The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-20 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS, May 19.

The May adjourned Sessions of the Peace for the
county of Middlesex commenced this morning at
Clerkenwell before Mr. Bodkin, Assistant• Judge.

Hugh Syivester Kiolehan, a police-constable, was
indicted for unlawfully assaulting and inflicting
grievous bodily harm upon Clara Fulloek. The
prisoner pleaded Guilty of a common assault, but
that plea was withdrawn, and he was tried upon
the whole indictment.

Mr. Sleigh prosecuted : Mr. Metcalfe appeared
for the prisoner.
The prosecutrix, a delicate-looking young wo-
man, about 20 years of age, said she lived in New
Gloucester-street, Haggerstone, and worked for
Messrs. Pasley, milliners, in Forston-street, Shep-
herdess-walk. On the morning of the 18th
of April, about one o'clock, she, and six
other girls, who worked with her—and they had
worked very late that night, as they were very busy
—were proceeding clown Mintorn-street, Hoxton ;
they were talking about hot cross-buns, and sud-
denly she heard some ono running after them. It
was the prisoner, who was on duty, and in uniform.
Ho took hold of her by the shoulders, and kicked
her at the bottom of the back twice. She ran across
the road, and cried out, " Oh, gracious, you have
killed tne." He caught her, kicked her, and said,
" Now say I have killed you." She fell, and be-
came unconscious, and found herself on recovering
in a kitchen of Mrs. Wilgrove's, and endured great
pain in the lower part of her body. She was re-
moved to her own home, and was attended by the
divisional surgeon, Dr. Griffiths. She had been in
pain ever since, and had not been able to pursue her
usual avocation. She gave the prisoner no provo-
cation whatever; but some of the young women
who were walking behind her had been singing.
Prisoner said he would lock them up. She replied,
"Do not, or we shall have no hot cross-buns to-
morrow." After that he kicked her.
Cross examined—lt was about one in the morn-
ing. She worked for Messrs. Pasley, and the rea-
son of her being out so late was that they had been
so busy preparing work for the season. Two young
women were singing. The policeman said nothing
about noise, bet that he would lock us up. The
three kicks were given with the boot.
By the Court—l had not been anywhere after I
left my employment.
Mrs. Caroline Henly said she was the aunt of the
prosecutrix, and lived at 10, New Gloucester-street.
The girl was brought to her house between two and
three in the morning, and she was bleeding pro-
fusely, her under clothing being quite saturated.
The hemorrhage proceeded from the lower part of
the abdomen.

Emily Wilgrovo said she was one of the young
women who were going along Minton-street after
leaving work, and one of them was saying
something about hot cross buns. They laughed,
and the prisoner ran across the road. He took
the prosecutrix by the shoulder, and kicked her.
She cried out, " Oh, you have killed me," and he
then gave her another push and a kick, and said,
" Now have I killed you ?" The prisoner was the
man who did it, and he gave prosecutrix a third
kick on the lower part of her person.
Cross-examined—lt was not a knock by the knee;
it was a kick with the boot.

Mr. Griffiths, divisional surgeon to the police,
stated that he and two other medical gentlemen
examined the prosecutrix, but could not find any
contusion or bruise upon her. The effusion of blood
might have been caused by a push from a knee on
the baek, or from a fall, as the girl, it appeared,
wore a crinoline, which was broken, and that might
have been the cause of the injury.
Mr. Metcalfe, in his address to the jury, said that
the prisoner, who had in the first instance pleaded
guilty to the count charging him with a common
assault, ought not to be convicted upon the other
counts of a more serious character.
The learned Judge summed up and the jury
re-
tired. After an hour's deliberation, they found tne

prisoner guilty of actual bodily harm and common
assault.

