The Sun.
London, England, 1863-05-09 00:00:00

WEST MINSTER.

AN INGENIOUS DEFENCE.—AIfred Parker, a espectable
looking middle-aged man, was placed at the bar before Mr.
Ingham, charged with stealing a set of harness.
Police-constable James Gower, 132 E, said that at five
o'clock this morning he was in Beaufort-mews, Chelsea,
when he found the prisoner sitting in a cab in a stable
yard, and found in his cap a pair of reins and a bridle. As
there had been a great many robberies of late committed in
that neighbourhood in various stable yards. witness asked
him where he got the harness from, when he said it belonged
to a man with whom he was going to buy a horse. Sub-
sequently an owner was found for the property.
_ _

Mr. King, the occupier of the stables in Beaufort-mews.
said that the hainess had been stolen from there in the
course of last night. An entrance had been eff, cted to the
stable by either a false key or by getting over a fanlight.
Mr. Ingham asked the prisoner what he had to say.
Prisoner said that it was ali a mistake about his stealing
the harm ss. The fact was that he wanted to try a horse,
but of course could not do so without reins or bridle, so he
went to the stable yard, where he was afterwards found,
and seeing a bridle and reins told a boy there that he should
like to borrow it, and would be sure to bring it back. He
took the bridle and reins and brought them back in the
course of last night, but not liking to restore it without
seeing the boy he was waiting till he came in the morning
to give him sixpence, when the policeman came up.
Mr. Ingham asked if anything was known of the
prisoner.

'The police replied that he had been before convicted.
He was remanded for a week.

THAMES.

TEE MAD SAILOR.—James Pavey, a seaman, who was
described as having no home and no occupation, and who
declared that any port in a storm would do for him, was
brought before Mr. Partridge charged with being drunk,
disorderly, and violently assaulting three police- constables,
named Thomas Robbins, 137 H, William Mitchell, 215 H,
and Thomas Coultrup, 44 LI, in the execution of their duty.
The first two constables had sustained considerable injury.
The prisoner was very noisy and intoxicated last night
in Whitechapel, and there was a mob of disorderly persons
about him, whom he was fiercely haranguing in a very in.
coherent strain. R bbins, who was the first policeman called
to him, endeavoured to get him away and disperse the mob
of disorderly persons about him, but he was unable to do
so, and he made a savage attack on the constable and
threw him. They rolled over and over each other on
the ground, and whilst doing so, he bit Robbins on the left
arm, through his coat and linen. Mitchell came to
the assistance of Robbins, and he was also attacked by the
maddened sailor. A fierce struggle ensued, in the course
of which, the prisoner seized Mitchell's hand, put it in his
mouth, and severely bit and lacerated one of his fingers.
Another constable, named Coultrup, came to the assistance
of the others, there was a good deal of lip and down fight-
ing, the prisoner frequently escaped from the clutches of
the three officers, and was as often retaken; he roared,
shouted, and swore that twenty constables should not
take him ; he capsized many persons about him, and
it was not until all his clothes were torn and he became
exhausted that he was secured. It required the united ex-
ertions of seven policemen and others to convey him to the
station house. On the way there he kicked Robbins on the
knee and disabled him for some time.

The prisoner, an active young fellow, said he was sorry
for what he had done—that he came on shore yesterday on
a cruise, and was " three sheets in the wind" and did not
know what happened to him.
Mr. Partridge said the police recollected too well what
had happened to them, and that it was impossible to over.
look a case of this kind, where policemen had been so fiercely
assaulted and injured. The prisoner had acted like a perfect
maniac and must be punished for his misconduct. He
sentenced the prisoner to be imprisoned for two months and
kept to hard labour.