The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-10-28 00:00:00

BOW-STREET.

DISGRACEFUL OUTRAGE CT SOLDIERS.—On Tuesday even-
ing, two soldiers were brought to this office, followed by an im-
mense crowd of people, who thronged the office doors and avenues,
so as to make access difficult, charged with a very gross and un-
manly outrage that evening, in Wych.street, Drury-lane. The
names of the prisoners were A. Ranuay and J. Mitchell, the
loaner a private in the 22 Beitakoa, lit Foot Overdo, and the
fatter in the 7tit rusileent. They were both in a state of intoxica-
tion, but not su much so as to seam unconscious of what they were
doing.
The complainant was an elderly woman, who seemed, inde-
pendently of the consequences of the violence she had just received,
to be In extremely delicate health ; her name is Mary Clarke. and
she is the wife of a hair-dresser in Ivy-lane; shc and her daughter
carry on business as bonnet.tuakers, at No. 42,1Vych-street.
The case wag about to be gone into, when
Mr. lIALLs, perceiving that Mrs. Clarke was much agitated,
and that the soldiers were hardly in a fit state to be examined, or-
dered them to be taken to the watchbouse fur the night.
Yesterday the Wailers vcre again brought up, when it appeared,
ley the evidence of Jirs. Clarke, her daughter, Mr. John Marshall,
clerk to a solicitor in King's Anna-yard, Coleman-street.—Lang.
field, a %unstable, and other witnesses that about half-past six
o'clock on Tuesday evening, the defendant/ and a third soldier
were walking down Wyelt-street, arm-in-arm, keeping the
wholeof the foot-pavement to themselves, and when they arrived
opposite Mrs. Clarke's little shop window, two of them pushed
the third against it, and broke a pane of gloss. Mrs. Clarke
very nreurally ran out, and telling them that they had broken
her window, desired that they would pay her fur it. In-
stead of doing so, however, they abused her in tenets the most
abominable. rime language was described by one witness as being
of the viltat and most horribly disgusting kind. They followed
her up in the doter, to which she retreated to the apprehension of
&me personal violence, and site then said, tremblingly, " Well,
geudenttn, if you will not pay for it, go quietly altout your
fussiness—pray du." "0, you old b—," said Mitchell, " I'll
pig for the window," and instantly he struck her a violent
blow en the templa' which fogad the back part of her head against
the watt, aid stunned her ; and, even in this state, while she was
leaning in a senseless state against the wall, the unmanly fellow re-
peated the blow more than once, until 'he fell upon the ground.
Titc ris,ners were at length with great difficulty secured.
Mitehell, also had fallen among the broken glass in the shop,
and cut hla face slightly, upon ductivering the hurt he had re-
ceived, sat down in a chair, and cried for souse minutes. The thild
soldier cerapFd.
Mitchell, in his dereore. said, he believed be broke the window,
and was w (ling is pay tor it on the spot, but when he =ached in
leis pocket fur his money he found he had been robbed somehow
or mike in tie crowd.
Ifsitituty saal he bad no share in the matter from beginning
to end.

&clued, unit Ramsay was duruing the rho 1

time extremely violent, and that lie endeavoured to !twee Mitchell
after he was in custody.
Mr. 11•Lts said. that this was as gross a cane as he had heard
for a long time. Did noldien suppose. that instead of conduct-
ing themselves like men and like gentlemen (for so it was has pride
to ace aoldicrs behave), they were to be 'offered to go about com-
mitting outrages upon his Itlajesty's peaceable subjects? Hid
they imagine that they, who ought peculiarly to be the protect, ra
of the defenceless, were to be permitted to use violence like this
upon a helpless unoffending woman ? If so, they were mistaken,
and the law must teach them better. The worthy Magistrate then
ordered them to be taken to prison, and directed the parties to go
immediately to the Sessions then sitting, and indict then'.