The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-26 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE-Aug, 25.

BOW-STREET.—A DISCORDANT SEQUEL TO A
"SINGING MATCH."—Wyndham Clark, John H. Stead,
James Taylor, and George Ware, professional vocalists,
were charged with creating a disturbance and assaulting the
police, in Holborn, at two o'clock in the morning.
Robert M'Kean, police.constable 69 F, deposed that ho
was on duty in Holborn, at about two o'clock that morning,
when he saw a large crowd assembled in front of Weston's
Music-hall. The four defendants were there, all the worse
for liquor, and Clark was shouting out at the top of his
voice, " your -- shut the door." Witness requested
him very quietly to make less noise, but he paid no atten-
tion to this request, and asked witness " Do you know who
lam ?" "Witness replied that he did not. and whether he
did or not he could not allow such a noise in the public
streets at that hour of the morning. He replied, that if
witness knew who he was he would not dare to interfere
with him, and as he continued shouting witness took him
into custody. He then became very violent, struck and
kicked witness, and tripped him up twice on his way to the
station. Ho threatened that he would " rip him " if be
could get hie hands free. The other defendants and a great
crowd followed him to the station, and an attempt was made
to rescue Clark from his custody, but the effect was pre-
vented by the arrival of other police constables, who assisted

him. All the four defendants were drunk.
Police-constable Pierson, 60 F, and Dentry 152 E, e"re"
berated the above evidence, and spoke to the attemptsmade
by the three other defendants to get Clark cut of the one"
tody or 69 F. Dentry said that Mr Stead put his arms
round witness's body, and tried to pull him away. saying,
He is a friend of mine, and you shall not taxe him to the
station," One of the other defendants said, "Don't make
a fool cf yourself any more ; you can have as much money
as you want, but you shall not take him." All the defen-
dants were intoxicated.
Police-constable 116 F also corroborated the evidence of
the first witness, and said that both Taylor and Ware tried
to prevent them from taking Clark to the station. Taylor
said he had just won £lOO, and could have as much mono
as he liked.
For the defence it was urged that Clark only was the
worse for drink, and as he was being roughly used by the
police officers, and had a quantity of valuable jewellerry
about him which it was feared might be snatched from 10111
by some of the mob, his friends only interfered with t:42,1
view of protecting him. It was explained that there hit"
been a grand singing match at Weston's for £5O a side, arid
the contest between two comic singers (Taylor and another)
had caused unusual excitement, and perhaps an extra glees
or two. A conversation on the subject, and a few words o'
congratulation were passing outside the hall after the 41.-
tertainment, when the police thought proper to intert ere,
and so created the disturbance which otherwise would have
been avoided. Clark admitted that he had taken
a little
drop too much, but he was excited by the rough usage of
the police. Stead, Ware, and Taylor declared that theYt
were perfectly sober—the latter stating that he bad n°d
a.
taken anything for a month past likely to affect him. ste
said that the assertion of the constable that ho had Put hi°
arms round the officer's waist to pull him back was obvl
ously absurd, because during the whole time he had a walk"
ing-stick in one hand and a carpet bag in the other.
Mr Vaughan could not disbelieve the evidence of the threo
constables examined, and he had no doubt in his own mind
that an attempt was made to rescue Clark by the three other.
defendants. Clark had behaved with great violence, and
he must be fined £5. He should fine the other defendants
£1 each.—The fines were paid.

LAMBETH.—AN OPERATIC COMPANY.—Severat 0=
the persons engaged as scene-shifters, carpenter, SO., in the
New Operatic Company at the Bower Saloon Theatre,
Standgate, again waited on the Hon. G. C. Norton, and en-
treated his assistance in procuring from the management the
different sums due to them for their services. The aPPT
cants said that notwithstanding the promise made in his
worship's presence by Mr Waller Kember, the manager' to
settle with them, they had nut been enabled to get a penny,
and being reduced to a state of the utmost distress, they
were compelled again to seek his worahip's assistance.
before
One of the applicants said that s nce he had been
at this court his wife had been confined, and he was so un-
fortunately placed that he had not a shilling to provide
necessaries.
Mr Norton inquired if Mr Kember had given the er
plicants any money at all 7—The master carpenter replied
that Mr Kember had offered him ss, but he refused to take
it, saying that it was no use to him when there was
due to him, and he had three men to share that amount
with.
It was here stated that the manager admitted the public
to the theatre on Saturday night last until the house `vas
full, and that he took a large sum of money, but no perform'
ante was given. A large body of police had to be sent for
to turn out the clamouring audience, and prevent them from
doing mischief to the house. The first night of opening as
much as £24 was received at the doors, while the applicants
had not been paid a shilling.
Mr Norton observed that it was unfortunately a matter in
which he, as a magistrate, could not interfere. He thought
the applicants should have taken as an instalment what had
been offered them.