Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-06-20 00:00:00

CLASS.

THE NORTHERN TIMES. LIVERPOOL, SAT UMJAY, JUNE 20, 857

MR. JAMES MA.CbONALD AND THE
BIRKENHEAD. POLICE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMES.

Sue —I need not inform you that I am' only fresh out o
Bridwell, with a very narrow escape of having to serve
tWe' tv one days on the treadmill at Knutsford— That
is sufficiently notorious. But I have a thing or two to tell
you, and I think I could scarcely find a more fitting op-
portunity than the present for that purpose.
In the first place, then, I have not read the
report of my trial before the worthy Birkenhead
magistrate, John Dean Case, Esq ; and my reason for not
doing so was because I had no wish to shock my feelings
further than they were by the perusal of a document which
I knew full well was wrieen by an intemperate partisan of
the Orange Policem nof Birkenhead. The short and sen-
sible remark of the Editor of the Post was read to me by
another party ; for the sentiment embodied in it I beg to
thank him.
My appearance in the criminal dock, surrounded by a
parcel of thieves and vagabonds of the very worst descrip-
tion, was the signal for as unseemly an exhibition of feel-
ing as perhaps ever occurred in a court of justice, and in
that display a certain reporter played first fiddle, none
save a man-monkey could have exhibited the fantastic
tricks, the contortions, the grimaces, the grinning, chatter-
ing, laughing, moving, winking an blinking, in which this
reporter or representative of the Press indulged, together
a,ut ti his special pot compani .n, the Grand Master of the
Orange Cermonies, in that notorious Orange Lodge, the
Birkenhead Police Establishment. Such was the course
which this representative pursued during my trial. And
whz, sir, let me ask, this malignant display
of unwarranted gratification. True, I was in the felons
deck ; I was in the midst of felons—bat, sir, I was not a
felon--I had incurred the deadly hatred of the Birken-
head police—they had sworn vengeance against me
—they threatened to give me a benefit, and they
did their bast. I had reported one of their number for
misconduct of the most palpable description, and I was
then told that they were sworn brothers—touch one, touch
all—even in the presence of their so-called superintendent.
I was threatened with personal violence by an inspector
and a detective. The lan.;uege these gentlemen in uniform
used on that occasion would have shamed the lowest
blackguard in Liverpool ; every word of it I wrote down
at the time and handed it to their chairman, Mr. Goul-
burne. What he has done with it is best known to himself.
Again, I had a quantity of my goods destroyed in the house
of a person named Winter. I summoned this person to
the County Court for the value of the same, when no fewer
than seven policemen and two inspectors came forward to
give evidence—or rather to swear anything—for the de-
fendant, although they knew nothing whatever of the
transaction. Of c curse, their testimony lost me
the case. They then claimed ten shillings each for
their attendance, and for this they sued me in the
County Court, when, on my explaining the 'circum-
stances to the judge, he disallowed their claim entirely.
But the climax had to be reached. An article appeared
in your journal, giving an exposition of the doings of this
body, and condemning the Orangeism which predominated
to such a fearful extent amongst them, .I was accused,
with what degree of truth you best know, of bieng
the waiter of that article, and hence this diabolical
conspiracy to ruin me. Annexed are a few documents
which will speak for themselves. These are not the
affidavits of partizan policemen, or their touting trails of
, St. Mary's gate. They are the spontaneous testimony,
voluntarily given, of persons whose characters will bear
the test of scrutiny. "Do you wish to know a man's real
character, then follow him to his home." So wrote one of
the most acute observers of human nature who ever lived.
Now, Mr. Editor, I have brought you to my hone, such as
it is. I have, in selfjustifieation, withdrawn the veil from
the sanctuary of my domestic hearth, and have presented
you, and the wade), with my true portrait in place of that
distorted caricature which base, cowardly, and malignant
slanderers and' defamers have been in the habit of palming
off on the credulous as the type of the original, and what
do you think of it ? And let we ask Mr. S Holme and my
other opponents what they think of it True, I was taken
to bridewell; ostensibly for havng interfered with the
police in the discharge of their duty. Will their
apologists, if they have any, say they were performing
their duty in dragging a poor unfortunate piece of
unconscious humanity along the rough causeway of Abbey-
street by the legs, while Ms head thumped on the paving
stones. True, the policemen were both Orangemen,
members of the same lodge, while their victim was only a
b—y Papist. True, there may be persons in the world
weak enough to fancy that even a b—y Papist ought
not to be treated like a dog, and it appears I am one of
those. All I did was to remonstrate in the gentlest pos-
sible manner against this piece of unmitigated brutality,
offering my services, at the same time, to convey the
helpless creature to a place of safety. That was
my crime, and for that act I spent three days
and nights in a loathsom ) dungeon. All despots
are cowards. The terms, in fact, are synony-
mous. Ido not characterise the gentleman who alluded
to this subject in the council chamber as either the one or
the other—no doubt, he spoke from information supplied
by others for a purpose. I cannot bring myself to believe
that the party to whom I allude could be so thoroughly
vindictive as to exult over the misfortunes of one
who "had seen better days," and perhaps may see them
again. If the charges made against me had been as true
as they were false, had the testimony of the police, and
their convenient witness, Mrs. Hilton, been as honest as it
was the reverse—still, any feeling man would have eym-
pathised with me in my eegradation, for Mr. Samuel
Holme must admit that lam somebody. Assuredly,
it was no case for the display o exultation and triumph..
As the worthy magistrate observed, it was a great
" pity and misfortune to see a person of my appearance in
such a position." Certainly, and so it was. However, I
beg to tell the worthy magistrate that should it ever be my
fate to appear before him again, ho had much better keep
his " pity" and uncalled for sympathy to himself. Some
say he himself stands more in need of who'esome exhor-
tation than I or any of the other poor wretches who appear
to receive their quietus at his hands. Howes-er. I shall
not prase too heavily on one whose infirmities are so ap-
parent.—Yours, &c., JADIES ADDONALD.
Cheshire to wit.—l, Frederick Perfect, fancy chair, basket, and
perambulator mauafacterer, of 228, Chester-street, Birkenhead, do
solemnly and sincerely declare, that I have known Mr. M'Donald for
a considerable period, and have been often in his company when he
resided at Mr. Copestake's. I never saw him disguised in drink, was
always sober, sensible, and good tempered. ~ever heard him swear,
or use coarse language of any kind. Hs was always most gentle-
manly In his manners and conduct In so far as I could perceive. I
recollect Saturday, the 23rd May last; I siw Mr. M•Dmald in Mr.
Copestake's. He got a bottle of ginger beer. He appeared perfectly
sober and in his usual good humour. He went away and sat on the
step not far from the house, where he usually rests himself. There
was a druken man in the street at some distance off. Two Policemen
came up. I did not observe what took place at first; but when I went
up to them I heard Mr. M•Do-all say it was a pity to abuse the poor
wretch, that he might b 3 conveyed to bridewell in a proper manner,
and not draved along the streets as though he were a dog. He
never made use of any offensive expression towards the police, nei-
ther did he interrupt or interfere with them in any way whatever,
neither did he call them scamps or make use of an oath of any kind.
There was no crowd ; and I cannot tell why they should have taken
him to bridewell, for I saw him do nothing wrong. And I rtrike this
solemn declaration, conscientioasly.believing the same to be true,
and by virtue of the Provisions of an Act made and passed in the
sixth year of the Reign of his late Majesty, intituled, "An Act to repeal
an Act of the pre ent Session of Parliament, intituled an Act for the
more effectual Abolition of Oaths and Affirmations, taken and made
in various departments of the State, and to substitute Declarations in
lief thereof, and for the more entire suppression of Voluntary and
Extra judicial Oaths and ME davits, and to make other Provisions for
the Abolition of unnecessary Oaths." FREDERICK PERFECT.
Doc aced and Subscribed at Birkenhead aforesaid, the sixteenth day
of Jane, one thousand eight hundred and fifty seven. before me
J. J. Rio LEY, a commissioner to administer Oaths in Chancery
in England.

