The Sun.
London, England, 1836-08-25 00:00:00

LAMBETH-STREET.

THE DANGER OF SOLDIERS WEARING SIDE-ARMS WHILE
OFF Du'ry.—Yesterday a private belonging to the Cold-
stream Guards, who gave his name at the station-house
Robert Whitehead, but whose real name is John Ward, was
charged before Mr. HARDWICK and two county Magistrates
with being drunk and disorderly on the preceding night,
and also assaulting and attempting to draw his bayonet on
a policeman.
A waiter at an eating-house in Rosemary-lane, said that
on the night before, at about twelve o'clock, the prisoner
came into his master's house, and asked for a plate of meat
and some vegetables, which came to 7d. On being asked
for the money he had only 2d. about him, and on his
(witness's) attempting to take back the plate of meat, he
snatched the greater part of it away, and eat it. His con-
duct besides was so violent that they were obliged to send
for the assistance of the police to remove him.
Police-constable Burrows, No. 103 H, said, that being
called on by the last witness, he went up to the door of the
eating-house, and saw the prisoner conducting himself in a
very outrageous manner ; but being inside the house he
could not take him. He however remonstrated with him
on his conduct. The prisoner rushed at him—caught him
by the throat so tightly, that the button of his collar gave
way. He also made use of the most violent expressions,
and had his bayonet drawn half out of the sheath, when he
(witness) seized it, and wrested it from him.
Prisoner—You know I never attempted to use my
bayonet, but that you took it away from me, and I'd as
soon go to my quarters without my head, as my side-arms.
Policeman—l swear that you had your hand on it, and
had it half way out when I disarmed you for my own pro-
tection.

Mr. IlaaDwicK—Was the prisoner very drunk and dis-
orderly ? Policeman—Yes, very much so, your Worship.
The sergeant of the company to which the prisoner be-
longs was present, and in answer to a question as to what
character he bore, he, the sergeant, said that he was fre-
quently in the habit of getting drunk, and when so was ex-
ceedingly violent, and very often ill-used the soldiers who
were sent after him to take him to his quarters.
It was also stated that his conduct at the station-house
on the preceding night was excessively violent.
At the suggestion of Major Elrington, the Fort Major at
the Tower, where the prisoner is stationed, he was sent in
custody before the commanding officer, to be punished for
a breach of military discipline.

WORSHIP- STREET.
Yesterday the LORD MAYOR attended at this office, to
support a charge which he bad preferred against the driver
of Kerrison's Hackney stage-coach, of having, by his furious
driving, and other misconduct, endangered the lives of his
Majesty's subjects.
The Magistrates on the Bench at the time were Mr.
BROUGHTON, Mr. GROVE, and Mr. BURRELL, the last-
mentioned gentleman beint himself an applicant against the
driver of another coach.
Mr. Kerrison appeared to the summons, but produced
the actual offender, the driver of his coach, a young man,
East, whose father, known for many years as a stage=coach-
man upon the Hackney-road, killed himself not long since
by drinking a pint of gin at one gulp.

The LORD MAYOR being sworn, stated that on the 16th
instant, while driving through Hackney in a gig towards
Essex, he saw an omnibus approaching him at a moderate
rate, but at some distance beyond that he observed the de-
fendant's stage-coach, the driver of which was lashing his
horses until he got them into a gallop, in order to cut past
the omnibus. His Lordship felt that he was in danger of
being overturned through the stage-coach driver's miscon-
duct, and some of the passengers on the stage evidently en-
tertained the same apprehension.
A gentleman named Barnes, who was in the chaise with
the Lord Mayor at the time, confirmed his Lordship's
statement.

yV~
Thomas East, the driver, said that one of the horses
was a " kicker," which made it necessary for him to use
the the lash, and thus caused the furious going complained of.
The LORD MAYOR said the fact was, that the driver
lashed the horse into that state in order to cut out the
omnibus, and it was not a solitary offence. His Lordship
said he was constantly passing and repassing on that road,
and frequently witnessed the misconduct of this driver, and
had several times spoken to him and endeavoured to check
his misconduct, but without effect. His driving was of a
very dangerous kind, and his object evidently was to dog
and cut out the other vehicle.

Mr. Kerrison, the proprietor, assured the Magistrates
that he would not encourage any such misconduct ; on the
contrary, he particularly cautioned his servants against
furious driving, which not only endangered people's lives,
but also injured his horses, of which he was particularly
careful.
The LORD MAYOR intimated that he had intended to
say as little as possible in aggravation, but he asked Mr.
Kerrison if it was not a fact that he had some time ago
sold the omnibus to a person named Noble, and that he
now employed the stage-coach in opposition to drive off the
road that person's widow, to whom the omnibus at present
belonged?
Kerrison denied that he had any such intention, and said
that it was not he but his brother who sold the omnibus to
Noble, five years ago.
The LORD MAYOR expressed his belief that young East,
a notoriously furious driver, was employed for the purpose
he had mentioned.

East said he was not trying to cut out the omnibus, as
his Lordship supposed, but one of his horses was a violent
kicker, which required the whip.
Mr. BROUGHTON, as well as the LORD MAYOR, Ob-
served, that if through the employment of such a horse, or
misconduct of the drivers, any lives were lost, they well
knew they were liable to indictment at the Old Bailey.
Kerrison said he did not encourage any improper con-
duct, and as a proof of it he would not employ East again,
or pay the penalty now inflicted on him, even if he lay in
prison for seven years, having previously cautioned him.
East expressed his regret for what had occurred, but he
still ascribed it to the propensity of his horses to kicking,
and to running away, rather than to his use of the whip.
The LORD MAYOR reminded the driver of the frequent
cautions given to him, and said that he had found it neces-
sary to make this application for the protection of the public
generally as well as himself, against such dangerous conduct ;
but he had no wish to press in this instance for a heavy pe-
nalty.
Mr. BURRELL, the Magistrate, here said that he had
himself frequently seen the defendant's coach, driving along
in the way described by the Lord Mayor.
Mr. BROUGHTON, in whose observations Mr. Grove en-
tirely concurred, said there could be no doabt of the (defen-
dant's misconduct, and if he ever appeared there again he
should be visited with the heaviest penalty. On this occa-
sion they mitigated it to 50s. and the costs.
The LORD MAYOR then retired, but on entering his
carriage he was informed by a messenger that the defen-
dant, who had previously expressed his inability, had paid
the 555, rather than be imprisoned. His Lordship, how-
ever, sent word back that he had come there merely for
the sake of the public, and he desired that the money he
had paid as costs, and his moiety of the penalty, should be
applied to some charitable purpose.
William Page, proprietor and driver of the hackney-
coach 249, was afterwards convicted of furious driving,
upon the evidence of James Tilt, the office gaoler, and fined
10s. and costs, which he paid.