Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-06-24 00:00:00

ANOTHER GODFREY IN TROUBLE.

At the Thames Police Court, on Wednesday, Dr. John
Godfrey, of Mount-place, Whitecbapel-road, appeared be-
fore Mr. Yardley to prefer a Oarge of rioting against a
mechanic named Ringrose, and to answer a charge of
assault preferred against him by Mr. Valentine Burchell, of
No. 6, Nelson-place, Old Ford, Bow. After same expla-
nations in reference to remarks made on a previous occasion,
in reference to Mr. Newton the defendant in the late trial
in the Central Criminal Court, had been made' —a man
named Ringrose, who was charged on Friday last with
riotous conduct in front of Dr. Godfrey's house, and with
insulting 'and annoying him, then appeared on his recog-
nisances. Mr. JosepliSmitli, solicitor, believed it was not
the intention of Dr. Godfrey to proceed against the man.
Dr. Godfrey : No, Sir; his wife has been to me, and
expresed her sorrow that her husband had insulted me.
She earnestly entreated me to forgive her huSband, and I
have done so.. Mr. Yardley : Very well;, the defendant
may go. Dr. Godfrey was then charged with assaulting
Valentine Burchell, a tall, elderly man, who said he was a
private gentleman, living at No. 6, Nelson-place, Old Ford,
Bow. Mr. Saunders, clerk to Mr. Maddbck, a solicitor,
conducted the prosecution, Mr. George Lewis, rm of Lewis
and Lewis, of Elv-place, defended Dr. dodfrey. Mr.
Saunders briefly called attention to the great excitement
caused by the late trial in which Dr. Godfrey was the pro-
secutor, and Mr. William Newton, the proprietor of a po-
pular local newspaper, called the ,East London Observer, was
the defendant, and which terminated in the acquittal of Mr.
Newton on the charge of libel preferred against him,,and said
that his client had been violently assaulted, because he
had looked at the defendant's house. It appeared from
the evidence of the complainant, Mr. Burchell, who
was much excited,' that he was passing along
the Whitechapel-road, in company with his wife,
on Saturday afternoon last, and his attention was called to
some placards in front of dierby's newspaper office, on the
north side of the road, containing allusions to the riots in
front of Dr. Godfrey's house. He crossed the road, and
called the attention of Mrs. Burchell to two panes of glass
broken in the windows of Dr. Godfrey's house. There was
no crowd at all in front of Dr. Godfrey's house at that time,
not a human being but theinselves. At that moment, Dr.
Godfrey drove up to his door in his . carriage, and Mrs.
Burchell said, "Is that Dr. Godfrey ?" He replied, I don't
know ; but I should think it was. *Dr. Gtalfrey immediately
came up to hint, and, in a fierce and haughty manner, said,
"Do you want me ?" to which he repied the. negative.
Dr. Godfrey said, "Why are you looking up at my house?
do you know me ?''' He made answer, ".No, Ido not know
you, and the less I know of you the. better." Dr.
Godfrey immediately struck him a most violent blow on the
nose with his clenched fist, producing a, copious effusion of
blood. The -defendant also struck, him several other
blows, put his leg behind him, and: tried to throw him.
The public interfered, and protected him. His nose
was bleeding until nine o'clock the same night, and
cold applications were necessary to stop the hemorrhag:.
The complainant underwent a long cross-examination
by Mr. Lewis, and he denied having said he knew too
much of Dr. Godfrey ; and also denied striking him with
his stick. After the defendant bad endeavoured to fling
him on the stones, and made a cowardly attempt to
assassinate hirer, he' Spat qn the doctor's face. Mr. Lewis
adroitly made an effort to turn this. to the advantage of his
client, and asked the witness if he did not spit on Dr.
Godfrey before he was struck. He denied having done so,
and the witness said, what ha, meant to . convey by his
evidence was, that he spat out the blood in his mouth, and
some.of it fell upon his own witnesses, and also upon-Dr.
Godfrey. Mr. Yardley : Did you, do it purposely or net ?
Mr. Burchell : No ; to relieve myself. Mr. Yardley :: Any
one with a lot of reasoning would have supposed, fromithe
wav in ---

...tea you gave youn evidence in chief, that you
purposely-spat on the defendant. Mrs. Alice Burchell, the
wife of the complainant, William Jones, a salesman, and
three• worsen, named Lucy Angel, Maria Warder, her
daughter, . and Mrs. William Angel, confirmed
generathy the statement of Mr. Burchell. Mt. Lewis,
in an able defence, said that he was happy to say
Whibechapel-road was' quieter than it had been, for
sometime, and contended that the complainant had•pro-
voked:the assault upon hirn,by.pointing to Godfrey's house,
calling out in a loud tone, "That is Dr. Gbdfrey," and,
when asked for an ex,olanatiort, telling the doctor the less
I he k' 'f 1,:-- br' -Ad spitting at ' T' of "

