The Sun.
London, England, 1840-12-29 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HO USE.
A cab-driver, named Richard Mason, was brought
before Alderman Wilson, charged by Captain William
Maynes, who appeared in the Justice-room with the
blood flowing from the back of his head, and his clothes

torn, under the following circumstences :
Captain Mayne stated that he resided with his
brother in Essex, and that, as be was hastily crossing
the street near the Bank, the prisoner drove his cab with
great rapidity along, knocked him down, dragged him
along with the wheel (as far as he was capable of
judging), and actually ran over him. The prisoner
must have seen him fall, end the imminent danger in
which he was, but did not attempt to stop the horse,
although the witness's head was dashing against the
wheel or the stones. Witness's arm was in a sling at
the time the occurrence took place, which was about a
quarter of an hour ago.
Mr. John Castle Grant, a gentleman who was near
the spot, stated that he saw the occurrence, and sup-
possd that Captain Mayne was killed. The escape was
the narrowest possible.
Alderman WILSON—Do you think that the cabman
saw the Captain fall, and that he could have stopped if
he pleased ? Witness—l know that he saw the gen-
tleman falling. He has acknowledged that fact, and
be certainly could have stopped, but he showed no dis-
position to do anything of the kind. It was evidently
his wish to pass the gentleman.
Alderman WILSON—Do you believe it was his wish
to run over the gentleman ? Witness—l can't suppose
that he is such a monster, but I believe that he was
regardless of the consequences. It was at any rate, to
say the least of it, an act of gross negligence.
Mr. Thomas Smith, of No. 20, Castle street, Caven-
dish-square, stated that he saw the complainant being
dragged along by the cab, and thought that he was
killed. The cab went over the gentleman, but luckily
the wheels did not go over•him. His escape with life

