The Sun.
London, England, 1836-06-30 00:00:00

g-)r t

he did, and he regretted that Mr. Macread , had in a mo-
ment of irritation committed it. His Lear Friend had
not only attacked Mr. Macready, but lie ha also attacked
his friends for having made representations t the English
drama had been insulted in the person of A acready.
If that was to be pressed into the account, he ovie.Ser-
geant Talfourd) would not press into the account the re•
presentations of Mr. Bunn's friends, although he (Mr. Ser•
geant Talfourd) had been held up to odium in a public
print which was one of' Mr. Bunn's admirers,
Mr. THESSIGER having objected to that statentent,
,Mr. Sergeant TAtroean asked if h Wtt rd.h. when liifl
Learned Friend had stated that Mn, i!#aerordy anti his
friend had been attempting in the public prints to poison
the public mind against Mr. Bunn, that he should be pre-
vented making a similar statement as regarded himself. He
intreatcd the Jury to decide the case by what they had
heard in Court, and not upon the statement of his Learned
Friend. He contended that the case had been unjustly en-
loured, and unfairly conducted. The Learned Gentleraan
then referred to the statement made by Mr. Thessige... that
Mr. Macready had, in the most cool-blooded. 'wanner,
watched for the opportunity to commit the outrage on Mr.
Bunn ; and asked the Jury whether they considered that
Mr. Macready thought is was a fitting opp'srtunity,to do so
when he was coming from the stake, encumbered with the
hump on his back, and the !Amp on his leg, when the
prompter was in his box, and the intervening space from
the curtain to the manager's room filled by those
who were engaged in the piece that had just been
performed, and by those who were to perform in the next?
No. The fact was, the measure of annoyance and injury
that was directed against Mr. Macready being full, and be
passing at that moment the manager's room, some words oc-
curred, and the affray then took place. Remember the situa-
tion in which Mr. Macready was then placed. His engage-
ment was drawing to a close, and his benefit was fixed for
the 24th of May. It was supposed that that benefit would be
attended with some profit. He was on the verge of getting
from the trammels of Mr. Bunn, and could the jury for a
moment believe that Mr. Macready would be so lost to his
own interest and safety as to choose that time for committing
an outrage which his Learned Friend had stated he had been
brooding over a long-time? It was the violent effect of pas-
sion, excited by injury, that was likely to cause one of ten ir-
ritable nature to break out in the manner Mr. Macready had
done. There was only a single witness called to prove the
assault, and who told rather a strange tale. Two witnesses
came up to that person's call, Mr. Wilmot and Mr. Meadows.
They witnessed the scuffle, and if there was any truth in the
statement that had been made why had they not been called?
There was no difficulty in enforcing their attendance. One
was a prompter who came to the "call" and who knows his
" cue." The truth he supposed was that they were not
called because they would have changed the aspect of .thez
affair. The jury had been told that Mr. Bunn's mouth wAs bloody, and that Mr. Macready had attempted to drag out
his tongue ; but what evidence was titer:: of any suet'4 out-
rage having been attempted ? Mr. Lane was tlJe first
medical gentleman who attended on Mr. Bunn, but lie
was not called ; and if had been he would have told
the jury that the P.ows bore the impress of an affray be-
tween the twb parties. The Learned Gentleman then re-
ferred 4.-0 a statement made by Mr. Thessiger, that the
ends of Mr. Macready justified the assay'a, and stated
that lie for one disclaimed having so suK,orted Mr. Ma-
cready, and deeply regretted that the ci,:cunistance had oc-
curred. He then referred to the cle:'im for special damages
made by Mr. Bunn for being una).,te to attend the rehearsal
of The Maid of Artois, and rinearked that the words of
an opera were trifling, and, that Mr. Bunn's presence at
the rehearsal was quite. Imnecessary ; in fact, it would
have been much bet..er if he bad remained away. Mr.
Cooke was in attendance at the rehearsals, and would have
conducted it bet!.:er than Mr. Bunn, who conceived that his
fostering smiles 'were necessary to encourage the performers.
It was an unworthy attempt on the part of Mr. Bunn to get
4001. or 6001 for his own personal exertions for three or
four weeks. The Learned Gentleman then proceeded to
observe, that Mr. Macready had been subjected to great
annoyance on the part of Mr. Bunn, with the view of in-
ducing him to throw up his engagement, in order that he
might have the opportunity of' engaging foreign talent.
Mr. Bunn first began by putting Mr. Macready, who was
eminent in his art, to perform at half price ; night after
night he played to empty benches, and was exposed to Vac
sneers of those in the theatre. An actor could only in his
youth remain in eminence, and it was, therefore, most de-
sirable that they should remain in public favour and unde-
graded by any circumstance whatever, Was such a cele-
brated actor, therefore, as Mr. Macready, to perform a par-
which he conceived would degrade him, merely because
Mr. Bunn should obtain some little pecuniary benefit
The Learned Gentleman then referred to the representa-
tion of the mutilated part of Richard the Third, and
directed the Jury to the circumstance that Mr. Bunn was
one of two persons Nvbo was allowed to represent tive legi-
timate drama. observing, that as that privil4e was
granted to 'Ar. Bunn, he must be viewed. as one of the
great d!'amatic monopolists, allowed to de',:ide upon the
worl:.s of dramatic authors, to say whether Vaeir performance
sstiould or should not have a fair charted with the public,
whether they should be allowed to ftrarish or perish by the
chill that be could impose on thew. He had the opportu-
nity either to favour the he prs of performers or to send
them from the manager's d'Jor to seek a living by vicious
means. Was such a PQtrun to say he should be degraded
or insulted, or could. Jury conceive anything more de-
grading than the turtailment of Richard the Third at the
time when the pr.ssions had arrived at the greatest height,
and when the iiopes of the audience were wound up to the
utmost pity',, ? His Learned Friend had stated that the
taste of ihe town was not in favour of the legitimate drama.
He tutertained a different opinion. He did not know what
(i•riorts Mr. Bunn had made to produce the legitimate drama ;
but if he was unable to support it he should resign his
post to another. The Learned Gentleman proceeded at
very great length with his address, a mere outline of which
we have only given, and its conclusion was marked with
stamping of feet and other expressions of approbation.
The UNDER-SHERIFF briefly summed up the case, and
the Jury then retired. They remained in consultation
about half an hour, and then returned a verdict fur the
plaintiff—Damages 1.50/.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