The learned Judge called the prisoner up for
judgment. -His lordship said the police were paid
to protect property, the public, and persons. The
Court protected the police in the due and proper
discharge of that duty when outrages were com-
mitted upon them, but in such a case as this, where
a most unprovoked and brutal assault had been, as
he had no doubt, wantonly committed, by a strong,
powerful man upon a weak and apparently delicate
young woman, the Court was bound to give an ex-
emplary punishment. The sentenee upon him was
that he be imprisoned and kept to hard labour for
18 calendar months.

Thomas Rogers, 19, was indicted for stealing a
purse containing £5, &c., from the person of James
Smith.

The barman of the Britannia public-house, in St,
James's-street, Covent-garden, stated that the prose-
cutor and a friend of his came there and had some
drink, but observing that the prosecutor had had
enough, lie declined to serve them with any more.
Several persons were around him, and the prisoner
put his hand in his pocket and took therefrom a
black pocketbook, and ran off. The witness jumped
over the counter and pursued him up the street and
caught him. The prisoner demanded to know what
he was wanted for, and on being told for stealing a
pocket-book, he said he had not got it, but a police-
man came up and took it out of his pocket. He
was found guilty, and had been previously convicted
of similar robberies.

The Court sentenced him to four years' penal
servitude.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—May 19.

MANSION-HOUSE.—Francis Pvne and Thos.
Pratt, both of them about 18 years of age, and de-
scribed as labourers, were placed at the bar before
the Lord Mayor, the former charged with stabbing
a city.police constable, and Pratt with assaulting
another police officer while in the execution of his
duty.

It appeared that shortly after 12 o'clock on Satur-
day night Hallett, 677, and Cusack, 630, were called
to quell a disturbance in Peter-street, Bishopsgate.
There they found several people, among whom were
the prisoners, quhrrelling, and attempted to disperse
them. The prisoner seized constable Hallett, and
tried to throw him down. After a struggle they
all three fell together, and constable Cusack assisted
Hallett in-recovering his legs. As they lay on the
ground Hallett had seen something glistening in
Pyne's hand like a knife or a pair of scissors, but
which he could not say. Cusack was holding the
prisoner Pratt, and as he did so Pyne struck him
(Cusack) on the side of the face, a little before the
right ear, inflicting a wound, from which blood was
immediately seen to trickle down his check. Pyne
then took to his heels, but was followed by the two
constables, and caught in Half Moon-street. No
knife or any other sharp instrument was found upon
him, but Cusack explained that the prisoner was
lost sight of for a moment, as he turned up a court,
and might have thrown away anything of that
kind, if he had it. He behaved with great violence
on the way to the police station. The prisoner Pratt
managed to escape while the officers were in pursuit
of Pyne, but was apprehended on Sunday night.
John Mawson, a commercial traveller, who was
passing along Peter-street at the time of the distur-
bance, spoke to seeing something which glittered in
Pyne's hand, and blood flowing from a wound on
one side of Cusack's head. Ha added that the con-
stables were very roughly used by other persons in
the crowd besides the prisoners.
Mr. Sedley Wolferstan, a pup:A of Mr. Child,
surgeon to the city of London police, sPid the con-
stable Cusack was brought to Mr. Child's surgery
early on Sunday morning. Witness, who was
called up to see him, found a cut about an
inch long on the side of his face. It was quite
superficial, but in a very dangerous locality, there
being a large artery just below it. The wound must
have been caused by some sharp instrument. When
witness saw it the bleeding had ceased.
The Lord Mayor, addressing the prisoner Pyne,
said it was a serious matter, and asked what he had
to say.
Pyne donied using a knife. On being asked what
he was, he replied, "A labouring chap."
The prisoner Pratt, in his defence, attempted to
set up
an alibi, but it rested only on his own uncor-
roborated assertion. _

