The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-08 00:00:00

MANSION-HOUSE.

Mr. Woods, an extensive fish salesman of Billingsgate
market, was summoned before Alderman Gibbs, " for
having," according to the words of the summons, " un-
lawfully sold to William Perkins, on the morning of
SAturday, fifty mackarel, in Billingsgate market, the
same being bad, unwholesome, and unfit for human food,
against the statute," &c.
Mr. Goldham, the clerk of Billingsgate Market,
attended, the question being one in which the public,
especially the poorer class.s, were stated to be seriously
interested.
The defendant having alone made his appearance at
the bottom Of the table when the names of the parties
were called by the officer of the Court,
Alderman Giuns asked why the complainant was not
present ? and no answer having been returned, desired
that the summons should be dismissed.
Mr. Woods hoped that the Alderman would not con-
clude the proceedings without hearing a statement of the
facts, for the vindication of the great body of the sales•
men, and the protection of the public. He had been
accused of having sold bad fish, and it was in his power
to prove at that moment that the complainant had
actually substituted fish for that which bad been sold,
and returned with the fish so substituted, in the hope of

• obtaining back the money with which the purchase had
been made.
Alderman GIBBS observed that the defendant certainly
must have some motive for staying away after having so
deliberately complained of a violation of the law. It
was not an uncommon practice, he knew, with some of
the inferior dealers in Billingsgate market, to exchange,
for the good fish they purchased, fish that was unfit fur
use. Be should know how to deal with persons who
resorted to such an expedient, if any such were brought
before him,.
Mr. Woods said, that apprehending the intention of
the complainant not to appear in support of the sum-
mons, he had sent a message to Prescott, offering to
pay all expenses if he would peremptorily come forward
to prove his case. It appeared, however, that the
complaint was to fall to the ground for want of evidence.
Alderman GIBBs.—In cases of the kind the reference
is to be made to Mr. Gold ham and the inspectors appointed
by the general body of the fishmongers, who, if they
are appealed to, will take care to protect the injured
party.
Mr. Goldham said that the complainant applied to
him on Saturday, and produced some mackerel which
he said was bad, and had been purchased of Mr. Woods
by him. Finding that the fish was good, he (Mr.
Goldhatn) stated his opinion to that effect, and desiring
the man to select the worst mackerel in the lot, caused
it to be cooked, and it was proved before Sir Chapman
Marshall, on Monday, to be unexceptionable.
Mr. Woods said he was salesman to one company,
which employed twenty- five vessels for mackerel fish-
ing, and upwards of 300 men. Every one knew in how
short a time mackarel became tainted in hot weather.
It was, indeed, frt quently the case that in a very short
time after purchases were made, the fish changed, and
it would be most desirable to be informed how long a
salesman wits responsible for the soundness of the ar-
ticle after delivery. The dealers were as g 'of judges
as could easily be found of the quality of the article
they dwelt in, and it was a trick with some of them to
sell as many as they could, and to return with those
which they could not sell, and after having knocked them
about, to the great injury of their appearance, demand
an amount of money corresponding with the all,-ged
loss, &c. Between that practice, and the trick of sub-
stituting bad for good fish, as had been already stated,
complaints of the kind were doing an immensity of
mischief.
Mr. Goldham said, there was no doubt of the truth of
the representation made by the defendant, and of the
effect of the practice described. If dealers brought to
him any fish of which they complained, he and the in-
spectors, than whom none could be better judges, had
only to decide upon its quality, and if that decision
proved to be against it, it was destroyed. The great
object of the salesmen now was, to know how long after
the sale of fish they were to be responsible for its sound-
ness.
Alderman Ginns said the absence of the complainant,
and the consequent dismissal of the case, prevented him
from going into the merits of the question ; but he
should be ready to deal out impartial justice in any case
involving the responsibility.
It is necessary to mention, that frequent disturbances
take place in Billingsgate market, on account of disputes
referring to the above matter.
MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

