The Sun.
London, England, 1853-08-10 00:00:00

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A

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

BOW-STREET. Mr. Shaw, of Duchess-street, Port-
land-place, appeared to a summons charging him with
having paid a cabman, named Hall, sixpence less than his
legal fare.
The fare paid was a shilling, and the distance was not
in dispute ; but the complainant claimed an additional
sixpence for waiting a quarter of an hour at the door of
No. 9, Hart-street.
The defendant stated that the stoppage did not exceed
ten minutes, and called a livery servant to confirm his
opinion, at the same time admitting that he did not
look at his watch, and only guessed at the time.
The complainant swore that he looked at the clock in
front of St. George's Church, Bloomsbury, directly after
he stopped, and again when he started, as he had occa-
sion to get off his box and feed his horse during the
interim.

In answer to this the defendant declared that the cab-
man had uttered a falsehood, for it was impossible for
him to have seen the clock at St. George's within a hun-
dred yards of the spot where he alighted.
Upon this point the summons was adjourned for the
ocular satisfaction of the magistrate.
Mr. Jardine now said that he had since an opportu-
nity of testing the assertion of the cabman, for, happen-
ing to be in Hart-street, he found that he could see the
clock perfectly well from No. 11, which was the next
house but one ; and it was quite reasonable to suppose
that the complainant, while engaged in attending upon
his horse, should step a little on one side to ascertain the
time. He (Mr. Jardine) was afraid that the new act would
give rise to a great many complaints of this kind, for peo-
ple who, like the defendant, did not look at their watches,
were apt to forget how quick was the flight time—whereas
the cabman was sure to take the means to inform himself
of the fact. As the cabman, in the present instance, was
sure that ho took cognizance of the time, while Mr.
Shaw admitted that he only spoke from his belief upon
the subject, he (Mr. Jardine) must direct the defendant
to pay the extra 6d., as well as the costs.
_ _

Mt:. Shaw said it was quite clear if gentlemen were to
be treated in this way, it would become quite unsafe to
take a cab at all. The servant who was now with his
carriage at the door of the court would swear, with him,
that the cabman could not have seen the clock within
more than 50 yards of the house and he (Mr. Shaw) was
certain that the man never looked at it at all, but merely
employed it as a subterfuge to prop up his false state-
ment. Was not his (Mr. Shaw's) word as good as the
cabman's ; and yet he had been compelled to attend two
or three times in a filthy court, wasting his valuable time
upon a paltry matter of this kind. Of course he was
willing to pay the man what he was entitled to.
The defendant then paid the 6d., with 45., the cost of
the two summonses (the first not having been attended
to), and 6s. for the cabman's time (three attendances) ;
the total amount. being 10s. 6d.

CLERKENWELL. —William Dealt, a muscular,
ruffianly-looking fellow, was charged with having bru-
tally assaulted his wife and daughter.
The wife, who was severely injured, being covered
with bruises, in consequence of the prisoner's violence,
deposed that the prisoner bad been for years past in the
habit of brutally ill-using her and his family. He had
been sentenced to a month's imprisonment in the House
of Correction for a desperate assault upon her. On
Saturday night last, subsequently to his release front
prison, he came to her residence in Arthur-street, Clerk-
enwell, where she was quietly seated, when he peremp-
torily demanded a shilling of her, which she handed to
him, and he left the plage. He shortly afterwards re-
turned, and the assaults complained of were committed.
Mr. Corrie said his previous month's imprisonment
seemed to have no good effect upon him. He would now
try what a longer imprisonment, with hard labour,
would do. He should now send him to the House of
Correction with hard 'labour for three months.

WESTAHNSTER.—Thontas Rourke, a wretched-
looking fellow, covered with filth and rags, was charged
under the followingcircurnAnnces

He was observed on Monday afternoon in Milbank
taking off his shoes, after which he suddenly plunged
into the Thames. It was the opinion of a gentleman
who had watched his movements, however, that he did
not intend to commit suicide, but rather to excite sym-
pathy, and, by his wretched appearance, to collect alms,
for finding himself alone in the water, and that no noble-
hearted individual was at hand to rescue him, he. laid
fast hold of a post until a boatman extricated him.
It was here stated to the magistrate that defendant
had been living about Westminster for years without
doing a day's work. He was a notorious vagabond,
who had been recently committed for petty larceny, but
got off through the grand jury ignoring the bill—the
charge against him being for stealing bread ; and while
in the House of Detention, ten sovereigns and some
silver were discovered sewed up in different parts of his
ragged apology for a coat. He had besides this been
charged with vagrancy.
Defendant pretended that he really did intend suicide,
because he was troubled in his mind.
He was remanded.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.—John Welch, a ruf-
fianly-looking Irish labourer, was put to the bar,
charged with having savagely beaten his wife, Ann
Welch.
The wife was brought into court and placed on a chair
in the witness-box. A. more horrible sight it was im-
possible to conceive than the woman presented, her face
having been beaten and kicked into one mass of wounds
and bruises. She said, speaking with great difficulty,
the prisoner at the bar is my husband. I have been
married six years, and have three children, one a baby.
About 3 o'clock to-day I went out to sell some fruit in
the street to get food for my children. When I came
in my husband was in the parlour. He asked me
where I had been. I said I had been getting some fruit
to sell to a customer. He said quietly come in. I
said I will. I went into the room. He locked the
door, and without saying another word, he knocked me
down by a blow onthe eye. While I was down he kicked
me with his nailed shoes all over my body and face. He
then twisted his hand in the hair of my head, and ham-
mered my head against the floor. I cried for mercy
I had my baby in my arms. I said show mercy to my
poor baby. He said he would show no mercy to me
nor to my baby ; he'd only one life to lose ; he had got
six months before for me, and he would now have,e, .
my
life before he left the place. I put the baby down, fa. .1_ ra
ing what might happen. My husband laid hold
seized an iron crowbar, and beat med
pail of water, and threw the water over me
manage to get
my body. I caught up the baby, and
Threw a second
out of the room. He ran after me,lea
I rushed at me, and
pail of water over me, and then with it ;dr too
uhnend
gl
le door.
knocked me down. A man camembyy
ha ut s thati d n ooltn eupnt ,
and knocked my husband down.
ran into the room, and locked the
more atrocious case of cruelty
You
tb
oassumethose
ofa t
Nov
ibl
iel
Mr. Hardwick said,
exercise yonr
fiend. You
than_,,)u
beast—they are the acts r. y
aanidnabnru, tabluittyynoeuvreracaetmsae,olrb_cef.boNvr
and that
when she has an infant at her breast.
ferocious. ttFmmeper on a woman, . woman yonr
"''Why,featthae nllos't savage animal will forbear attacking its
mate when nursing its offspring. You are even more
brutal than the brute. To read of these cases of attacks
on women makes the people of this country doubt
whether the ruffians who perpetrate such incredible
savagery are of the same kind. The highest punish-
ment the law inflicts is far less than such a case deserves.
I shall send you at once to prison for six months,
with hard labour.

Mr. Hardwick, in consideration of the state to which
the complainant was reduced by the injuries she had re-
ceived, and learning that her three children were solely
dependent upon her for support, ordered her a sovereign
from the poor-box, to help her on until able to get about
her market, labour again.