The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-29 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

BOW-STREET.—Bobert Priteh,ard, a thickset, mus-
cular man, 44 years of age, a carpenter by trade, was
placed at the bar before Mr. Hall, charged with having
committed three assaults on his wife, Eleanor Pritchard.

The complainant stated that she was assaulted three
times on Sunday by the defendant. The first time at
six in the morning, the second at eleven, and the third
in the night, between twelve and one.
Mr. Hall desired her to speak with reference to the
last.

The complainant said defendant came home drunk,
and she was in bed. He recommenced his abuse of her
and dared her to speak, and she did not, through fear.
He picked up a basket in which there were five or six
pounds of potatoes, and threw it at her head. He then
pulled her out of bed by her hair, handfuls of which
were scattered about the room. While she was ou the
floor he beat and kicked her, and she was suffering se-
erely from the effects of a kick on the hip. She had
b Cf along subjected to this kind of treatment at the de-
fendant's hands, but she did not wish to have him
punished ; all she required was to be separated from
him, and that he should allow her a maintenance. She
lived in Yates-court, Carey-street.
- - - -

In answer to Mr. Hall she said she had never
brought any similar charge against him in London, but
had in Liverpool, and he had been punished. She had
been married to him eighteen years last Christmas, and
hey had four children all living. She had only been in
London with him two years ; but he had been in Lon-
don longer. He bad habitually ill-usecliher,for the last
twelve years ; but during the last eight months she had
not been free from black eyes. He only allowed her
10s. a week to support his home, and she earned a little
herself at shirt-making ; but she had a hard struggle of
it. Two of the children were able to assist her. The
youngest of the four was eight years old.
Inspector Dod informed the magistrate that the com-
plainant had made the case much stronger when the
charge was taken at the station than she had now. She
told him that he threatened to murder her while she was
• on the floor.
Mrs. Murphy, who lodged in the same house, corro-
borated the complainant's statement as to her being
habitually ill-used by the defendant, and said she (com-
plainant) was a sober, well-conducted woman, who
worked hard and paid her way ; but the defendant was
continually quarrelling with and beating her.
The defendant, in answer to the charge, said his wife
was guilty of the greatest misconduct. She neglected
all her domestic duties, and would strip the place of
every available article to procure drink. Shebad pawned
his tools, and everything she could could lay hold of
down to the blacking brushes, to get drink, and the
origin of this disturbance was, that on Sunday morning
neither himself nor his children had a clean rag to put
on. She was never. sober if she could get anything to
sell or pawn, and she bad been in the House of Deten-
tion for stealing another man's tools. He could not
trust her with his money, because she would not provide
for the children, and on Sunday they had not a bit of
dinner to eat.He admitted throwing the potatoes at
her, but utterly and entirely denied having kicked her,
' or pulled her out of bed. He called
James Merrifield, shoemaker, living in the same house,
to bear out his assertions ; but he said the complainant
was a hard-working, sober woman, and he did not be-
lieve there was the slightest ground for the wholesale
imputations cast upon her by the defendant. Not only
was she ill-used by the defendant, but she was also by
her sons, one of whom repeatedly threatened to knock
her down if she did this or did not do that.
Mr. Hall could not be surprised at that, after the ex-
ample of the father.
The complainant explained that she was once sent to
the House of Detention on suspicion, but she was libe-
rated by Mr. Henry. As to the pawning, she was kept
so short of money by the defendant that she had to
pledge articles to get bread for her children, but she
always redeemed them with her own earnings. It was
, false that she was a drunkard, as all in the house knew.
She hoped the magistrate would not punish him, but
order her a maintenance far herself and children.
Mr. Hall said this was a most atrocious case: There
was, it seemed, not the least ground for the defendant's
a ssertious with respect to his wife, and that was a great
aggravation of his offence. The defendant was evi-
dently a monster, and he and such like him must be
taught that they could not treat their wives like mere
property, as they did a cat or a dog in their house, and
subject them to all kinds of ill usage with impunity.
I n the minds of some of these brutes the abominable
notion prevailed that they could treat their wives as
cattle, and subject them to every kind of abuse and ca-
price, just as they thought fit. The poor woman, after
all her years of ill treatment, even now begged that de-
fendant might not be punished, as was generally the
case, but the highest punishment the law enabled him to
inflict was hardly sufficient to meet such an atrocious
case. He should commit him to hard labour in the
House of Correction for six months;
The defendant was hissed by the auditory as he was
removed from the dock.
Mr. Hall sent for the relieving-officer of the Strand
Union, and had some conversation with him relative to
assistance being given to the complainant and her chil-
dren.

