The Sun.
London, England, 1841-03-22 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCIE.

BOW.S-TREET.

Rickard Sandell, a shoemaker, and who was in his
working dress, was placed at the bar, charged with
having assaulted ono of the:gatekeepers of St. Jame.'s-
ps.rk in the execution of his duty. The office was
crowdei with working men, who had followed the de-
fendant and the police to the above Court, anxious to
hear the decision of the Magistrate on a case which is
one of great importance to them.

The complainant stated that he was a gatekeeper
appointed by the Commissioners of Woods and Forests,
and also a special constable. Yesterday afternoon he
was on duty at the gate opposite to Queen-square,
when the defendant walked into the enclosure, accom-
panied by two other men. He desired them to come
back. The two did so, but the defendant refused, upon
which witness called for the police and gave him into
custody.
Mr. TWYFORD—Pray what right bad you to prevent
11:m from entering the enclosure ?
Witness—My instructions are not to allow any per-
sons to enter the enclosure who arc not respectably
dressed.

Mr. TwYFoan—Well, admitting that to be the case,
what fault do you find with the dress worn by the de-
fendant ? Witness—Why, your Worship, there are
two or three buttons torn off his coat, and there is a
bole in it besides. He is not what I call respectably
dressed.

Mr. TWYFORD—Who gave you your orders ? Wit•
nest—l have my orders from my Inspector, and he re•
ccives his instructions from the Commissioners o
Woods and Forests.

Mr. TWYFORD—ReaIIy those instructions are very
awkward for a Magistrate to be called upon to enforce.
I can very well understand why servants in livery should
not be allowed to enter the enclosure, and I should have
no difficulty in enforcing such a regulation ; because
there the order is specific and eartily to be understood,
but when you tell me of instructions not to admit any
persons who are not respectably dressed, I must confess
that I feel considerable difficulty in enforcing an order
of that kind—for instance, the defendant says that be
is a shoemaker, and, in my opinion, the dress he has
now on is respectable for a man of his station. What
is a respectable dress for him, would not be for me ;
but how is respectability in dress to be defined? The
Defendant—l can assure your Worship that I have
passed through the enclosure repeatedly in my present
dress without being interrupted. I had been to George-
street, to take home a pair of boots to a customer, and
my nearest way back was across the enclosure, when
the moment I entered the complainant called after me
to come back, and on refusing he collared me, and I,
conceiving I had a right to go there, resisted, upon
which I was given into custody.
Mr. TWYFORD—I redly think it a very difficult
question to decide upon a man's dress. Witness—
But, your Worship, the defendant said be was deter-
mined to cross the enclosure, and to try his right to do so.
Mr. TWYFORD—WeII, if he did, I don't see any
harm in that. The question, after all, resolves itself
into this, whether you had any right to prevent him
from entering the enclosure. I must confess that I
don't understand the regulations you speak of ; are
they in writing ? 'Witness—No ; I receive verbal
orders from my Inspector.
Mr. TWYFORD—I really cannot act upon orders
that are not reduced to writing ; and as to not admit-
ting persons who are not respectably dressed, it is far
too vague for any Magistrate to act upon. In my
opinion the defendant is respectably dressed for a me-
chanic. I cannot say that a labouring, man, in his work-
ing clothes, is not as much respectably dressed as a
gentleman dressed in the first style of fashion, consider-
ing their relative stations in life. The worthy Magis-
trate then addressed the defendant, and said, it would
certainly have been better, when the complainant
desired you to leave the enclosure, and laid his
hands on you to compel you to do so, if you had
done so at once, and afterwards applied here
for a warrant against him for an assault. But
I can make every allowance for your excitement on the
occasion, and I believe that you acted as you did on the
assertion of a supposed right, upon which I will not
take upon myself to decide. I shall therefore discharge
you ; at the same time, I must state that I don't think
the complainant a proper person to decide a question as
to the respectability of a man's dress. If yoit had at-
tempted to pass into the enclosure half naked, or there
had been anything glaringly improper in your dress or
appearance, he would have been justified in refusing you
admission ; but nothing of that kind has been alleged
against you. I shall not give any further opinion on the
merits of the present case. You are discharged. The
defendant then left the dock.

After which, Mr. TWYIORD, addressing the com-
plainant, said, I desire you will report the proceedings
that have taken place to-day to your superiors. If they
should be of opinion that my decision is erroneous, I
shall be happy to be enlightened on the subject.
The above decision of the worthy Magistrate gave
evident satisfaction to a crowd of mechanics, who were
present when it was delivered.