The Sun.
London, England, 1862-06-17 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—June 16.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.—A LITERARY
PARTY.—Mr. Prowse was brought before
Mr. Tyrwhitt, charged with assaulting Police-con-
stable Watson, A 299.
Mr. Draper attended for the defendant.
Police-constable Watson said between two and
three o'clock on Sunday morning, while at the
corner of Coventry-street, the defendant and seven
or eight friends came towards him, all the party
being somewhat elevated by drink. The pri-
soner, who had a cigar in his mouth, said,
"-Bobby, give me a light," at the same:time giving
him a push which forced him against the shutters.
He told the defendant he did not carry a light, and
referred him to an adjacent coffee-stall. The de-
fendant appeared irritated at not being furnished
with a light, pushed him twice again, and was then
taken away by his friends, one of whom took him
by the sboulders and shoved him across the road,
saying, " Let him be, policeman." He replied,
" No ;" he had been assaulted, and he should take
the defendant to the station-house." He followed
the party, and took the defendant into custody-
Cross-examined—Did not wish to be too hasty in
taking the defendant. Had said to one of the de-
fendant's friends, " If you put your hand upon me
I will take you also.' Did not call any of the
party " fools." Had said, in reference to an insult-
ing remark, that they were tom-tits. Had been
four years in the force.
Mr. Draper described the charge against the de-
fendant, a gentleman holding a high position on the
press, as " infamous." The party had been to a ban-
quet at St. James's-hall, when one of them, the de-
fendant, was called a fool by the policeman merely
for asking him for a light for his cigar. The assault
would be negatived by respectable witnesses.
Dr. Strauss, a literary gentleman, was with Mr.
Prowse and friends. Heard Mr. Prowse say to
some one, " Old fellow, give me a light." Turned
round and heard a constable say, " Go away—you
are a parcel of fools." Did not like to be called a
fool—but, respecting authority, he followed the
constable, and merely said he was not fit to be in
the force—certainly not in the A division, and that
he would have his coat off his back within a fort-
night, for he would report him to his superiors.
The constable then said he (witness) had struck
him. He denied this, and showed that he
could not have struck him, as he had an
umbrella in one hand and a carpet bag in the other.
The constable then ran towards the defendant, who
was with his friends, and said, " Then I'll take you,
for you assaulted me first." After taking the de-
fendant to the station-house, the constable came to
the door and endeavoured to excite them to a breach
of the peace by calling them fools. The defendant
was quite sober, and witness, who was one of the
stewards, was also sober. There were champagne
and claret at his table, but no grog.

To questions, by the constable, he replied he did
not hear the constable direct Mr. Prowse to a coffee
stall, nor did he see a coffee stall near.
Mr. John Brough, journalist, heard the constable
say he was not going to be pushed by a parcel of
fools. Was rather ill at the time, but had touched
nothing in the way of spirits, and was perfectly
sober. The whole of the party were also sober.
Mr. Tyrwhitt—Are not literary individuals as
jovial as other persons ?
Witness—Most certainly. I should be sorry if
they were not.
The defendant said the constable charged him
with being drunk.
The constable denied this ; he had said the de-
fendant was not drunk.
Mr. Forater, treasurer of the Lyceum Theatre,
had had twenty years' experience of London life,
and never saw anything so unwarrantable as the
conduct of the constable.
Mr. Bensley, Ludgate-hill, heard the constable
call them " fools," because the defendant went up
to him, touched him on the breast, and said, "Here,
old fellow, give me a light."
Mr. Jacobson, foreign correspondent, heard the
police constable when at the station-house door call
his party a parcel of fools.
Mr. Tyrwhitt-said the case was rather involved.
the defen-
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constable
constable did right in following the party, but the
assault might be considered as having been con-
doned by the constable not taking the defendant at
once into custody. The witness Strauss had been
rather lively in his remarks, and had spoken warmly
to the constable. The constable was also right in

taking the defendant into custody, but he thought
defendant might have been discharged at the sta-
tion-house on his own bail. There did not appear
to be much halm done, and therefore ho should dis-
charge the defendant.

