his statement, but in his evidence there is not one-
word about it, but an entirely different tale. Indeed,
throughout there has been no corroborative evidence,
and he was sure, with the experience they had 'of assault
.cases' on board of ships, they would discharge the
prisoner, as the man had always been able to perform
his duty until attacked by thisviolent fever, from which
there could not be ,the slightest doubt he was still
suffering.—The magistrates corisidered that as Apsey
:was 'in a very precarious state, thSt it would be in-
cumbent on them to remand the prisoner for one week.
CHARGE OF MANSLAUGIITER: - Janies Beynley, a
carter in the, employ of Messrs. Smith, Munford and
Co., brewers, was charged with causing the death of
an old man yesterday in Ranelagh-place, - Mr. Cobb
appeared for the prisoner. It appears according to
several witnesses who were called, that the prisoner was
coming down Brownlow-hill, in a spring cart, with a
spirited horse. The animal, somehow or other, took
fright, and set off at a rapid pace. When it came into
Ranelagh-place, this old man, whose name is still un-
known, was crossing the street. The prisoner used
every exertion to stop the horse, and to warn the
deceased of his danger, by calling oat to him; despite,
however, every effort on his part, the old man was
knocked down, and the wheel of the cart passed over
his breast. He died on the way to the infirmary.—ln
consequence of the united testimony of all the witnesses
as to the accidental nature of the case, the prisoner was
discharged.

(Before Messrs. SMITH and PimaTorr.)
CLAIM SOR.WAGES.--Edward Storey, chief officer of
the Royal Saxon, summoned Captain Roberts for £63
13s. 4d., being wages due to him for a voyage to Buenos
Ayres at £5 per month. Mr. Cobb appeared for the
complainant, and Mr. Black for the defendant. Captain.
Roberts wished to stop £5O of this claim for money ad-
vanced, and duties which he alleged complainant had
neglected, and in consequence of which damage had
been caused to the ship. Complainant admitted that
£lB of this amount was correct. After hearing the ease,

the magistrates considered that the sum atopped for
neglect of duty was too large, but allowed .a deduction
of a further sum of 45., which left titesAmylAinant
£39 9s, 4d.