The Sun.
London, England, 1853-02-17 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

BOW-STREET.—Mary Ann Evans, the keeper of a
coffee-house and brothel in Wych-street, Strand, and
Matthew Moore, her paramour, were placed at the bar
before Mr. Henry, charged upon a warrant with vio-
lently assaulting and beating Jane Power, a servant-girl
in their employ.
Mr. Isaacson the vestry-clerk of St. Clement Panes,
with the churchwardens and overseers of the parish, at-
tended to watch the case, with the view of founding an
indictment against the defendants, upon the evidence
elicited, for keeping a brothel.
The prosecutrix, 'a young Irish girl, under 20, stated
that she went to Mrs. Evans' service, at 42, Wych-
street, about a week ago. She was to be paid according
to her " chances," receiving what might be given her by
the gentlemen who visited the house, some of whom
came to see the ladies living there, while others brought
ladies with them. She was in the habit of supplying
coffee to the parties, and showing them into rooms. At
about two o'clock yesterday morning two gentlemen
came to the house, and they got drinking with the defend-
ants. Witness saw Mrs. Evans take up one of the half-
sovereigns which the gentlemen put down for gin, and no
change was given back at any time. Mrs. Evans desired
her to go to bed, but she and another servant both stopped
up. They all went out, and came in again at about
six o'clock, when her master (Moore), finding that she
had not gone to bed, commenced beating her in a
shameful manner—knocking 'her' about the face and
head, and preventing her from going out of the room.
At that time her mistress tried to prevent his beating
her. They were both drunk. At length she got into
the strdek, where a mob had assembled. She told the
police what had happened, and was advised to apply
for 'a warrant, but after going back to the house her
mistress (Evans) laid hold of her by the hair of her head
and dragged her about the room, beating and kicking
her tall the while, until her cries of murder brought
people to her assistance.
It was evident that the witness (who was taken to the
hospital) had been severely bruised and beaten; and a
little girl, who ran into the house on hearing the screams,
confirmed her statement as to the assaults committed tiy
Evans.

Mr. Henry fined each of the defendants 51., or two
months' imprisonment in default.
Evans, producing a box full of sovereigns, paid the
fine immediately, upon which,
Mr. Isaacson, on behalf of the parish, applied to have
the woman held to bail to answer an indictment at the
sessions. There was every desire on the part of the pa-
'rochial authorities to suppress these horrible dens of
infamy, but it was usually a matter of-difficulty to get
the requisite evidence to enable them to do so.
Mr. Henry, considering the statement 'of the witness
Power to be conclusive on this point, ordered the woman
to find two sureties of 201. each, and enter into her own
recognisance in 401. to appear at the sessions.
A tradesman, residing at the back of the house occu-
pied by the defendants, and who, with his neighbours,
were kept in a constant state of alarm by the disturb-
ances going on in their place, stated that the male de-
fendant had threatened "to do for him, at any cost,
within six months," for interfering with the affray ; and
as he was a dangerous person, witness wished to have
him bound over to keep the peace towards him.
Moore was then ordered to find sureties in the same
amount to keep the peace for six months.
The defendants were both committed to prison in de-
fault.

A coal dealer, named Hubert, living in the Adelphi,
was summoned for having sent out a quantity of coals
without a weighing machine.
The defendant was convicted and fined 51., his wor-
ship having mitigated the penalty to one half.
Mr. Henry has received an intimation from Mr.
Sheriff Croll that 25 chaldrons of coke would be placed
at his disposal (for the use of the deserving poor), at the
works of the Central Gas Company, on Bow-common.
We believe it is the intention of his worship to have
the coke (about 300 sacks) carted to some convenient
spot in the neighbourhood of the court.

MARYLEBONE. Thomas Machett was agsrin
brought up, charged with having murdered Eliza Lee
by drowning her in the Regent's canal.
The prisoner was remanded for the production of a
bargeman; who, it was reported to the police, could.
throw some further light upon the case.

LAMBETH.—Mr. William Anthony Friend Burlton
Bennett, of 14, St. James's-place, St. James's, attended
to answer to a summons, which charged him with assault-
ing Mr. John Hastings Touchet, a gentleman of fortune,
residing at Parkston, near Poole, in Dorsetshire, and
also making use of abusive and threatening language.
When the case was called on, Mr. Davis, on the part
of his client, consented to his client's entering into his
own recognisances to be of good behaviour towards the
complainant for twelve-months, if that would satisfy the
complainant and his legal advisers.
Mr. Clarkson thought that Mr. Davis had exercised a
sound discretion in making the proposition, but he
feared the magistrate could not order the defendant to
find the required bail without first hearing a statement
of the circumstances ; but this he (Mr. Clarkson) should
make as briefly as possible.
Mr. Davis observed that the whole question, and that
which they were most anxious to avoid, was the state-
ment.

