The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-10 00:00:00

and the prisoners would in the meantime have plenty of
time to get up the defence for the ensuing session at the

CentralCriniinal Court.
WANDSWORTH.
EXTRA.OIIDISARY CASE:OF A SSA llLT.—Capt. Frederick
White, of No. 3, Era-place, Battersea, surrendered to
his bail to answer a charge of assaulting Mrs. Martha
Bowler, the landlady of the Star and Garter public-

house, Battersea.
The defendant was apprehended on a warrant on the
previous day, and brought before Mr. Payater just prior
to the closing of the Court. As all the witnesses were
not in attendance, the magistrate adjourned the case
until yesterday, and admitted the defendant to bail.
Yesterday Mrs. Martha Bowler, the complainant,
stated that, on last Saturday evening, between seven and
eight o'clock, she went to defendant's house and asked
for him. The servant denied him, but Mr. White called
out that be was at home, and desired the complainant to
walk in. The defendant was seated, and had a glass
containing some beer in his hand. When asked her
business, complainant said she was landlady of the Star
and Garter, and had come to demand ss. 6d., an amount
due for gin-and-water, beer, and tobacco, which she had
supplied the defendant and his friend with on Thursday
evening last. He said he did not owe her anything, and
he would not pay her. Complainant observed it was very
hard, and then defendant said, " I'll not pay you—go
out of my house, you --." He then dashed a glass of
beer in her face, jumped up from his chair and struck
her in the side with his fist. He then caught hold of
her arms, and pressed them so violently as to bruise
them very much ; afterwards he pushed her violently out
of the house. She would have fallen had not her daughter
saved her from so doing. Her daughter had gone pre-
viously to ask for the money, and the defendant pelted
her with mud and stones. She did not suppose that the
defendant would have served her so, but he pelted her
also, after turning her out of the house.
Mr. PAYNTER said he was desirous of knowing how
the debt was incurred.

The complainant said that the defendant and another
gentleman, who was outside the Court, and who were
strangers, came to her house on Thursday evening, and
had two glasses of gin and water, and some tobacco.
They ultimately had two more each, and treated some
bell-ringers to some beer. The defendant said he had
no money, but if the complainant would send her pot-
man with him he would pay him. The potman went,
but returned empty-handed. Complainant sent four
times for the money before making application herself.
Cross-examined by the defendant—She did not strike
him in the face, and throw him upon the floor, or use
the poker to him. He did not say it was an unjust de-
mand, and he would see her another time about it.
Elizabeth Ann Beckley, a married daughter of the
complainant, proved that she went, between six and seven
o'clock on Saturday evening, to defendant's house ; he
was denied to her, but she found him in the garden.
When she told him her business, he thumped her on
the back twice, and said, " Get out, you stinking ,"
Witness went afterwards with her mother, and heard
defendant address the same coarse language to her
parent, and saw him piish her out of the door and down
the steps. She would have fallen had not witness sup-
ported her.
Cross-examined by the defendant—Did not call him a
thief, a villain, and a swindler.
John Everett, a carpenter, living in Surrey-lane, and
opposite defendant's house, distinctly proved that de-
fendant assaulted both mother and daughter, and although
he was quite sober, made use of language most dero-
gatory to the character of a gentleman.
Two other witnesses, named Hill and Bennett, proved
that when they interfered to protect Mrs. Bowler, the
defendant applied most foul language to them, and
threatened to thrash them.
''''The defendant's answer to the charge was, that on the
evening in question he was in his garden with a friend,
when the complainant's daughter came up to them, and
abused them most scandalously ; she was not satisfied
with that, but she called his lady a kept mistress. Cer-
tainly, after such language, he could not be expected to
be very calm, and he turned her out of the premises.
With respect to the widow, when she entered the room,
she said, " You thief, you liar, you beat my daughter ;"
and then she struck him a blow on the ear, which sent
him reeling, and as ho was recovering himself, she gave
him two blows with the poker. Her violence was so
great that his wife, who is very young, ran up into her
bed-room. He at last took her by the arms, and by the
exertion of some strength, turned her out of the house.
She then knocked at the door, and when he opened it
called him a swindler and thief. Two or three men, her
friends, were outside in his garden, and they bullied him
and told him he was a swindler. He positively denied
having made use of any such language as was imputed to
him, and did nothing but in self-defence, to prove which
he would call two witnesses.
Mr. Bernard Tanham Dryden was called—He said he
had been in the royal navy, and now held the rank of
Lieutenant in the Indian navy, and at present resided at
Battersea. He was the gentleman who was with the
defendant at Mrs. Bowler's house, and when the
daughter came he knew perfectly well the nature of her
errand. The language she made use of both to himself
and friend was most disgusting. He did not hear any
of the disturbance between his friend and the widow.
Margaret Higgins, the servant to Captain White, was
called to show that the complainant was the aggressor,
but her evidence was entirely useless.
Mr. PAYNTER considered that a very violent assault
had been proved, and he should have inflicted the full
penalty if he did not think that the complainant was in
some measure to blame for taking such an imprudent
step when she had a legal mode of obtaining her money.
He should inflict the fie of 41.