Joseph Stott, a man of respectable• appearance, was
charged with having conducted himself in an indecent way
towards a lad named George Webb.
The complainant said he lives in the Seven Dials, and is
a labourer. He was in Hyle-park about i i o'clock on
Saturday night, when he was accosted by the defendant, who
acted indecently towards him. The defendant left him, and
got over the park railings into the road. Complainant fol-
lowed him into a public-house, and after partaking of some
beer with his they left the public-house together, and on
meeting with a police-constable complainant gave the de-
fendant into custody.
The defendant said he was entirely innocent of the scan-
dalous charge, which had been trumped up against him with
a view to extort money. He had only been a week in Lon-
don, having come up from Oldham to obtain medical advice
for a painful complaint under which he laboured. On
Saturday evening he took a walk in Hyde-park, and having
lost his way, he went up to the complainant to ask him to
tell him when the park gate would be shut. He was imme-
diately surrounded and collared by four or five young men,
who demanded his money on a threat of charging him with
infamous practices. He got away from the gang, and went
into a public-house and called for some beer. The com-
plainant came into the house, laid hold of the pot, and drank
about half the contents. He left the house, followed by the
complainant, and when he got into the street he saw three
of the complainant's companions in the park standing in
the street, and apparently watching his movements. De-
fendant was about to obtain the aid of the police, but he was
antiepated in this by the complainant, charging him as de-
scribed.
Mr. MALTaY directed a police-constable to make in-
quires into the character of the defendant at his lodgings.
The police-constable, on his return, reported that the
defendant's statement, as far as it could be corroborated,
was correct. He had only been a week in town, and stated
to his landlord the purpose for which he had left Oldham.
Mr. MALTBY was informed that a respectable person had
on Saturday been robbed o 14s. by a gang of persons resem-
bling those described by the defendant as having been in
company with the complainant. The gang had made use
of similar threats to obtain this money from the person in
question.
Mr. MALTBY, after mature deliberation, said, as the com-
plainant's statement was wholly unconfirmed, and as there
were circumstances which created a reasonable doubt in his
mind, he would discharge the defendant, leaving it open to
the complainant to prefer an indictment if he thought fit.
The defendant, on being liberated, declared his determina-
tion to proceed against the complainant for endeavouring to
extort money from him.
The complainant was accordingly given into custody, and
the parties changed places.
The prosecutor Stott related the circumstance of his ap-
plying to the prisoner Webb to show him the way out of the
park; that Webb immediately gave a whistle, and five men
came up, one of whom collared him, and they all demanded
money. Prosecutor refused, and having a stick in his hand,
he said he would use it if they did not let him go. He was
released, and he then got out of the park, and went towards
his lodgings in Blandford-street, followed by the prisoner.
He went into a public-house, and called f,r some beer. The
prisoner came in and drank some. Prosecutor went out of
the public-house, followed by the prisoner, who whistled to
his companions as soon as he got into the street. Prosecutor
was about to enter his lodgings, when a police-constable
came up, and took him into custody.
A witness named Smith said he knew the prisoner by his
nickname of "Number One." The prisoner was in the park
on Saturday, and about four o'clock he got into conversation
with an elderly gentleman. After talking together about
five minutes, " Number One" made a signal to his com-
panion " Briclry," who ran up, and demanded the old gen-
tleman's " money." The old gentleman gave "Bricky"
The prisoner and three others divided the money. The
prisoner had also admitted to witness that he would not
have given the complainant into custody had he given him
money.
Remanded till Monday next.

WORSHIP-STREET.