Mr. Elliott intimated that he could not call on the
defendant to find bail until some circumstances were
stated before him to justify his doing so.
The complainant, Mr. Touchet, was then called into
the witness box, and the oath having been administered
to him in the usual form, he deposed that on the after-
noon of Monday, the 24th of last month, he was at the
Waterloo station of the South-Western Railway, and
while in conversation with Mr. Paul, who, like himself,
was waiting for the train to start, he received a violent
push, which drove him with great force against Mr.
Paul, and the consequence was, that gentleman was
driven with considerable violence against the train.
On turning round, he found the defendant close to him,
making use of the most violent and threatening language
towards him.
Mr. Elliott _From the defendant's conduct and the
language which he used, do you go in fear, or apprehend
further violence from him ?
Mr. Touchet—Certainly I do.
Samuel Norwood, an officer in the employment of the
South-Western Railway Company, confirmed the com-
plainant's evidence.
Mr. Davis--Did you see Mr. Touchet speak to a lady
in the railway carriage ? Witness —No, not Mr.
Touchet, but Mr. Paul,' I think, was speaking to a lady
in the coupe.
, Mr. Davis--Was that Lady l—Witness—Yes,
sir, I believe it was.
. Mr. Clarkson—For God's sake, don't mention the
name of the lady, when she had nothing on earth to do
with the present case, or the causes from which the pre-
sent complaint has arisen,
Mr. Elliott here said he had heard quite enough to call
on the defendant to put in bail • and as the complainant
and his legal advisers were satisfied with his own recog-
nisances' he would merely request that he enter into his
personal surety in 1001., to keep the peace towards the
complainant for twelve months.
The defendant entered the required security, and the
parties left the court.
The parties engaged used every effort, when applying.
for the summons, and during the hearing of the case, to
conceal the real cause of dispute and annoyance, but
sufficient oozed out to show that, some time ago, the
complainant eloped with the wife of the defendant, and
the latter had since recovered large damages in an action
of trim: con, from the former.

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT BRISTOL.—BRISTOL, FEB. 15.
—Last night, about half-past 10 o'clock, a very alarming
and destructive broke out on the premises occupied by
Messrs. King and Coombs, opticians, and Mr. Ham.
mond, solicitor, in Clare-street. The flames spread with
fearful rapidity, and, notwithstanding an alarm was im-
mediately given at the different stations of the
insurance companies, and a large body of police
was also promptly on the spot, the entire building
was speedily one mass of fire. An observatory at-
tached to the premises, and which was chiefly com-
posed of wood, was rapidly destroyed, and it was not
till the whole place was completed gutted that the con-
flagration c
louts e bagot under, and nothing but the bare
walls wereeding. The inhabitants of the adjoin-
ing pemistremises, Mr. Morgan, stationer, and Mr. Dyer,
ch, were greatly alarmed, and the former had a
large amount of property removed from his house, as at
ono time it was thought impossible to save it ; but, by
the efforts of the firemen and police, beyond slight in-
juries, the destruction of property was confined to the
premises in which the fire first originated. The cause
of the fire has not been ascertained, nor the precise
the
amount of the damage done. We are informed both
stock and premises were insured.
SUICIDES ON WATERLOO-BRIDGE.—
wanted to know about ? said Waterloo. Ha ! Well,
he had seen a good deal of that work, he did assure us.
He had prevented some. Why, one day a woman, poorish
looking, came in between the hatch, slapped down a.
penny, and wanted to go on without the change! Water-
loo suspected this, and says to his mate, "Give an eye to
the gate," and bolted after her. She had got to the third
seat between the piers, and was on the parapet just going
over, when he caught her and gave her i
the police-office next morning she said it was n charge. At
trouble and a bad husband. "Likely enough," along ofobserved
Waterloo to Pea and myself, as he adjusted his chin in
his shawl. " There's a deal of trouble about, you see—
F and bad husbands too I" Another time a young woman,
at twelve o'clock in the open day, got through, darted
along, and, before Waterloo could come near her; jumped
upon the parapet, and shot herself over sideways.
Alarm given, watermen put off, lucky escape. Clothes
buoyed her up. " This is where it is," said Waterloo.
"If people jufnp off straight forards from the middle
of the parapet of the bays of the bridge, they are
seldom killed by drowning, but are smashed, poor
things ; that's what they are ; they dash themselves
upon the buttress of the bridge. But, "you jump
off," said Waterloo to me, putting his forefinger in a
button hole of my great coat, " you jump off from
the side of the bay, and you'll tumble, true, into the
stream under the arch. What you have got to do, is
to mind how you jump in 1 There was poor Tom
Steele from Dublin. Didn't dive Bless you,
didn't dive at all I Fell down so flat into the water,
that he broke his breastbone, and lived two days !"
asked Waterloo if there was a favourite side of his bridge
for this dreadful purpose ? He reflected, and thought
yes, there was. He should say the Surrey side. Three
decent-looking
-1 kin men went through oils day, soberly and
quietly, and g
and went- on abreast for abo'ut a dozen yards ;
when the middle one, he sung out, all of a sudden,
"Here goes, Jack !" and was over in a minute. Body
found ? Well, Waterloo didn't rightly recollect about
that. They were compositors, they were.—Diekenir
" Household Words."