_aew o, aim the ,cter, ...e
man,. in his evidence; said there was not a.human being
present but himself and wife when the &Tray took place.-
The evidence of the complainant's witnesses proved there
:were many persons there. There was no reason the defen-
dant should have left his own door and oken to.the com-
plainant, Unless Mr. Tharehell had pointed to his. souse and
spoken loudly of him, Mr. Yardley said. therewas no doubt
provocation on, the part of the complainant, and that he
bad exaggeratedithe ease. Dr. Godfrey. had no stick, and
he did not believe the complainant's stick.was ever out of his
hand. Geove.Saltter errand boy, Geo. Firmin, watchman
to the defendant, Alfred Simpson, a. bricklayer's boy, and
Mary Mearney, a poor woman, were severally called for
the defence,. and they made out, that. on Dr. Godfrey
arriving at his house in his carriage, Mr. Burchell was-
pointirkzuutrtabis wife and others some broken panes of glass,
and that the doctor, upon alighting, said to the complainaat,
" yost oblige me by going away from my door?"
The old. man laughed, and the doctor asked him if he knew
him, to which Mr. BurcheU replied, "Yes, the less I know
of you. the better," laughed at him, and spat in his face.
The doctor then struck the complainant with his fist, and
Mr. Harebell then, to use the words of a witness, " rolled
into the doctor like fan." A crowd soon collected, and
there was a good deal of rioting. The witnesses also
swore most positively that Mr. Burchell was oppoisite the
defendant's house for two or three minutes, pointing. at it
with his stick, and called out loudly, " There Is Dr.
Godfrey !" when the defendant alighted from his carriage,
Mr. Yardley, addressing the defendant, who was seated:
alongside his solicitor, said : Now, Dr. Godfrey, aftth
up. The. defendant having risen, /gr. Yardley sail, there
was rl,o doubt whatever that a considerable ant of
irritAtkop, fNisted on the part 4' tho defendsr4; a .

was no doubt that, whether designedly or inadvertently,
the complainant did that which caused the irritation. The
defendant, however, ought to have had more control over his
temper. With regard to the charge preferred against the
complainant, of spitting in the defendant's face, it thight
have been an accident. He hoped it was, for nothing could
be more filthy than one man spitting at another. if the
complainant, who had arrived at years of discretion, had
conducted himself as he ought to have done, he would not
have crossed the road and stopped opposite the defendant's
house, and pointed out to others, an..l cal!ed out in a
loud tone, "There is Dr, Godfrey." The defendant
then .hit the complainant, and behaved with considerable
violence towards him; and the case was much aggravated
by the fact that the man was hit in the presence of his
wife. It was a very improper and violent act to hit the
complainant in the face. It had been stated on this and
former examinations that disorderly mobs were in the
practice of assembling near the defendant's }muse, and
annoying, irritating, and insulting him. The defendant
was, rightly or wrongly, under a cloud ; and he had held
a very important position in society. Nothing could be
more cowardly, more unmanly, and more un-English, than
to insult and irritate a man who was under a cloud. It
was mean as well. If there were not circumstances of
Mitigation in this case he should certainly have committed
the defendant for trial. Taking all the circumstances into
consideration Here the complainant began to declaim
loudly about the violence inflicted upon him, and called
loudly for justice. Mr. Lewis : This is another of his
theatrical representations. Mr. Yardley : There is no
doubt, from his bearing here the complainant is a man of
very excitable temper, and I can believe he provoked Dr.
Godfrey. Under all the circumstances of the case I fine
the defendant 40s for the assault. Mr. Saunders : And
the costs, sir ? Common costs only. I allow 2s for the
summons. The penalty was instantly paid. Mr. Lewis
asked for a certificate of the conviction, to prevent further
proceedings. Mr. Yardley granted the application.

THE FALSE IMPRISONMENT

LUNATIC ASYLUM.