The Lord Mayor, after commenting on the neces-
sity in the public interest of protecting the police in
' the execution of their duty, said he had no doubt
the prisoner Pyne struck the officer Cusack with
some sharp instrument. For that aggravated assault
he sentenced him to a month's imprisonment, with
hard labour, and to an additional fortnight for the
assault upon Hallett. The prisoner Pratt, for the
less violent assault upon Hallett, he sentenced to 21
days' imprisonment, with hard labour.
Lieut.-Col. Ambrose, of the Regiment of Buffs
stationed at the Tower, and Capt. Stewart, of the
same regiment, attended before the Lord Mayor to
explain what they conceived to be a wrong impres-
sion on the part of the police constables who gave
evidence at this court on Monday week, resulting in
the conviction and imprisonment of two privates in
the regiment, named Galway and M'Donough, for
obstructing and assaulting the police.
It will be recollected that about 10 o'clock on the
evening of Sunday week some City police constables
interfered to disperse a number of disorderly people,
most of whom were soldiers and women of the town,
in front of the Czar's Head Tavern, in Tower-street.
Galway and M'Donough, who appeared to be the
ringleaders, were being taken to the Seething-lane
Police-station, hard by, and some of their associates
attempted to rescue them. This led to a serious
disturbance, in which some hard blows were
given on both sides, and eventually six or eight
policemen were engaged in its suppression.
When the affray was at the worst, some of the
soldiers, according to the evidence of the police,
took off their belts in a menacing manner, but did
not use them, and a picket arrived, and forming a
line across the street in opposition to the police,
drew their bayonets at the command of a sergeant
in charge of them. One man was said to have drawn
a sword. The police in turn formed a corresponding
line and exhibited their truncheons iu self-defence.
A non-commissioned officer, however, came up at
this juncture and ordered the picket to retire, which
they did, and no further mischief was occasioned.
Lieut.-Col. Ambrose said, what he desired to ex-
plain was that the ticket did not draw their
bayonets ; that a guard which was sent for to the
Tower to assist the picket went out with their
bayonets, but did not draw them on the police.
Mr. Oke, at the request of the Lord Mayor, read
the depositions taken in the case. Touching the
question of drawing bayonets, police constable
Thompson said, " I saw three or four soldiers with
their belts off—a picket came up, and the sergeant
gave orders to draw bayonets." Poiice-sergeant
Trove said," Seeing the police were likely to be
overpowered, I ran to the station for assistance, and
brought the men into Tower-street. I found a line
drawn across the road, some of the men with
bayonets drawn, and one with a drawn sword. We
formed line opposite to them to drive them back
towards the Tower. Moseley, another police-con-
stable, said, " Galway was very violent, and a num-
ber oisoldiers were trying to rescue him. All had
their belts off, and were using threatening language
to us. We were obliged to draw our truncheons
and beat them away. . I saw a number of
bayonets drawn, and also a sword. I saw M•Donough
take Thompson's truncheon from him and strike
him on the head with it." Featherstone also spoke
to seeing the soldiers with their belts off. " I and
four other constables (he added) formed a line
across Seething lane to prevent the crowd going
after the two prisoners, who were being taken to
the police-station. The picket came up, and instead
of rendering us any assistance a sergeant ordered
them to draw their bayonets, foree a passage, and
bring the two men back. We drew our truncheons
to keep them at bay."
The Lord Mayor said four policemen had posi-
tively spoken to bayonets having been drawn, and
to an attempt by the soldiers to rescue their com-
rades. The evidence With respect to the picket was
incidental. The punishment of the prisoners was
awarded after a careful consideration of the evi-
dence, solely on account of their having obstructed
the police in the discharge of their duty, and com-
mitted several aggravated assaults, wholly irrespec-
tive of any danger from the use of bayonets.
Mr. E. Falconer, lessee of the Lyceum Theatre,
sent a check to the Lord Mayor for £lOl 19s. 6d.,
the amount of the gross receipts of a benefit per-
formance given there on Friday evening in aid of
the fund for the relief of the unemployed operatives
in Lancashire ; and also £lO 3s. 6d., subscribed
the same purpose by a few of the members
of
the
Lyceum company.

