The Sun.
London, England, 1853-12-30 00:00:00

however, given into custody, and brought before
Alderman MUSGROVE to answer for his offence.

But here comes the almost incredible part of
the story. With singular forbearance the injured
lady offered to accept an apology, and withdraw
tile: complaint. It is probable that a natural
repugnance to appearing in a police court, and
having her name exposed, was the cause of this
unparalleled leniency. The valorous TRACY, how-
ever, rejected the offer, refusing to make the
slightest concession. Nay, more, when before
the Alderman, the following day, he aggravated
his original offence by instructing his advocate—
a gentleman by Act of Parliament—to put ques-
tions tending to show that the complainant had
acted as if she had been CDC of the unfortunate
creatures who walk the streets for a precarious
and degraded subsistence. Such was the nature
of the cross-examination, that, on leaving the
witness-box, the unfortunate lady fainted away,
and was compelled to be carried out of court.
For this aggravated outrage, or rather series of
outrages, the high-minded Tracy was fined 405.,
or a month's imprisonment. It is scarcely neces-
sary to add that the fine was immediately paid,
and that the defendant was dismissed, rejoicing
at the decided cheapness of his frolic.

The following day, another respectably-dressed
person, who was named JOHN ANDERSON,
and who described himself as an artist, was
charged at Worship-street Police Court ; but, for-
tunately for himself, not before Mr. HAMMILL,
for wantonly insulting two yourig ladies (sisters),
and assaulting one of them. It appeared that
having been at the house of a relative on Tuesday
evening, they had returned by omnibus to the
neighbourhood of their destination, and were pro-
ceeding a short distance on foot. This was an
irresistible temptation to ANDERSON, who endea-
voured to push between them, wanting them to
take his arm. - They made no answer, but endea-
voured to proceed, while he continued " forcing
his conversation on them." At length he
forcibly separated them, declaring that they should
take his arm. One of the sisters (who appeared
with a severe bruise and swelling on the right
temple) at once said that if he would not desist
she would give him into custody of the first con-
stable she saw. As he still persisted, the sisters
ran to the opposite side of the street, but were
followed by ANDERSON, who struck them both,
knocking down and severely injuring the one who
had spoken. Fortunately, a gentleman was at-
tracted
by the screams of the sufferers. He asked
ANDERSON, who was walking rapidly away, what
was the matter, and received the careless reply,
" Oh, they're drunk ! " His protection was, how-
ever, claimed, and he at once gave the scoundrel
into custody. It was outside the boundaries of
the City, and therefore an apology and even com-
pensation was offered. Intoxication was .the de-
fence set up. • The presiding magistrate, however,
inflicted a fine of 51., or, iu default, two months'
imprisonment. The fine not being paid, the
valiant ANDERSON was conveyed to the House of
Correction in the police van.

Now, we ask, could any merely pecuniary
penalty be an adequate vindication of the law in
either of these cases. It is scoundrels like TRACY
and ANDERSON who render it unsafe for respect-
able females to go even a short distance, unat-
tended, after nightfall. There is, perhaps, no
continental city where females of any class would
be subjected to such wanton outrages ; and well-
dressed ruffians like those above alluded to, should
be treated with even greater severity than drunken
tailors or shoemakers. Nothing but a good flagel-
lation will remove the propensity thus strongly
developed by the par nobile fratrum, TRACY and
ANDERSON, and it would materially assist the
efficacy of such punishment if a hearty drubbing
was administered by the indignant spectators.
Oh ! for one hour of the sturdy draymen of BAR-
CLAY and PERKINS. The vicinity of Bankside is
the locality in which such heroes as TRACY and
ANDERSON should be turned . loose, with ample
notice of the • conduct of which they had been
guilty, but for which they had not been adequately
punished.