Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-09-12 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE -YESTERDAY.

LIVERPOOL.
BEFORE Mx. MANSFIELD.

RSTALIATION.—Mr. II;nd, the book keeper at the Water. I
lion goods station of the London and North Western
Railway, charged Francis Beake, a number taker at the
same station, with having assaulted him. The defendant
was reported for being drunk—the report was made by
the complainant, and, in return, the prisoner assanhed
him. He was fined £2, er in default of payment, one
month's imprisonment.
J .seph south well was brought up by detective officer
• Thompson, charged with deserting the Akhar reformatory
ship. He was ordered to be imprisoned for fourteen days,
end then Fent hack to the ship.
Cu A Jail —UNGIC VIEFUL LI tree GIRL.—A little girl
named Mary Lynch, about eleven years of age, was charged
by a Mr. Patrick Meeks, a tin plate worker, living at
Tiov:ngten-hill, with having stolen nine half-crowns from
his heuse. Ile said, on Wednesdsy night, two of his
daughters saw the girl at the door shirering with cold, and
crying with hunger. They indeced their mother to take
in the chdd, and give her food and lodging for the night,
snd Mrs. Meeks prtomised to keep her as a servant. Next
day, however, she took nine half-crowns and ab-
ecended ; she purchased a half dozen of baloons
for a shillirg, the remainder of the cash wag found on her.
His Worship said she was an uograteful little creature, and
remanded her, with the view of getting her into a refor-
matory.
MURD gEOUS ASSAULT.—A. young fellow, named James
Higgs, was charged with having committed a murderous
assault on police officer Jones, 429, on Monday night, at
Fontenoy-street. The prisoner had been arrested about
eight months ago by the constable, and in consequence of
the he entertained a revengeful feeling towards the officer.
On Menday night the prisoner seemed to be lurking about
the street, and suddenly he pounced out of a passage and
struck the officer with a large stone on the nese, inflicting
a desperate wound. Dr Davis, of the Northern Dispensary,
said the man had a most severe comround fracture of the
bones, &c., of the nose, and would be rermanen,ly marked
and injured for life. Had the blow been higher up on the
forehead, it would have killed him. He would not be able
to do anything for a month. The prisoner was sent fur
'list at the assizae, as the case was such a serious one.
Row OF 8111PESqARD. —William Case-, the c3ok on board
ship celled the Sanawak, inward bound, was charged
with having stabbed a sailor named James M'Carthy.
Mr. Anderson wag for the prisoner. It appeared that the
complainant wen, to the galley of the ship to take some
fresh meat for biteakfest, contr ry to orders and the cooks'
direc ions. An alterceti n fol owed, and a scuffle took
place, when the prisoner to .k up a knife and made a back-
handed blow at him, which struck him over the ear,
inflicting a wound of three-quarters of an inch long, and a
quarter deep, but not serious. The prisoner was tined
101 and costs.

BFFOP.,E MES.RS. 1311.T.',N AND ANDERSON.

William Parker, beprhluse keeper, Kirkdale, was filed
his fir selling ale at ill gal hours.
Patrick Ilu7ray, wholeiale fish dealer, was summoned
by inspec or Ty mall for having exposed '244 piunds of
=sound fish fur sale. Fined 104 and costs.
MOUSING A BILLET.—Mr. James Scotland, Fgarton-
street, was sumenned for having refused two recruits
accomntodation, according to the billet. The defence was,
that e had no pla• e for the men, that he offered them
first 6d. a night, fit seven nights, but subscquently offered
theta 54. each, which ih'y reused. The deferriant was
told by the insgistra.es that the Act compelled him to
find beds fir the men. He was fined £t and costs.
Joseph Iraslern, blerhouse-keeper, of Earl-street,
Ever toe, was charged for selling ale at a q 'tarter to twelve on
the night of tee 31. st ultimo. Mr. Bluck, for the defence,
disproved the case. Dismissed.

THE SPY SYSTEM-POLICE IN PLAIN CLOTHES.