WORSHIP-STREET.—Anne Reynolds, a wall-
dressed woman of 30, was charged with robbery.
A mar led woman named Sophia Birdstdaatyedtotoiir:te
her husband, a tailor, had recently left her to esta-
blish himself in Australia, and she called upon some
of his friends between 1 and 2 o'clock that
re-
ceive a small sum from them for the rapport of her-
self and hoe baby. She was going through Hi h"
street, Whitechapel, when she g
was
surrounded by a crowd. She hurried suddenly
through it
as well as she could, and had nearly
got clear of the
sure against her dress. On turnin
people collected, when she fancied
)enetrurPnueldling gssihlearfeplltya prrounde
whichthe pr prisoner her hand out of her
sphoeckseatw,
her white handkerchief inside She out and removed
to her dress, and found that thrust her hand down
iat her purse, containing
about 13s. and some
I3apers, had been stolen. The
prisoner moved quickly Away from her, and shoran

after her as fast as the weight of her baby would
let her, but too_late too save her purse, which the
prisoner dexterously transferred to a tall woman in
black, who immediately disappeared with it. She
seized the prisoner by, a large shawl sl.e haa on,
and accused her of robbing her. The prisoner in-
dignantly denied that she had done so, and offered
to let her search her, but the witness knew that to
be useless, and pertinaciously held her till a con-
stable came up, and then gave her into custody.
The prisoner declared that the prosecutrix was
entirely mistaken in supposing it was she who had
robbed her, and asked her if she had attempted to
move after she had made such an accusation against
her P

The witness replied-that she had certainly not
done so, but that was for the very good reason that
she held her so firmly she could not do so without
losing her shawl.
__

A constable of the K division deposed to taking
the prisoner, and to her being searched at the sta-
tion, where no purse or money was found upon her.
Mr. Cooke asked the officer if the prisoner was
known, and the officer replied, he believed not ;
but Bendall, the gaoler, said, "I know her very
well indeed ; she is an old and experienced thief,
who gets her living entirely by thieving; she is a
member of a very notorious gang in the neghbour-
hood where this robbery was committed, and has
been repeatedly in custody."
Mr. Cooke said, as that was the case, he should
certainly remand the prisoner for the production of
proof of that, and she would then go for trial.

CLERKENWELL.—George Blackmoore, alias
John Mannering, who described himself as a tailor
and refused his address, was charged with assault-
ing and stealing a valuable gold watch from Mr.
Wm. Bright, of 3, High-street, Stoke Newington.
The night before the complainant and his wife
were at the Camden-road railway station. As they
were about to enter one of the carriages the prisoner
struck Mrs. Bright a violent blow on the face with
his hat. Immediately afterwards the complainant
felt a tug at his watch, and on turning round saw
the prisoner in the act of removing his hand. The
prisoner darted off, but was pursued and captured
by the complainant just as he was in the act of get-
ting into a first-class carriage. The prisoner was
at once given into custody, but the watch could not
be found. When at the police station the prisoner
said that he had placed the watch under the cushion
of the first-class carriage, and almost immediately
afterwards a telegram was received stating that the
watch had been found in the carriage at Stoke
Newington. _ _

The —prisoner, who, it was stated was known to the
police, said he was guilty, and committed the robbery
through distress. He hoped the magistrate would
settle the case at once.

Mr. D'Eyncourt committed him for trial.

2HE BANKRUPTCY ACT.

The Committee of the Mercantile Law Amend-
ment Society, having recently memorialised the
Lord Chancellor, complaining of the mode in which
trust deeds executed pursuant to sec. 192 of the
Bankruptcy Act of 1861 are registered, and sug-
gesting that in all cases where such deeds are ro•
gistered either the deed itself or an authenticated
copy should remain in the custody of the Chief
Registrar, and that the affidavit made by the debtor
that the requisite majority of the creditors had
assented to the deed should likewise contain a
statement of all his liabilities and the respective
amount of debt due to each creditor, distinguishing
those creditors who have assented to the deed,
have received the following communication, which
will remove all the objections to the present sys-
tem :