Cheshre to wit.—l John M'Cormick, baker, with alessra. Thompson
and M'llnigh., Hrkaahead, do solemnly ana sincerely declare, that on
Saturday, the 23r 1 day of May last, I was in the neighbourhood of
Ivy-street. Bireenhead, abont nine o'clock In the evening, that I
observed a drunken man laying on his face on the footpath. There
were a couple of p alicamea there, and also Mr. M'D maid. He SS d
something aoont the police dragg ng the drunken man along like a
doe. I dil not see the policemen drag him by the legs. An elderly
man came up ann began kicking the drunken man in the most furious
mann r, when Mr. M'Donald said, " For God sake do not murder the
poor w etch, he is a human being, although he is in tliia state of
drunkenne s." And he said to the policemnn, "cannot you manage
to convey him to Bridewell, or to his home in a merciful and ehristian
like manner' Whereupon one of the policemen said, in a very
grate' voice, "you go about your bo,ines. ; you have no
rig 'it to interfere with us," on which Mr. M'Donald at cnce
cupped a few paces back. He was never nearer the police-
men than two or three sards, and did not interfere with or
interr got them in the discharge of thser duty in any way whatever ;
except by saying., " do not ill use," or " don't murder tee matt," or
w Ird it i that effect. He never made use of abusive language to the
policeman, neither did he call theta " Craned scamps," or say that he
hated the pslice, nor did he mike use of an oath, or an angry expres
von Ito was not in the leas! disorderly. There were only a few
persons present, and Mr. %t'Donald said nothing tot xcite their feelings
arainst the police. Ile did not shoat or talk loud ; what he said was
perfect y sen ,ib'e, wad to the point. I did think he had taken a glass;
b ar, si tee I have ‘een iii s by himself, it is possible I mi slat hive bean
mistaken. He was perfectly steady, and I saw no reason why the
policemen should nave drazifed him off to Bridewell in the way they
did Ween they asiz Id him he said, "don't abuse me; I will go
retie y with yea; lam a gentleman, and no vagabond." What Mr.
/Moe swore about Mr. M'Donald, was totally untrue. I Wa3 brought
up by the police. as a w tness against Mr. M'Donald on his trial. And
I make this so emu declaration, conscient'ous y believing the same to
be true, and by virtue of tee prosWous of an Act made and passed in
the sixty year of the Reign of His late Majesty King William the
Fourth, letitu'ed " an Act to repeal an Act of the present Session of
Parliament. intitttled an Act for the more effectuti Abolition 0' Oaths
and Affirmation., taken and made ia,varions departments of the State,
and to substit tte Declarations in den thereof, and for the more entire
suppression of Voluntary and. extra-judical Oaths and Affilavits,aad
to make other Provisions for the abolition of unnecessary Oaths.,,
Joust M'Coamtex, X his milk.
Declared and Stahaeribed tlt EVrkenhe,d, in the County of Chester,
the seventh day of June, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-
seven. Before me, the same having been previously read over to
the said John M'Cormick, in my presence, who seemed perfe etiy
to understand the same, end who made his mark thereto in mminy.
a
presence, EDWARD P. ATKINSON, a Commissioner to d
later Oaths in Chancery in England.

Cheshire to wit.—T, William Copestake, landloid of the Waterloo
Hotel, Birkenhead Ferry, do solemnly and sincerely declare, that I