The Sun.
London, England, 1840-10-27 00:00:00

NEW COURT.

GROSS, OUTRAGE AND CONTEMPT IN COURT.—Mr. Ser-
geant Arabin presided in this Court, and was occupied the
whole morning in the trial of cases of indecent assault,
the details of which are of course unfit for pub.
lication. At the conclasion of one of the cases, the
most extraordinary scene occurred that perhaps was
ever witnessed in a Court Of Justice. A man named
Christopher Caller having been convicted of an assault
upon a married woman, named Watling, was sentenced to
18 months' imprisonment and hard labour. Immediately
on sentence being pronounced, cries and screams, mingled
with the most disgusting expressions end vociferations,
were heard proceeding from that part of the Court behind
the witness box. Mr. Sergeant Arabin and Mr. Alderman
Harmer, who was also on the bench, and the whole of the
barristers in Court, rose, and for a moment everything was
in confusion. A woman was taken out in a fainting state,
and a ruffian-like looking fellow, dressed in a pilot coat,
was, by order of the Court, taken into custody, and
placed at the bar. He gave his name Philip
Cellar, and turned out to be the brother of the
prisoner. The woman, who had in the meantime reco.
vered, was placed in the witness-box. She stated that
she was the sister of the prosecutrix, and that, as her sister
and herself were leaving the Court, the prisoner pushed
against them and assaulted them, making use of the most
disgusting expressions, and asking them why they had not
recommended his brother to mercy. She became so terri-
fied that she fainted away.
Mr. Sergeant ARABIN said that, considering the place in
which the assault had taken place, one of her Majesty's
superior Courts of Justice, a more gross outrage had never
been committed. The prisoner must be committed for
trial at the ensuing Sessions, and must give 48 hours' no-.
tice of bail, if such be tendered. He trusted that the
worthy Alderman would see that the City Solicitor should
draw up an indictment, and prosecute the prisoner.
Mr. Alderman HARMER said that he would certainly
see that the suggestions of the Learned Judge should be
carried into effect. A more gross contempt of Court be
had never witnessed.
COMMITTAL OF CALLAR FOR CONTEMPT OF COURT,—
At the conclusion of the day's proceedings, Mr. Sergeant
ARABIN directed that Philip Collar should be again placed
at the bar. He was accordingly brought up, and the
Learned Judge addressed him as follows :—" Philip Cal.
far, since you have committed the contempt for which you
were given into custody, the Court has reconsidered your
case, and as the prosccutrix and her friends arc poor peo-
ple, we feel disinclined to give them the trouble and ex-
pense of going before a Grand Jury, as the law empowers
those to whom is committed the administration of justice,
to Funish persons guilty of such contempt as that of which
you have been guilty. This is the Supreme Criminal Court
of the kingdom, and you have committed, under circum-
stances of gross aggravation, a great contempt of Court. A
young woman had given evidence against your brother of
the commission of the most serious offence, an attempt to
commit a rape under aggravated circumstances, and the
Jury, after having given every consideration to the case,
found your brother guilty, and the Court, in the execution
of its duty, passed upon him the sentence of the law. The
moment it was over you, who stood below there in the body
of the Court in the place where the witnesses in a case
usually stand, flew at the prosecutrix's sister, using a low
exclamation which I will not repeat—coupling this with
the expression, " Take that for not recommending my
brother to mercy." This was accompanied not by a
blow, to be sure, but by a violent shove, and the
poor woman in consequence tainted. This was
done within the precincts of the Court, and was an act of
so gross a nature that the Court could not permit it
to go unpunished. I therefore gave you into the
custody of the Governor of Newgate, in whose
custody you now are, and gave directions that
the City Solicitor should prosecute you; but as the
witnesses in this case are poor people, we do
not wish to inflict upon them the inconvenience
and expense attending upon a prosecution. We Lave,
therefore, reconsidered your case, and shall, as by law we
arc entitled to do, act upon our own sight and upon the
oath of the prosecutrix, who was sworn immediately after
the occurrence, and pass such a sentence upon you as will
operate for the future as a warning to you and to all others
similarly circumstanced. The sentence of the Court upon you
is, and under all the circumstances of the case, it is a most
lenient sentence—that for this your contempt you be im-
prisoned in the Giltspur-strcet Compter for two calendar
months."

The ixisoner was then removed in custody, and shortly
after, the Jury, having received the thanks of tile Court
for their attendance and attention, were discharged.

GUILDHALL.-(THIS DAY.)

TOR MARQUIS OF WATEKFORD'S WAGER.--Two young
men, who gave their names as George Slade, and John
Lear, were placed at the bar before Mr. Alderman Mao-
NAY, charged by Mr. Field, Inspector of the Mint, with
distributing stamped pieces of brass, in imitation of the
gold coin of the realm. The prisoners have made them-
selves remarkably conspicuous for several days past, in the
most crowded thoroughfares of the city, where they have
posted themselves, surrounded by a small gang of confe-
derates, and pretending to be employed by the Marquis of
Waterford to sell one hundred sovereigns at sixpence each,
within one hour daily, fora certain number of days, in some
public street of the metropol's. The fellows wore the ap-
pearance of the greatest anxiety to get rid of their genuine
money, representing that a large wager depended on the
result, and that the Marquis was in the greatest
danger of losing, as they were unable to persuade the
public that their sales were bona fide. One of their
tricks being occasionally to " sell" a real sovereign to a
confederate, who immediately exhibited it to the bye-
standers, thus succeeded in making a vast number of dupes,
and complaints without number have been lodged at the
offices of the Mint and the police stations.
Mr. Field having produced some of the pieces, it did
not appear that they could be brought exactly under the
denomination of counterfeit coin, as they were not •• imi-
tations" of any coin of the realm. The Magistrate, there_
fore, could wily punish them for the obstruction in the
street, for which he fined them 10s. each. directing the
officers at the same time to take immediately into custody
any one whom they found similarly offending.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

(THIS DAY.)

John Derrick, a respectable tradesman, residing in the
neighbourhood of this office, was charged with assaulting
George Woodrift.
The ccmplainant, who described himself as a die-sinker,
residing at No. 3. Conduit-court, Long Acre, stated some
particulars of the alleged assault.
Police constable No. 141 C Division, said that on the
accused being informed of the charge against him, he
readily gave his name and address, professing his indig-
nation at the imputation on his character, and expressed
the greatest willingness to meet the accusation; at the
same time giving the caution that his accuser should not
be allowed to go away, but forced to come forward and
make his statement.

Inspector Bcresford said the statement just made by the
accuser differed essentially from that which he made at the
station-house, and on being interrogated by the Magis—
trate, the complainant so grossly prevaricated, that Mr.
LONG ordered him to retire from the witness-stand.

The Police constable again stood forward and stated that
after the accused had bee❑ locked up at the station-house,
he noticed the complainant dodging him about on his '
beat, and at length he came up, and, addressing him, said,
" I know what sort of men you policemen are ; this man
(alluding to the accused) is a gentleman ; we shall get a
sovereign at least to stifle it, and I'll give you half."
After some further inquiry, the Magistrate and every one
present were convinced that there was not a word of truth
in the wicked accusation, and the wretch was ordered to
leave the office (in the words of the Magistrate) "with
perjury and infamy attached to his name."
The accused, at. the close of the inquiry, was so over-
come by his feelings that he burst into tears, and was with
difficuly prevented from fainting. He afterwards left the
office surrounded by his friends.