RUCK r. STILLWELL AND OTIIERS.—The further hearing
of this case was resumed on Wednesday by the continued
cross,examination of the plaintiff.. Mr. Ruck, crossexamined
by Mr. Montague Chambers : I do not recollect being ques-
tioned at the inquisition in lunacy about Mary Jones. She
was my wife's cousin; she frequently visited us with and
without her mother. My wife, I believe, did not know
that I had had two children by Mary Jones. I concluded
she might have murdered or put away her children, because
she would give me no information about them I believe
the children are now well taken care of. Miss Jones
informed me so about two or three mouths ago. Mrs. Ruck
also told me so at the asylum about a fortnight or three
weeks after my detention. The first time Mrs. Ruck knew
of the children, was when I informed her of it at Reading.
I have contributed through a friend: towards them since my
liberation. I have almost disowned them, from her
shameful conduct towards me. I consider she has no
claim upon me in consequence; and, besides, she has

ample Means with which to support them. The conduct
I complain of has reference to her coming to my house in
Wales on the last occasion. Miss. Jones is dependent
upon her family, all the members of which have ample
means_ I do not know that her neck and aunt have
thrown her off in consequence of the children. Miss
Jones'S friend wrote to me of her pitiless condition, and
I sent her a £lO note. When she last wrote to me it was
for an outrageous sum—Xsoo—and I took no novice of it.
The children are about three or • four• years of age. lam
not aware that Mr. Wainwright gave ine instructions not
to converse with the doctors except in his presence. Tie
advised me to say nothing till after the inquiry. I was
always on my guard in that respect him the time I entered
the house. I appealed to the commissioners two or three
times, but I found it useless; and I thought it unnecessary
to say anything to them afterwards, I think Mr. 'Wain-
wright said I might talk to the commissioners as mach as I
liked. My first attendant was the only person in the
asylum that I spoke to of my suspicions. Afterwards, I
was on my guard in speaking to strangers, and I reckoned
Dr. Stilwell one of them. I feel lam rather on my guard
now. (Laughter.) The first year after our marriage,
people remarked a coolness of manner on both sides. I
acted'towards my wife in the manner usually husbands treat
their wives, and in the hackneyed term " affectionate."
We were so one to the other.' The unhappy feeling
between myself and my wife the first year after our marriage
was explainable by her conduct. There was a period
of fire years between the birth of the first and second
child. A deed of separation has been drawn up since
my release, but it is not signed. In consequence of
the expenses attending my liberation, I have had
to mortgage some of 'my property, to the extent of
some thousands. I have not worked any of the quarries.
Re-examined by Mr. Serjeant Petersderffe- I never heard of
hereditary insanity in my family, as had been imputed. I
first became acquainted with Miss Jones-from visiting my
house. Mrs. Matthews, my wife's mother, sent for Miss
Jones; when I found her in my house at Wgips on my return
from the Manchester Exhibitionand: Kent. I surmise Mrs.
Matthews knew of my former intimacy with Miss Jones, but
I donq know positively. I have neverseen the children. I
only know of them by Miss Jones's representation. Miss
Jones's father was a man of some-property, and, I believe, a
captain in the Royal navy. NO. attempt was made at the-
asylum to dispel the delusions referred• to,. beet rather to
increase them. Dr. Stillwell only spoke to me about them
on two or three occasions after I first entered the asylum. I
heard from my attendant that he inquired of him. All I
remember being done to effect acute was that the attendant
told'me some physic had been put into my tea. Dr. Forbes
Winslow saw.me in March; six.montheafter r lead been con-
fined. I might have seen Dr. Sutherland between that and
July, after the inquiry was talked about. I never remember
having any illness of the kind' I have referred to before
October, 'and after my return' to Wales from Manchester.
I attribute the delusions to stimulants, or froni the medi-
cal treatment I received. At Reading, I told Mrs. Ruck
it would be for the interest: of the ellidren not to separate;
that the charges I had made against her had no foundation;
that I would never again refer to them, and that we had
better return to Kent as if nothing had happened. I
thought at the time she acquiesced in it. I said this to
her before I saw Dr.. Connolly. I had been quite quiet
the day before, and I there feltrnyself much better. During:
the time I was in the asylum. my agent retained the rents.
I had no supply of money there other than £25 I took into•
into the asylum with me: After my discharge I went to-
Wales, and found property to the amount of £2,000 had!
been sold off the estate for £1,500. P gave no authority.
for the sale. have never received any portion of
the £1,500. When I was discharged I found the house
at Pantludnow, in. Wales, had been let. Mrs. Ruck 'and!
the faMily were• occupying another house on my pro-
perty at Aberdovey. About three. or four years before-
the Commission of Inquiry, Mrs. Ruck frequently
said we had better separate, and' live apart. For two
years she lived' at AiSerdovey, and I resided at Pant-
ludnow ; but I' occasionally visited her during that time.
Sonic additional' evidence having been given, and tireease-
for the plaintiff 'closed, Mr. M. Chambers submitted' that
upon the record and pleadings there was no case against; tie
defendants. The, declaration contained two courts--first,
trespass andlalseirreprisonment „ and the second, an offence
under the 161 and VT Vic., chap, 96, sec. 19. The plaintiff's
evidence was a defence to the first count, because it shoWed
'that the plaintiff was placed in the care and. custody of
the defendants under regular orders and certificates, the
orders being those of the wifels, and the certificates those
given by; two medical men. The certificates purported to
be signed' by such, and that was a sufficient- protection
for tie keeper of a lunatic. asylum. The, keeper of the
lunatio• asylinte was not honnd to prove that the person
delivered 'to him was a lunatic or continued' to be 80,
and tinder the statute he had no right to. discharge
such. person except under due authority: The 'learned-
counsel also contended that until the lunatic keeper
had discovered the lunatic had ree,oieredt, be Was not.
bound to give notice. Up to 2etle, Jelly. the plaintiff!
stated the delusion had not left him, The: evidence was
insuffieient to make the defendants,lifcble.
There was no
evidence to connect Mrs. Stilwell, th oth I f dant
e• er t e en ~
'with a knowledge of the plaintiff's. recovery. The plaintiff
must be nonsuited, or, at all event's,
there
for Mrs. Stilwell, one of thedefendants• There, was
nothing that prevented Dr. esinnollyfmroumst bsiegua;ng.eraitthte
certificates. The part of the. Act applied only to those
medical ma who were proprietors, part proprietors, or
regular professional attendants of such asylum, deo. Mr.
Justice 1141 said the point, with reference to the signing of
the certificates was one a considerable difficulty,. IVIr.
Serjea-ut Ballantine and Ittr, Honevinan followed on the
same side, urging that the keeper of the lunatic. asylum
must know, according•to. the words of the 'Act, of his own,
knowledge, that the patient had recovered, and. not what
he. had been told kt respect thereto. The learned tttegen.
said he felt the force, of the objection, line he could not J
a
stop the case. 'rho, Court then adjourned till Thugs iy,
TIIE YERDIC
•
Yesterd was again catered on,ay; (Thursday), the casz,
when thy. Jury found a verdict_ ror the plaints,; -ith £5OO
r granite& leave to mike te, 5.4 that.
dainartrs, but the (Cour- acr t
• asi4e, and, toeeater a none 4 toe. we