MARYLEBONE.—Toseph. Goffe, a pastrycook and
confectioner, carrying on business at No. 10, Bath-place,
New-road. was placed at the bar before Mr. Long,
charged with naying mueeenbiy
with intent to violate ber person.
Mr. Parkinson, solicitor, Austin friars, attended for
the prisoner, many of whose friends—respectable persons
—were in court during the inquiry.
Mr. Albert, of Poland-street, was sworn as interpreter.
Prosecutrix, a pretty-looking girl, about eighteen
years of age, on being sworn, said—On the 10th of this
month I arrived in London from Brussels, where my
mother. lives, and went to the prisoner's house, having
been engaged to go there as a servant. The prisoner is
married man, with a family. On the following Thum-
ay, at midnight, my master (prisoner) Caine into my
room after I had gone to bed, and said to me, "Janet,
get up ;" and almost immediately afterwards he said,
" Don't do so, fir the little boy has got the cholera."
He went away to his own room, but shortly returned,
when he got close to my bed and wanted to kiss me. I
pushed him from me, and upon his finding that I resisted
such a liberty he quitted ; in about half an hour after-
wards he came back. I had gone to sleep, and I found
some one in my bed. I thought it was the prisoner. I
tried to push him from me, but he was stronger than
me, and he laid his hand upon me in an improper man-
ner. He saw that I was very angry at what he had
done, and he again left me, as I was not disposed to
yield his wishes.
Mr. Parkinson—Did you see th e prisoner in bed ?
Prosecutrix—l at first merely saw the sleeve of his
shirt ; but I am satisfied that the prisoner is the man.
Mr. Parkinson—When did you first make mention of
the indecent conduct which you have sworn to ?
Prosecutrix—On the next morning.
Mr. Parkinson—To whom ?
Prosecutrix—To a workman on the premises.
Mr. Parkinson—Did you say anything to Mrs. Goffe,
the wife of the prisoner, about it
Prosecutrix—No, I didn't like to make any disturb-
ance between them.

Mr. Parkinson—Did you, while the prisoner was, as
you allege, taking liberties with you, make a noise, or
in any way cry out ?
Prosecutrix—l told mymaster to be quiet. I did not
cry out.
Mr. Pa,rkinson—lf you had made a noise, could any
one on the premises have heard you
Prosecutrix—Thev might have done so.
Mr. Parkinson—Some workmen were sleeping below
you, I believe'?
Prosecutrix—Yes.

Paul Hemarey, in the service of the prisoner, said—
On the same morning that my master took the liberty,
as stated, the young woman (prosecutrix) told me what
he had done.

In answer to Mr. Parkinson prosecutrix said—On Sa-
,turday last, we had some words together about my not
putting milk enough into some soup.
Some further evidence was gone into, from which it
appeared that in consequence of a communication made
by prosecutrix to her mother with regard to the infamous
treatment to which she had been subjected, she
(the mother) applied to the French consul, which applica-
tion ultimately led to the Metropolitan Police Commis-
eionere' attention being directed to the matter, and the
resulth .was that the prisoner was taken into custody, at
is.resnlence, by Sergeant Lockerby of the S division of

.....
Mr. Parkinson urged that all rested upon the unsup-
ported evidence of the Prosecutrix, and that the prisoner
was entitled to a discharge.
Mr. Long thought otherwise, and committed the p '
soner for trial for thheihrsedlefcietni toasi.saauhldt.
two lisl rweji es s- rain;
liberty to put in bail,
30,1ieyaocubn,grorhisbeing forthcoming at the sessions. woman, who gave her name Mar
the
earged with h n st n
was placed at the bar,
aviii Cgaiiagoll:an..
ryaelotreoperty of Elizabeth Ward,
173u,rs,lefocnortiatgaiunei-nmget.s.6dE.
that ol rtih
ethe r
ep,reeevuitorui:
It appeared from the eviden7eci ua.
morning, between ten and eleven o'clock,
Spa.nish-place.
was in the St. James's Catholic Chape,
manchester-square, and that during the service she and
,prisoner, who was next to her, were kneeling together.
She (prisoner) pressed closely to her while so kneeling
and at length she felt, .
as she imagined, a hand inhe, r
pocket. Prisoner hastily got up and walked away, fol-
lowed by prosecutrix, who ascertained that she had been
robbed, and the prisoner was secured by her at a short
distance from the chapel door, with the purse and its
contents in her possession. She was in the act of
counting the money at the time.
She was fully committed for trial.