The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-07-24 00:00:00

deptiL,
Bridge-street,
and •- - -

POLICE.

BIItTAI, ATTACK.
ISIAREROROt7GII-STUEET.—Mary Ass SaNivan and Ann
Smith, two girls of the town, were on Saturday brought frum
Tuthill-fields prison, for a desperate and unprovoked assault on
Margaret Atkinson, whereby her life was in imminent peril, and
still cannot be said to be out of danger. She is now an in-patient .
in the hospital, and Was brought from thence and taken back in a I
hackney-coach, attended by the nurse. She is in that weak state
and suffering pain as to be unable to stand. The Magistrate al-
lowed her a seat while giving her deposition. 'I he poor creature
was helped in and out of the office by three persons. The parties all
live in the same house in Church-street, St. Giles's. The prose-
cittrix is a slight-made woman, and, in point of muscular power,
on no equality whatever with Sullivan, who is stout and strong, I
and an unfortunate of the worst dem iption. It appears that about
a fortnight ago one Margarate Baxter, also an inmate of the house, I
was made tipsy, and went to lie down in the adjoining parlour to
that of the prosecutrix. Some unmanly brute took advantage of
her defenceless state, went into the room and put his hand on her
mouth till the blood gushed from her nose. The two girls saw this,
and accused the prosecutor of being privy to it, which does not ap.
pear to be the fact. They rushed in upon her, beat her with some-
thing from head to foot, destroyed a good deal of her little furni.
tune, and stabbed her in the arm. But few of the facts could be
collected from the sufferer, and ,Margaret Baxter, a witnesa who per-
haps
could have thrown some light oft the transaction, so contra-
dicted the statement she made to the nurse at the hospital by what
she told the Magistrate, that
Mr. DYER said he should place no reliance on what she said as
a witness; he was evidently a witness for the prhoners.
Margaret Atkisson said she wits in her own room, when, in
consequence of a disturbance in the street, she went to lsok out nt ;
the window. At that instant Margaret Sullivan came in, and ac-
cused her of having lacked up Baxter in the next parlour with I
a young man ; she assured her she had nothing to do with the
business, and begged the would go away. Sullivan then swept the
crockery from the mantlethelf, and went ;way threatening further
vengeance. Fearful Sullied' would put her threat in practice, wit-
ness put all she could collect in the closet ; and when Sullivan re-
turned, placed her back against the door, to present her getting at
the things in the cupboard. Sullivan knocked her down two or
three times, assisted by Smith, who also struck her ; witness, be-
tween than, was left insensible. The beadle afterwards came to
her; when she requested a clergyman might be sent for. One of
them said—" Site wants no clergyman ; she's got no soul to be
saved."

Sullivan said the prosecutrix locked up a young woman (Bax-
ter), who *as drunk, with a young man, who was taking advan-
tage of her situation. A boy came and told tier tl.at there was a
drunken woman in the room, and a man there abusing her ; she
went to the prosecutrix, who said it was a lie, and struck her ; she
hit her again, and the prosecutrix was .g sting and kicking for
three quaners of an hour. Smith hail nothing to do in it. The
prosecutrii was drunk.
Smith said she was not in the place.
The prosecutrix said both the prisoners bent her.
The nurse said, the evening the prosecutrix was brought to the
hospital, she underwent an operation that lasted two hours, at-
tended by three doctors ; she sat up with her all night, and ex-
pected her to expire every moment ; she was bruised all over.
The surgeon was not present to describe the principal wound ; it
was of a nature the nurse could not describe to gentlemen—the con-
tusion of a delicate membrane that had been replaced.
The girls are locked up, to find good hail thr their appearance at
the Sessions. The proaecut'on is expected to be carried on at the
expense of the parish of St. Giles.
A ruffian-looking fellow, who said he was a carpenter three weeks
out of employ, was brought to the office, handcuffed, for assault-
ing a gentleman that mottling, by Uriking him in the Nee.
The gentleman said he was standing with his back to the railings
of Hyde Park, near the hospital, about a quarter to one o'clock,
when the prisoner putibed behind him, although there was plenty of
room in front. Witnesa asked why he did that ; the prisoner said,
" What's that to you ? d—n your eyes, I'll knock your eye out ;
get out of the way," and struck witness in the Nee. Witne-s be-
lieved he would have put his threat in execution but fur the ap-
pearance of the officer. He could assign no other reason for the
prisoner's conduct, but that he must have seen him counting some
silver he had in his hand.
The constable said he taw the prisoner striae the gentleman on
the nose, and when he went to take him, the prisoner struck sad
kicked him and the street keeper.
The street-keeper, who went to the assistance of the constable,
was himself kicked, and saw the prisoner strike the last witness.
The prisoner said he did not hit the gentleman ; he had been
that morning to see the soldiers, and only pushed past the gentle-
man, when he gave him in charge to the constable.
Mr. Da-ER—How do you get yoor living?
Prisoner—Not st all.
The prisoner was ordered to find bail on three charges of assault.
Mr. Clout, a bookbinder, brought up his apprentice, Henry Au-
brey, for neglecting his work and attempting to strike him with an
iron bar. The young gentleman was educated in and apprenticed
from St. Ann's Charity School, with a premium of five pounds,
but had latterly become so proud and independent, as scarcely to
eondeacand to give his master civil answers ; he had been forgiven
several time; to no purpose, therefore Mr. Clout felt himself corn.
pelletto ask this interference of a Magian ate.
Aubrey's father vindicated the conduct of his Ron, representing
him as a very hard-Clone-by young man. His master fonntely
used to drink his health at table, when he drank to Mrs. Clout and
the family, but latterly drank to his wife and took no notice of the
young man. One day his son asked for some cauliflower, which
his master refused, telling him to take potatoes, and when the
young man did so, and asked for a little gravy with.thern, his Inas.
ter desired him to eat them without. This was very hurtful to a
young manta feelings who had been accustomed to dine at the same
table and from the same dish.
The master said that was very true, he had been too indulgent;
in order to make him the better boy ; when he behaved well he
gave him a shilling or eighteen.pence; but latterly he had assumed
the mastership of the house, and annoyed his mistress in many

ways.
Mr. DYER told the father his defence of the lad was the direct
way to make hint worse than better ; instead of counselling him to
obedience he was encouraging him to that which, were he the
master, he must know to be wroog.
Master Aubrey was sent to gaol fora month.
George Norris was fully committed fur trial for the robbery of
the cook's bonnet, in the house of Mr. Alexander Brice, of Los.
ton.squere.
Sarah Chamberlain, the cook. attended with the bonnet, and
completed the case.—The cook, housemaid, and constable, were
bound °ter to prosecute.