The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-20 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE—This Day.

WESTMINSTER,
UNPROVOKED AND SHAMEFUL ATTACK UPON
WOMEN.—Michael Dillon was brought before Mr. Selfe
charged with a disgraceful assault upon a young woman,
and a subsequent assault upon another in whose house
she took refuge to escape his brutality.

Mrs Jane Webb, a corn-chandler, living at 76, Marlbo-
rough-road, Chelsea, said that at 6 o'clock on Saturday
evening the defendant disgracefully attacked a young
woman, with an infant in he: arms, who was passing
through the street. The complainant was much alarmed,
and the infant in bar arms was crying, when she rushed
into her shop for protection, when defendant fel-
-1
I lowed her, and then again seized her. Complainant
then interfered to loose his hold of her, when defendant
struck her in the mouth and knocked her down. She bled
profusely from the mouth and was much hurt in the
shoulder.

Mr Selfe—Did you know anything of the priEoner ?

Complainant—Not the least. The young woman whom
he attacked in the way I have described was also a stranger
to him, The police came up shortly after he had knocked
me down, and took him into custody, but not before he had
ill-treated an old man who interfered in my behalf. He
knocked him down and hurt him very much.

Edward Geary said he saw the defendant attacking the
young woman in the manner described, after which he
followed her into the shop. When he had been there a
short time he rushed upon witness, pushed him down, and
hurt him very much. The consequence was that he was
unable to walk through lameness.

Defendant said he was drunk and did not know what had
occurred. lie must have mistaken the young woman for
some one eke.

Mr Selfe—Drunkenness is a miserable excuse for such
misconduct as yours. You are committed for six weeks.

THAMES.

UNgEES" LANGUAGE AND NIGHT DUTY HATS.—
Daaiel Welch, a labourer, was brought before Mr Par-
tridge, charged with assaulting Thomas Bonne, a police
constable, No 246 K,

The police constable stated that on Saturday night at
half-past one o'clock—
Mr Partridge—You mean Sunday morning ?
Witness—Yes, sir, the prisoners and others were creating
a disturbance and using the most unseen language. (A.
laugh.)
Mr Partridge—What language?

- - Witness unseen language. (Continued laughter.) I
told them to move on, and they would not do so. The
prisoner pitched into me and struck me in the face. He
also knocked my hat off.
Mr Partridge—Was the hat damaged ?
Witness—Yes, sir; it was damaged.
Inspector Griffin, of the K division, hero asked the con-
stable if it was not a night duty hat

Witness—Yes, sir ; it is,

Inspector Griffin—You must not put any damage on a
night duty hat.
Mr Partridge fined the prisoner 10s, which he paid.
ATROCIOUS OUTRAGE.--John and Honora Murphy,
man and wife, were charged before Mr Partridge with
violently assaulting Police-constable Button, 359 K, who
was in great pain.
The prisoners, who had been to an Irish funeral yester-
day, got drunk, and began quarrelling with the mourners,
who were not merry or melancholy ones, but very noisy
ones. Returning home last night a quarrel and fight en-
sued, Button made an effort to suppress this most disgraceful
riot on a Sunday night and was furiously beaten. The
woman seized him by the hair of his head, and the male
prisoner gave the constable a very dangerous kick
and disabled him. Mr. Poole, a pawnbroker, who sprung
the constable's rattle, and Mr. William Clark, a blacksmith,
lent their assistance, and William Carson, 175 K, came up
and took the prisoners into custody. John Murphy at-
tempted to bite Carson several times,
Mr Partridge said this was the most disgraceful outrage
he had ever heard of. The only excuse was drunkenness.
He considered that an aggravation of the offence, The male
prisoner had acted like a savage, and his conduct was most
disgraceful and cowardly. The constable used no violence,
and in the first instance was doing his duty in the most
groper manner, and afterwards behaved discreetly and with-
out intemperance. He sentenced John Murphy to two
months' imprisonment and hard labour, to pay 5s for the
policeman's coat and 2s 0 for the trousers be had torn,
and 2s 6d for the policeman's night duty hat, which was
lost. The female prisoner, who was a drunken, ill-condi-
tioned woman, was to find bail to keep the peace for twelve
months.

SONTAG'S RETURN TO THE STAGE.—AII had
felt that it must be a marvel, if, after more than
20 years, this gifted prima donna could return with her
powers unimpaired. Yetlthe marvel was here—an unques-
tionable fact. Her voice was" as fresh, pure, and beauli-
ful as ever." Madame Sontag brought back an artistic
skill, matured and perfected by the continued study
which, since her retirement, had been to her a labour
of love. The beauty which had exercised so great
a fascination over an elder generation was, strange
to say, but little changed. It was remodelled
rather than effaced, whilst the figure seemed almost
untouched by time. The pleasing contour of the face, the
beaming and expressive eye, and, above all, the winning
smile which formerly had_stol en away so many hearts, were
all there. Men declared that with the most clear and
searching of opera-glasses they could not give her more than
five and twenty. She was, in truth, a living marvel I And,
more strange than all, the Sontag who had been deemed by
a former generation somewhat deficient as an actress (al-
though the most exquisite of soprano singers), was discovered
ts) have warmth, animation, expression, even power, as a
dramatic artist 1 The fascination of her histrionic talent
came to as great as that of her faultless execution.—
Lumley's Reminiscences of the Opera.