1)7141OOL POLICE INTELLlGElVag.—restitrdvy,

BEFORE MR. MANSFIELD

THE GAMBOLS OF THE TWO " Ws."— 'James Moran and
John M'Loughlin were charged by officers 848 and 16,1
for "banging" each other, in Great Howard-street. Mr.
Cobb appeared for M'Loughlin. Both parties Were stated
to he translators, not of languages, but of old boots and
shoes, into articles fully as goo as new, or better, by the
assistance of some brown paper, paste, a trifle of wax, and
hemp. The whole affair arose out of a bowl of pea soup, a
blessed baby, and a bite of a lip. It appeared that, as the
parties were menders of soles, that they had great inclina-
tion to become dilapidators of bodies. Smile time ago.
Moran wad M`Longhlin's blether had a " difficulty," which
eventuated in Moran bitingeae lip off his opponent, for which
he was sent to jail for fo'ur months. since that time the
houses of the two M's kayo been, like the Capulets and
Montagues, at deadly strife with each other. When any
opportunity offered, tholy broke each o'ther's heads, legs, or
arms; nicked out each 'other's eyes, broke half the crockery

...affordshire ler the last six mordhs:,
nn eatill other's fates, and kept Alm whole neighbourhood
in hot, water, withtrat the aid of coal. On Wednesday,
lioran:*cnt into a cook-shop
.to indulge in an
propensity, which 'took a turnqn the pea-soup fine, and
whist gratifying epigastric muscles, he heard the-cry- of
a-"blessed baby,' and on goint• out be saw his own'tnild
spravKlng on theilags. lie gathered up the little thing in
his arms, when IPLoughtin,came up, and tumliled both
^ i ti creature, allt,,ing that Moran's 'Wife bad
tnn 'jug on 'his head, and broken bead
"jug. There` -as no proof that th-e-aimple-
MU( been separted. from itself. but there was

'ware that

ame from S,

himself
brokeri
SS well

ment " ‘`"4

skin and flesh ,of WLoughlin's
head had 'been seliarata by some hard substance—not,
howevOr,''elite so hard as the skull of The said Mr.

that th

were prcith

Some half-dozer k of witnesse
ore that black wa
green, ani

at eithersiele, and some

white; others nreantairied that blue wt., -
so the matter stood, -when -Mr. Cobb urged with energ
that the stance of evidence, and the cut on his:client's head
were altnjether on his side. 'His Worship, however, bein,
a very. disintereslifi bearer of the entira ^ -
to themonelnsinv *4-4 __

case, came
o 1I(

vas as had as the other