The Sun.
London, England, 1870-05-14 00:00:00

THE EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE .OF PER-
SONATING WOMEN.

BOW-STREET.—(YEsTERDAy.)

The further examination of the prisoners Bonito!'
and Park, who stood charged with the extraordinary
charge of personating women, again drew an im-

menie crowd of persons insidethePolice-eourt.
There were a great many gentlemen accommodated
with seats on the bench, but the interior of the Court
was by no means as crowded as on the two former
occasions.
The first witness examined was—
Henry Holland, who said he was a driver in the
employ of Mr. Yeomans, said, on the day of the Ox-
ford and Cambridge boat race, he was directed by his
master to go to Wakefield-street with a brougham.
He did so, and then Park came out, and getting
into the brougham said his sister was not ready. He
drove to a re3taurant in Newcastle-street, and on
arriving there Park got out, and after going and
remaining there a short time Park came back with a
gentleman, and they returned to Wakefield-street,
and the two prisoners then came out dressed as
women, and he was told to drive to Hammersmith-
bridge and see the boat race. He did so, but as he
could not get on to the bridge he was ordered to turn
back, and the prisoners got out and walked a short
distance down the road. No one spoke to them.
They then got into the brougham, and he was directed

to go to 11axell's Hotel in the Strand, and was there
discharged. On the 26th of April he drove them to
the Surrey Theatre, and just before the theatre was
over the prisoners, on Mrs. Graham's carriage being
called, left the theatre and entered the brougham
in company with two gentlemen. He was directed
to drive to the Globe Restaurant, when he accord-
ingly did so. After remaining there some time he
drove the prisoners as far as Guildford-street, where
he was discharged. He did not know the two per..
sons were men. They bad veils on, but he could not
say whether they wore bonnets. They were quite
sober.

Cross-examined.—He was first spoken to about
giving evidence by Chamberlain. He was taken to
Hunter-street police-station, and having told all he
knew, he was taken to the Treasury, and there
repeated his evidence to Mr. Pollard. He could
read, but did not become acquainted with the
former proceedings at that court by reading.
He was told about it. He wa 3 asked
at the Treasury whether on either of the occasions he
drove the prisoners they spoke to gentlemen on get-
ting out of the brougham, and said, " No, they did
not."

Re-examined—Last Friday was the first time he
had ever seen the prisoners in men's clothes. He
could not without difficeilty find all the public-houses
at which he had stopped while driving the prisoners
in the brougham. _ _ _

John Reeves, of 61, Frith-street, Soho, staff-super-
intendent at the Alhambra, Leicester-square, said he
had known both prisoners for nearly three years, and
during that time he had seen them at the Alhambra
frequently dressed as women. On the first occasion he
told them he believed they were men, and must leave.
A gentleman told me he was deceived, but he marched
them out, and their friends followed them. He did
not know the name of the gentleman referred to,
but he should know the photograph. The prisoners
on that occasion appeared as if they were enticing
gentlemen. They have been to the Alhambra
dressed as men, but they wore low shirt collars, and
their necks and faces were painted up. They looked
more like women than men, and, as they created a
disturbance, he marched them out again. He had
seen them at the Alhambra as late as March of the
present year, on which occasion they occupied a pri-
vate box, but, although dressed as men, their faces
and necks were painted up. The people looked up,
as they were playing all sorts of frivolous games
with one another. They made noises with their lips,
just the same that females did when they passed gen -
amen in the streets. They were turned out, the
guinea they had paid for the box returned, and the
money-taker was told not to admit them again. He
did not know whether they were women or men.
They had been to the Alhambra about twenty times,
but only twice in women's clothes.
Cross-examined.—He had seen aboat 20 men at
the Alhambra with powdered faces, and his evi-
dence would apply to each. Would swear he had
seen Boulton at the Alhambra in March. On that
occasion he had marched the prisoners out of the
building, he never asked them for their names. He
had not kept a diary with respect to the pri-
soners. He would not swear he bad seen Boulton
in Marc). There were a great many women who
went to the Alhambra with painted faces. He did
not, when he first spoke to Inspector Shenton,
wish to introduce himself as a witness in a sensa-
tion case. He was a volunteer, and did not ex-
pect to be paid for his attendance at that court.
'The Magistrate--You say in your evidence you
have seen about twenty men at the AlhAmbra with
painted and powdered faces--were they friend: of
ae defendants ?
Witness—Yes.
The Magistrate—Have you seen them talking to
the prisoners ?