It will be remembere I that last week the decision of
Mr. Jeffry in the Police Court in the publicans' cams
was, that he dismissed all complaints brouglit against
publicans where the pr,lice were dressed in pla'n clothes.
Yesterday the question wis again raised by Mr. Cobb, as
the followitg report gill show :
William Ledsom, beerhouse keeper, of Naylor-street,
was charged with Sunday trading Mz. Cobb, for the
defence, showed that there was a "wo dug match " in the
house, and Bolton, 702; one of the complainants, said he
was in plain clothes. Mr. Cobb put it to the bench
whether, after that admissien by the policeman, and the
decision of Mr. Jeffery last week on that point. they would
not at ~nce dismi.s the case. Mr. Bolton and Mr. T. D.
Anderson were the presiding magistrates, and the latter
said as the question had been put he would
• PAct AECIRPIO; ast Inc faktt. JR. ?L ha
men in plain eloV-es on Sunday mornings, but it was
considered very objectionable, and that magistrate con-
demned it, and it was abandoned for a tine. In
consequence of that some publicans who were not
respectable managed to evade the law. A representation
of that was made to the magistrates, and under that
representation they issued the order again, and it was
sanctioned by Mr. Rushton, and the police who went out
in plain clothes on Sunday mornings, were only carrying
out that order of the magistrates. If one class of officers
{the detective.•) were allowed to use private clothes for the
purpose of detecting a certain class of offenders against
the law, why not allow another class of officers to
do the same in respect to another class -of offenders?
Respectable publicans would not object to it, as
it woull protect them from unfair dealing on
the part of others who wished to evade the law. He
had observed in the papers a state neat to the effect that
the order had been made by the Watch Committee, bat
that wss a mistake, as the Watch Committee had nothing
whatever to do with it. The Watch Committee was a
different body from the magistrates, and thsir duty was to
carry ruc the objects of the magistrates which they had
always been most attentive in performing.
Mr. Cobb said no doubt Mr Jeffrey bad as good reasons
for having dismissed the charges last week, as his worship
had given that day for sustaining charges made by police.
men in coloured clothes.

Mr. Anderson said, Mr. Jeffrey, at the time he made
the deci4ion, was not aware of the facts, or h ,w the case
stocd, or perhaps he would not have decided as he had
'one. He had spoken to that gentleman, and he
believed he was of a different opinion now. There was a
class of men selected for the duty—men who would
properly discharg it. If a policeman, in the discharge
of that duty, miconducttcl himself, he was liable to very
severe punishment.

Mr. Bolton said, some persons keeping /3.11131 k-houses
might objec-. to the ssstera for the purpise of evading the
law, but all the respectable publicans did nct object to it.
Mr. Anderson said it might b an objectionable system,
but if the policeman misconducted himself he was liable to
aeve-e punishment. No matter in what coat a policeman
was dre-sed, if his evidence was corroborated the court
would credit him.

The matter then ended, and the defendant was fined ss.

fADELF.TNE SMITTI'S CASs—A CANADIAN Scuir.s..—A
correspondent of the Toronto Globe says : —"The number
of culdmns of reports and rditories consecrated to this
case by the press of our three chief cities, is second only
to the great Burden case. lam quite at a loss to know
vilay the American press should go so far as GLlsglw for a
murder case «hen they have so many all ov,r the eJun.ry,
vcirying is kind from bl idgeoa murders, pistol murders,
dagger murders to arsenic mu-Jeri. To import murders
from Glasgow into this city is like carrying coals to New.
cas 1 ."

FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE LONDON AND NORTH WESTERN
RALLY/ AT. —On Thurs lay att-raoon, Mr. G. S. Brent held
an inquest at tie Bank of E island- Tavern, Paddington,
London, respecting the ?ea-th of fames Leach, aged 24
years, who died in St. Mary's, 11, spitat on the morning of
Tuesday last, from the effect of inj sties recAved on the
London and North WEstern railway on Sunday night last.
It appears that some alt.,rations and widening of th.a lire
are in progress.at llar'es4en green, and the deceased was
employed as a labourer in g,:ing with the waggons fi led
with excavated earth to what is called the " tip," where
the loads are cap,kd. He was going before the waggAn
and behind the h arse, when his toot 'slipped, and, before
he could recover himself, the tv,:von fell upon him and
Crushed him. After hearin7; t'Ay evidence, a verdict of
acc:dental death was returned, Clo jury, is en a 'denthon,
strongly condemning the plaa,ice of wirk;rtg on Sundays
on railways, in the manner stated by the vartons witnessee,
adding that the employment o: a few Wen would obviate
the necessity.
POST OFFICE NoTicz —Ol the Ist cf October next, and
thenceforward, printed or lids rgraphed letters may 1).2
sent, like other printed matter, uuJtr the regdations of the
colonLl book pot. At the s one time an alteration will
take plan,: is the scale of weight uncLr which book packets
sent to the colonies have hitherto been charged. When a
book packet does not exceed in weight four ounces, it will
be chargeable with one-hilt only of the present rate of
postage ; and when the weight of a b:ok packet exceeds
one pouni, tho charge will increese by steps of halt a pound
instead of by steps of ow! pour l as at present. The cote-
Mal book post bas now been extcoded to the whole of the
colonic and polessions, and a published table shows
the in .de by which book packets may be forwarded to each
colony, and the rates of postage to wh'ch such boak.packets
will in future be liable. No book packet must exceed two
fast in length, width, or depth ; art took packets sent to
the Bast ludi!s or to New donth Wales must not exceed
3 lbs. in weight.