was extraordinary.
Alderman WILSON—Had he a fare in the cab
Witness—He had.
Alderman Wresote—Most cabmen will, if they have
a fare, drive as fast as they can, utterly regardless et
consequences. Here is an instance of it. • .
The cabman declared that he was going on slowly,
and that the gentleman's arm being in a sling, the
wheel of the cab caught the sling, and dragged him
along until he tumbled under the cab.
Alderman WILSON—Aad why did you not:stop'thes-
moment you saw hirniin such danger ? The cabrrear-s
So I did ; I pulled up as soon as I could, ..'"
With the gentlemen denied that the prisoner had
attempted to stop, and one of them declared that he ran
forward himself and stopped the horse. Twenty people
cr;e.i out to the -cabman to stop, when they saw the
gentleman in such imminent danger.
Tee cabman rrotested that he was not to. blame at
all. It was the sling on the gentleman's arm that was
to blame.
AldermanWresoN--I shall not part with the cabmen
until I hear from Captain Mayne to-morrow. The
case is one of a very aggravated description,
Captain Mayne, who bore the violent treatment like
a person who bad been accustomed to very hard knocks,
said that he came forward from a sense of duty to the
public, who were subject to injuries of the kind hourly
from the negligence of drivers.
Alderman WILSON—It is a very serious case indeed,
and I shall come here to-morrow to give it further con-
sideration.
The cabman was then remanded.
THE METROPOLITAN ANTI-BRIDGE TOLL ASSO.
CIATION.—Mr. Cope, jun., the Secretary to the Anti-
Bridge Toll Association, waited upon Alderman Wil-
son, in consequence of a letter which appeared in this
paper on Saturday last, under the head of Mans:on-
house, signed "John Jackson, 2, York-cottages, Old
Brompton." That letter, he said, called for an imme-
diate answer, as affecting the interests of and throwing
a suspicion upon the gentlemen who were engaged as
canvassing collectors for the Metropolitan Anti-Bridge
Toll Association. The gentlemen alluded to in this
letter as having demanded a subscription from a lady re-
sident in one of the cottages, was, he assured the Alder-
man, a Major in the army, but having under some late
Government changes in Ireland, been deprived of a si-
tuation he held there, worth perhaps 5001. a year, was
now in London, seeking another appointment, or com-
pensation from Government,. and was devoting his leisure
time to the promotion of the object of thes'Association.
From the testimonials the gentleman held no doubt was
entertained of his strict honour, although, for the fulfil-
ment of his duties the Association were in possession of
good security.
Alderman Wlesote said.that he was acquainted With
the objects of the Society, which were unquestinnahly
excellent ; but he by no means approved of the anode
of applying for subscriptions after persons put their
signatures to the petitions, especially as the Associa-
tion was patronised by such a number of highly respec-
table names. The collectors ought to. consider that
there were many people who would be very glad to see
the bridges thrown open without being able to contri-
bute frorn their scanty means to pay a crown or half-
a-cro rin towards the accomplishment of that object.
Mr. Cope said there was no demand hatever made.
It was optional with those who signed to give or to
refuse, and he was convinced that the gentleman who
had been spoken of in terms of such suspicion, was
wholly incapable of exercising any manoeuvre to obtain
subscriptions.
Alderman WILSON said it did not appear from the
letter, which seemed to be one of a rational kind, in-
tended as a cantion, that those collectors carried about
with them any evidences of being authorised by the
Association. Now it did really look odd that a gentle-
man should first ask a lady the favour of her name to
a petition, and then ask her the further favour of a crown
or half-a-crown.
Mr. Cope replied that the collectors were furnished
with documentary proofs of the authority upon which
they made their calls at the houses to which they ap-
plied. They had the book and papers of the Associa-
tion, and were allowed a per centage upon their collec-
tion. The petitions and the public subscription which
was at the same time being promoted, had been set on
foot' by the Association, in pursuance of the unanimous
resolution of thirty-five public meetings, held in the
Cities of London and Westminster, and the boroughs of
Southwalk and Lambeth, in furtherance of the object,
at one of which the late Lord Mayor took the chair,
and two of the City Members took part in the advocacy.
Alderman Wresore—l admit the indisputable ex-
cellence of the object ; but I. cannot relish the
mode of applying for subscriptions described.
Mr. Cope said that last year the mode of leaving the
petitions for signature at a specific place was adopted,
but it was found that some of the signatures were not •
genuine, and consequently the present course had been
resorted to as the best means of securing the authentic
consent of petitioners. There were considerable ex-
penses necessarily connected with objects of such great
public utility. The petition now in course of signa-
ture throughout the metropolis, he begged to observe,
was a petition to the Corporation of London, praying
that honourable body to reduce the tolls of Southwark-
bridge ; an address to the Queen, praying her Majesty
to reduce the tolls of Waterloo-bridge, as a national
monument ; and petitions to the Lords and Commons,
praying that means may be taken for obtaining the free-
dom of Waterloo, Southwark, and Vauxhall-bridges,
for the benefit of the commerce of the' metropo-
lis ; the relief of the poor, and the removal of the
moral stain of the Waterloo-bridge-road. The list of
subscriptions were being prepared for publication, to-
gether with a financial report to the end of the year.
Alderman WILSON said that the explenation of Mr.
Cope would prove, no doubt, an antidote to the com-
munication made to the Lord Mayor, which, however,
seemed to be in a great measure justified by appear-
ances. Those who could afford to subscribe would not
withhold their subscriptions in consequence of the pub-
lication of the letter, any longer ; but he trusted that
the collector would, in going round, be cautious in
applying to persons who were not able to afford any
deduction from their incomes.
Mr. Cope said that every dependance might be re'
posed in the gentleman appointed by the Association.

GUILDHALL.
EXTENSIVE ROBBERY.--Two well dressed young
men, named Wingfield and Kennedy, were placed at
the bar before Messrs. Johnson and Lainson, the pre-
siding Aldermen, the first charged with robbing his
employers of goods to a vast amount, and the latter
with receiving and disposing of them, well knowing
them to have been fradulently obtained.
Mr. Chadwick Jones apnelred for the prosecution,
and Messrs. Flower and Humphries, solicitors, for the
prisoners.,