The Sun.
London, England, 1839-12-30 00:00:00

GUILDHALL.

Edward Garrard, a city policeman, attended to
answer a complaint which had been made to Mr. Com-
missioner Harvey (and referred by him to the Magis-
trates) by a young Irish widow, who vends braces in
the streets. She stated that s.ie was going home to
Widegate-alley, about two o'clock on Christmas morn-
ing, when, coming up with the waits, she gave them
hreepence to play " St. Patrick's Day in the Morning."
A ring was formed by the crowd following the musicians,
but she had scarcely commenced her dance when the
policeman came up with his " Hallo, there !" and abruptly
stopped the tune, She told the policeman she had
paid for the tune, and he said he knew she carried gold
in her box, hut he could not permit such capers in
the street. She pulled her money-box out, to show
him she was not without silver, if she had not gold, and
she emptied 4s. 6d. into his hand to prove it. He re-
fused to return the money, and she refusing to go home
without it, he took her to the station-house, and had
her locked up as a drunkard till six in the morning,
when she was discharged. It was true she had been
drinking, but not so as to forget what she was doing.
She complained to the inspector on duty, but he disbe-
lieved her statement. Tho next evening she went to the
policeman on his heat, and on her declaring she had two
children to keep, and the loss of the 4s. 6d. would rui❑
her, he gave her 25., and promised to give her the rest.
She then complained again at the station-house, and was
sent to the Commissioner.

The policeman stated that the woman was brought
to him to be passed home by H 181, as being drunk,
and he heard she had squandered some sixpences and
pence upon the waits. As she refused to go home, ha
took her to the station-house, where she made this
charge against him, and he offered to be searched ; but
the inspector, thought it unnecessary, and gave no
credit to her story.

Mr. Alderman HUMPHERY asked him what he had
to say about giving her the 2s. ? The policeman re-
plied he did not give her the 25., but he lent it to her
because she cried so about being in distress, and fol-
lowed him up and down his beat for an hour and a half.
In answer to other questions, the policeman admitted
he had a wife and two children to maintain out of his 19s.
per week, and could not afford to be so liberal to any other
poor woman that cried to him. He had led the com-
plainant home two or three times when she was intoxi-
cated. Once he went home with her to ascertain if she
did not sell smuggled whiskey instead of braces, but after
asking her little girl a few questions he went away.
The girl being present, Mr. Alderman HUMPHERY
interrogated her respecting this visit, which appeared to
be bone fide for the detection of an illicit still.
The policeman declared he lent the 2s. from pure
good feeling.
Mr. Alderman Hu 31PHERY, having requested the at-
tendance of the Commissioner, told him that he dis-
believed the policeman's statement, for it was incredible
that a man with a wife and family to keep on 19s. a-
week would lead 2s. to a stranger. A man of much
larger income could scarcely afford to give way to his
pity in this way. If there had been proof that the
woman emptied her box into his hand, he would have
committed the policeman ; but he could now only leave
the Commissioner to deal with it as a case of suspicion.
The Commissioner said he would look into the case.
The Iran was afterwards discharged.