Two Germans, named Jun Brunies and Heinrich Jlfohr,
were placed at the bar before Mr. Broughton, charged with
cutting and wounding a master ekindresser, named Heinrich
Arnott, living at Whitechapel, and inflicting numerous wounds
on his head.
It appeared from the evidence, that a feud had for some
months past subsisted between two parties of High and Low
Dutch German skindressers and sugarbakers, living in White-
chapel and Spitalfields, and, notwithstanding the prover-
bially peaceful character of that nation, seemed to have been
pursued among them with as much heat and animosity as
any between neighbouring Irish provinces. On Saturday
night, about 12 o'clock, a serious disturbance, but how
originating was not by any means lucidly explained by
any of the numerous spluttering and excited witnesses,
though all earnestly endeavoured to do do so, suddenly
arose about some children of a German woman named
Wahl between the two prisoners, one Konrad Schwartz,
and some workmen in Mr. Arnott's employment, and some
threats having been uttered against the life of the prose-
cutor, who had not at all interfered or been even present, but
was quietly paying his men at a public-house in an adjoining
street, he, although apprised that he would be murdered if
he did go, with more courage than discretion instantly went
to the scene of disorder, called Frosty-court, to protect Isis
men, and get them out of the quarrel. The moment he bad
entered the court, however, and before he had time to utter
a word, he was brought to the ground by a blow on the head
from some one behind him, and upoa rising was immediately
set upon by the prisoners and Konrad Schwartz, who beat
him severely, and one of them, who had a knife in his hand,
stabbed him with it a number of times in the head, leaving
six wounds, which he now exhibited; but who it was that
inflicted the injuries he could not tell with any certainty, as
the blood was pouring down his face and prevented his
seeing ; but he thought it was Mohr, as he had been most
active in the attack, and he also inferred it was he from a
knife being found in his pocket at the station. How he ulti-
mately escaped from the encounter it was impossible to make
out ; but the police somehow got apprised of the disturbance,
and on coming up found Arnott and one of his men covered
with blood, and the prisoners being pointed out as the moss
violent were forthwith secured, and after some resistance car-
ried off to the station.
Engelbrecht Geffkie, the workman just alluded to, a stolid
immovable German, whose utter apathy when there was
something to be excited about, and vehement warmth when
there was nothing, kept every one but the magistrate, not-
withstanding the serious nature of the charge, in incessant
laughter, very quaintly related the share he had in the
transaction ; and the substance of his statement was, that he
and his wife were going home with a can full of porter, when
a breathless boy stopped him and entreated he would go
back as his master was being murdered, and was smothered
with blood. " Ferry well," said the witness ; " but I shall
ko home mid dis pier, and den I shall kom see into it ;" and
home he actually went. He displayed some alacrity, how-
ever, in getting back, and on entering the court found four
men, of whom he could only identify Mohr, " hammering"
his master on the head. With some difficulty he rescued
Mr. Arnott from his assailants, in neither of whose hands did
he notice a knife; but he felt convinced that one had
been used, as Arnott was bleeding profusely, and while turn-
ing to leave he himself received a stab in the neck from some-
body, to which he drew the magistrate's attention ; but,
with his habitual coolness, although the wound did not ap-
pear a very slight one, it had not struck him to apply to a
surgeon to dress it.
Jane Jagers, Jacob Jung, and police-constable 182 K, all
deposed to the serious nature of the fight or rather melee, in
which more than 100 people took part on one side or the
other, but though each of the witnesses saw both the pro-
secutor and Geffkie:with the blood streaming down from their
wounds, they were all incapable of throwing
the origin of the affray.
a
The prisoners, through a very intelligent interpreter,
generally denied all that was said
against them,
any light upon
and endea-
voured to prove that it was they who had most cause of com-
plaint, as they had been struck and maltreated in the first
instance, and called two Germans, named Konrad Deer and
Martin Greigh, and a Belgian, named .IJrge Peinter, as wit-
nesses, who certainly nearly deposed to that much, entirely
exculpating Brunies, who was ordered on their evidence to
t
be discharged, and gave it as their opinion that Mohr bad
not been so criminal as represented, they
could not
say who it was that had stabbed the
prosecutor and Geffkie,
if he had not.

Mr. BROUGIFTON never recollected a case in which there
was so much contusion and difficulty at arriving at the truth.
It was quite manifest that the two witnesses had been
severely injured, but it was still a matter of doubt who had
caused their wounds, and he should therefore
adjourn the
case till that day week, accepting responsible bail for the
prisoner Mohr's attendance at the next examination; and in
the meantime the police must exert themselves to procure
more positive evidence as to who it was in reality who had
stabbed the prosecutor iu the manner described.