CLERKEN WE L L.—SERtous ACCIDENT
THROUGH FURIOUS DRIVING.—John Horrit, a cab-
driver, badge 11,821, residing at 2, J,ohn's-place,
He cry-street, Gray's-inn-road, was charged with
being drunk, and furiously driving his horse and
cab in Guildford-street, and damaging cab 1,527,
throwing off Mal les Wilson, the driver, and injur.y-
ing his hand and leg at the same time and place.
' Between twelve and one on Sunday morning the
prisoner, who was the worst for liquor, was driving
along at a most furious pace, and as the complainant
was coming in the opposite direction he saw the
danger and called to the prisoner. The prisoner
took no notice but drove into the defendant's cab,
upset him and the cab, and went over his hand and
leg. The cab was also slightly damaged.
The Prisoner said he was very sorry, and his
master gave him an excellent character for sobriety.
Mr. Barker fined the defendant 20s. and 10s.
costs, which were paid.

LAMBETII.--THE VICE OF GAMBLING.—The
sitting magistrate, Mr. Elliott, was engaged on this
as on most Monday mornings, for a considerable
time in disposing of charges of gambling during the
hours of Divine service.

The first prisoner called was George Collins, aged
19, who was charged with being in the company of
a number of noisy and disorderly youths, and play-
ing at " pitch and toss" during the hours of Divine
service on the morning before.
Police •constable George Rogers said, that in con.
sequence of the several complaints of the respectable
inhabitants, he was engaged in plain clothes on the,
morning before to detect the gamblers. Having
heard that there were a party engaged at tossing,
he went into Salamanca-street, Lambeth, and there
saw a number of persons and the prisoner in the act
of tossing up a number of halfpence, and while he
was engaged in picking them up he (vitness) secured
him. All the others at once took to their heels, and
he was not able to secure any more of th'e party.
In answer to a question from the magistrate as to
what was known of the prisoner, the witness said.
he was the constant associate of thieves and bad cha-
racters and never was known to do any regular work-
The witness added that the language used by the
party tossing when he made his appearance was of
the most blasphemous and disgusting character.
The prisoner attempted to deny the charge of
gambling, and was convicted in a penalty of 7s. or
seven days.
Two other youths, named Hudson and Dale, were
each convicted in a penalty of 55., or five days for a
similar offence,

THE FREAK OF. THE YOUNG F.RENCII

LADY.

Mdlle. de Latour, the young French lady who
made her way to London disguised in male attire,
appeared before the magistrates at Guildhall in
their private room, where her father, and Mdlle.
List, her aunt, were also in attendance. The latter
having expressed her willingness to take her niece
back,

Alderman Besley said he would allow her to take
her when she pleased, and asked her aunt if she had
lost any money, as it had appeared that Mdlle. de
Latour came away with 500 francs.
Mdlle. List said—No; she had not lost any, for
as they kept but one purse between them, Mdlle.
de Latour had as much right to the money as she
had. The gold watch she was wearing was her own.
Alderman Besley, addressing the young lady,
told her she was of an age to be able to choose for
herself, and therefore asked her if she would return
with her aunt, or go with her father P
Mdlle. de Latour, immediately clasping her aunt
in her arms, said she would go back with her.
Mdlle.-List said the young lady and her brother
had resided 'With her for the last 10 or 11 years,
and she looked upon them as her own children.
She expressed her heartfelt thanks to the alder-
man, to Mr. Jonas, and to the police, for the
very great kindness shown to the poor child and
the Baron de Latour, while evincing the deepest
gratitude for the delicacy and consideration with
which his daughter had been treated, said he hoped
the English people would not think his daughter
had been guilty of any other impropriety than the
childish freak which had brought her to this
country.
Alderman Besley said the press had represented
the matter hitherto in a very proper light, and he
was sure care would be taken, in publishing the re-
sult of this extraordinary inquiry, to let the public
know that there was no criminal charge against
Mdlle. de Latour, and that although it had been
found neceassary to place her within the precincts
of Newgate until she could be restored to her
friends, the only object in so doing was to secure
her from the many evils a young and unprotected
girl would be subject to if cast loose in this great
metropolis. She had had a narrow escape, and it
was due to her to state publicly that from the
moment she quitted her aunt's house, the whole of
the time had been most satisfactorily accounted for,
and she, therefore, returned to France without the
slightest stain upon her character.

CO UN2 RI MA REEI S.