Q UEEN- S QUARE. •
Mrs. Susan Blackburn, a fat comely-leokiug dame, about
00 years of age, who described herself as "a married woman
of the first respectability," was c/'.arged with being drunk
near the Marsh-gate, Lambeth.
Police constable Duffey, 147 L proved the case ; but
(luring the time he was giving his evidence ht was fre-
quently interrupted by the defendant, and also by an el-
derly man named De'at, who seemed to take great interest
in the affair.
Mrs. Blackburn, upon being called on for her defence,
replied as follo-ws :—" The fact is, your Worship, that me
and my hus/..and went upon a grand asiatic scursion to
Twitlenktun by water in the City barge, and Mr. Dent,
who it a very obliging sort of gentleman, steered the
barge ; but my husband got so intoxicated, that when he
tame home at night, Mr:Dent was kind enough to pro-
tect me."
Mr. WIIITE—And did they give you any refreshment on
board the City barge ? Mrs. B.—Oh, dear me, yes ; and
when I got home, Mr. B. sent Mr. Dent with a cup of tea
and a leetle drop of gin in it.
Mr. WHITE—CouId you not have taken the tea without
the gin ? Mrs. B. (in the most simpering tone)—l felt
rather qualmish after such a long voyage.
It then appeared from the defendant's statement, which.
was given at great length, that she and Mr. Dent ad-
journed to a neighbouring public-house, where she became
so uproarious that she was taken to the station-house.
Mr. WHITE—You are fined ss. for drunkenness.
Mr. Dent (very vehemently)—There is the money ; but
I tell you this, we intend to appeal to another Court.
Mr. WHITE—DO as you please.
Mrs. Blackburn (striking her hand upon the bar)--Then
I'll go before a respectable magistrate, and that is Mr.
Laing, of Hatton-garden.
Mr. WHITE smiled, and ordered the parties to be le-
moved from the office.