Mr.
Besley, on behalf of the prisoners, asked to
see the letters seized at the prisoners' residence upon
which the prosecution relied to prove their ease.
Mr. Bland said they were not yet in evidence, but
all should be seen iu good time.
The Court at this point adjourned for a short
time.

The first examined on the magistrate recommenc-
ing the investigation was •
George Smith, the beadle of the Burlington Arcade,
who said he had frequently seen the two prisoners in
the arcade in women's attire co❑ducting themselves
as gay women usually did. He had prevented them
as far as he was able from parading the arcade.
This witness was subjected to a long cross-exami-
nation, but nothing to sfrengthen the case fur the
prosecution was elicited.

- Maria Stacey, the landlady of the house, 12, Wake-
field-street, said a room in her house was hired by the
prisoners as an occasional bedroom. She knew that
both of them went out in woman's attire, but did not
think it was for any other purpose than having some
fun. This witness was also minutely examined, but
nothing important resulted.
After seme other evidence, the defendants were
remanded till to-morrow for the production of bail,
in the sum of £l,OOO, and the inquiry was adjourned
till next Friday.

The Newbiggin Lifeboat, " William Hopkinson, of
Brighouse," belonging to the Lifeboat Society, was
launched yesterday to the assistance of six fishing boats,
which had been caught in a storm. She succeeded in
bringing all the boats and their crews safely ashore.
Mr. W. F. Thurland, treasurer of the Oxford Col-
lege Servants' Provident Society, has absconded, leaving a.
deficiency of £l,OOO in the exchequer of the society. Mr.
Thurland was a member of the Town Council, and cook
and manciple of New College.
A breakfast was given to the Rev. Mr. Spurgeon,
in the Music Hall, Edinburgh, on Wednesday, under the
auspices of the United Presbyterian Synod. Mr.
Spurgeon, in the course of his speech, strongly advoca-
ted union between the Free and United Presbyterian
Churches.
The Opinione of yesterday announces that a fresh
band of insurgents has been formed at Vecina, of the same
political character as that at Catanzaro. The Government
has for some time had information of impending disturb-
ances, and had reinforced the troops in that district to
meet the emergency.
An unknown child, about a month old, was found
on Thursday afternoon in the ladies' waiting-room of the
Great Western Railway station, Wolverhampton, mur-
dered by strangulation. Marks of violence, as if by a
cord, were visible about the head and neck, and blood was
upon the neck and face, It was wrapped in portions of a.
woman's under-garment.

We learn from the Cosmos that by closing the
mouth of a well hermetically, and by partially exhausting
the air, M. Bonnet has found that there follows a large
increase in the supply.

It is reported that the Russians are marching upon
Khiva and that they have ordered the King of Bokhara
to furnish supplies to the army of invasion, as well as a
contingent of 5,000 men,
Yesterday, her Majesty's vessels Hydra, Adder,
Beagle, Aid, and Lively were sold by auction, at the
Captains' Room, Lloyd's. The attendance was numerous,
and for some of the vessels there was a brisk competition.
• •

A. meeting was held last evening at the People's
Hail, Wlaiteohapel, when resolutions were passed in
favour of Sir Wilfrid Lawson's Permissive Prohibitory
Bill. A petition in favour of the same was also adopted.
Professor Tennant has resigned the chairmanship
of the Central London Sick Asylum District Board, and
the managers have unanimously elected Alderman Sir
Sydney Waterlow, who, resides at Fairseat, adjoining the
Infirmary at Highgate, to be chairman of the board.

Dr. Matthews Duncan will, according to the
Lancet, succeed to the professorial chair in the University
of Edinburgh, vacant by the death of the late lamented.
Sir James; Simp,son,
Lady Louisa Kirkland, wife of Sir John Kirk-
land, the army agent of Whitehall-place, and the Agent-
General of the Recruiting Service, died at Beckenham
Place, Kent, yesterday.