Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-08-14 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.-YESTZEDAT.

LIVERPOOL.

BSTORE MR. DIXON.

VERY CURlOUS.—Elizabeth Green, a very well dressed
young woman, described as the wife of a respectable mer-
cantile person living at 21 Great Orford-street, was charged
by officer 297, who said she was drank and very disorderly
in Paddington. He said, about six o'clock on Wednesday
evening, he was on duty in Paddington, when he saw the
prisoner and another woman, the prisoner being very
drunk, the other was not quite so drunk. The prisoner
was pushing a perambulator, in which there was a delicate
child; she was 83 drunk that she was not able to steer the
carriage, and it ran against a cart and endangered the life
of the child. He interfered with her, when she became
most violent, seized him by the breast and broke the chain
of his whistle; he never saw a more disorderly person.
The prisoner in a violent manner protested that she
was quite sober at the time, and that she was
only assisting her friend home, who was very ill—not
drunk. The officer said the other woman was
drunk, but not so drunk as the prisoner. His Worship
asked Mr. Kelly, the bridewell keeper, in what state the
woman was when hocked ? and he replied she was " mad
drunk, and outrageously violent " Mr. D:xon : I don't
credit her story ; I fine her 5s and costs. She was re-
moved in a violent rage. The fine was paid.
ST3PET ROBBERY.—A woman named Ann Madden, or
Maddox, was charged with having picked the pocket of
Mrs. Darby, the wife of a gun maker, in Paradise-
street, of a purse containing over £9, Mrs. Darby said
she was looking into the shop window of Mr.
Hasty, at the corner of Basnett and Church-streets, and
feeling something at her pocket, she turned sharply, and
saw the prisoner move from her side and walk into the
shop, and on the instant the witness missed her purse and
called for an officer. She followed the prisoner into the
shop, and on the floor her purse (with the money) was
picked up. The shopman at Mr. I 3 asty's said the prisoner
walked into the shop. and stood r a second at one side
and then moved to the other, and that instant the lady
followed her in, and instantly he saw the purse on the
floor where the prisoner first stood. There was no other
person in the shop at the time. Mrs. Darby was cross.
examined by Mr. Cobb for the prisoner, and she said she
had her money a minute before she missed it. She was
quite certain as to the identity of the prisoner. Officer
595 said he ran into the shop, and saw the shopman pick
up the purse, and then he arrested the prisoner. his
Worship said the case was quite clear, and sent the prisoner
for trial.

CAUTION T 3 PARIONTS.—SeveraI parents were summoned
for refusing to pay the amount expended on their ch ,Idren
at reformatories.

MAHOMEDIN PROSECUTOR AND CHRISTIAN
ADVOCATE.

John Forbes and William Collins, sailors, were indicted
on Wednesd .y, at the Middlesex Sessions, tnr flaying
assaulted Rahjah, a Lascar, and robbed him of XI Mr.
Orridge appeared for the prosecution. Mr. Ribton de-
fended Forbes. Toe usual oath upon the New Testament
was being administered to the prosentorf through police-
constable 458 K, who acted as interpreter in a very
intelligent manner, when it was remarked that he was
going through the same ceremony as if being sworn upon
the Koran. In answer to questions put to him, the Lascar
said, any oath, either upon the Koran or the Christian
Testament, would be binding upon his conscience, as he had
lost caste, and he would not tell a lie, for it he did the
Almighty would deprive him of his eyesight in this world
and punish him in that to come ; besides, he would not
tell a lie, being a married man with a family. Mr. Creasy
directed the interpreter to tell the proseutor that he could
be sworn upon the Koran or the Testament, which he
pleased, but the oath he might take must be binding upon
his conscience with respect to punishment hereafter if he
told a lie when sworn to speak the truth. The interpreter
said the answer was, that he had broken his caste, and he
could therefore swear upon anything—the oath being
binding upon him—and if he did not tell the truth he
should be punished by Gsd. Mr. Ribton ; Perhaps he
might be sworn "on the true faith of a Christian."
(A. laugh.) The prosecutor was then sworn upon the New
Testament. He stated that on the night cf the 4•h of
August, he was in the Commercial-road, when he was
accosted by the prisoner, who shook him by the hand, and
called him " Jolly Blackman." He treated them to two
pots of beer, and while in their company, one of them
seized him by the throat, and having nearly strangled him,
the other untied his neckerchief, and took out two sover-
eigns!, which he had tied up in one of the corners for
safety. He kept a tight hold upon one and gave him into
custody. The other, Forbes, who had got the money, ran
sway and was aftar wards approhandQd Ho pogitivtgy
swore to both prisoners. Mr. Ribton hoped the jury
would not convict Forbes, for whom he appeared, upon the
unsupported evidence of the Lascar as to his identity,
especially as it was clear he did not pay much regard to
the sacred obligations of an oath, for having as he had said
lost caste, and not being a Christian, he was ready to take
any form of oath upon the Testament, the Koran, or
anything else, and what such men were capable of was
unhappily being exemplified at the present time in every
form of horrible atrocity, in a distant part of the world.
Witnesses were called to speak to Forbes's previous good
character. He had served three years and a half on board
her Majesty's ships, Blenheim and Ajax reputably.
Collins said he had only been a fortnight from New Yo-k,
and drink had got him into this serape. Mr. Creasy told
the jury that the only question they had to determine, was,
whether they could rely upon the Lascar'e evidence, if
they believed him the case was proved. The ju-y found
both prisoners guilty, and they were sentenced to six
months' hard labour.