The Sun.
London, England, 1870-12-02 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICE.

COWARDLY AND OUTRAGEOUS ASSAULTS. —Henry Her-
bert, 20, a picture frame-maker, living in Hanover-street,
Long-acre, was brought up at the Marlborough-street
Police-court, before Mr. Knox, charged with assaulting
Mr. Robert Godfree, refreshment shopkeeper, INo. 61,
Tottenham-court-road, and also Matilda, Leach, assistant
to Mr. Godfree. Mr. Moore, of the Associate Institute
for the Protection of Women, watched the case. Mr.
Godfree said that on the previous night, the prisoner and
another young man came into his shop smoking, and on
his telling them that they could not smoke, there the
prisoner gave him a violent blow in the mouth and knocked
him down, and on his assistant coming to his aid she
was also assaulted. Matilda Leach, asssistant to
Mr. Godfree, said that seeing the prisoner knock her
master down, she went to his assistance, when the
prisoner threatened to smash her and knocked her down
twice, trampled upon her, and hurt her very much
and she felt very unwell. Police-constable T. Carlyon,
46 E, proved running after the prisoner, who was trying
to make his escape, and taking him into custody. The
prisoner said he was very sorry. Mr. Knox : Well you
may be. Persons are sent to prison for three or six
months for stealing a shilling's worth of property, and a
young man like you goes into a shop and knocks down an
unoffending man, and on a poor girl interfering to protect
her master you knock her doirn twice and brutally assault
her. I shall commit you for a month for the assault on
Mr. Godfree, with hard labour; and for the far graver
offence of assaulting the girl, two months, with hard
labour.

IMPORTANT DECISION RESPECTING SKITTLES.-Mr. Jas.
Hayward Hughes, of the King's Arms, Cremorne-road,
Chelsea, was summoned, at the Westminster Police-
court, for knowingly suffering gambling in his house with
skittles. Sergeant Large, of the D Reserve, proved
visiting the house of the defendant and finding several
persons playing at skittles, and betting on the games ;
defendant was not present, but upstairs at supper. Mr.
W. D. Smyth, for the defendant, did not dispute
the facts, but' urged that his client could not be held
responsible for any act done in his absence ; he had
used every means to keep his customers from playing
either for money or moneys worth, and since the Com-
missioners of Police had warned licensed victuallers on
the subject, Lhe had posted placards in his house for-
bidding any gambling. It was necessary to sustain the
charge to show the guilty knowledge of the defendant,
and that could not be sustained in the present case, Mr.
Woolrych was of opinion that the scienta must be clearly
shown, and held with Mr. Smyth that the defendant
could not be responsible, and dismissed the summons.
FRACAS ON A RAILWAY.-Mr. George R. Edgcumb,
young gentleman who is clerk in the engineers' office of
the Great Northern Railway, and who resides with his
parents at 66, High-street, Poplar, and Edward Green, a
porter at the Poplar station of the Blackwall Railway, ap-
peared on a cross-summons at the Thames Police-court to
answer charges of assaulting each other. The first case
was that against the defendant Edgcumb, and a solicitor
(who represented the Great Eastern Railway Company)
said the case was aggravated by the fact that Mr Edgcumb
filled a responsible situation in the service of another rail-
way company, and ought to know bow dangerous it was
to interfere with a servant of a railway, and to get into a
carriage of a train while in motion. The complainant
Green said• that on the 22nd ult. he was receiving 3d. of
a lady for the carriage of a dog, and the defendant, who
had just taken a ticket at the office, and was waiting for
a train, asked him why he charged 3d. for a dog and only
2d. for an ordinary passenger. He told the defendant to
mind his own business. The defendant told him to be
d— --, and threatened to strike him, and challenged
him to fight. He said if he was not in his uniform and
on duty be would not challenge him to fight twice.
The defendant pushed him backward from the top to the
bottom of the stairs, and, while the train was in. motion,
got upon the steps of a carriage. He pulled him off
and ordered the defendant to go up stairs. The
station-master would not allow him to proceed by
any train to London that evening. After hearing the
station-master, who corroborated Green, Mr. Lushington
fined Edgcumb 205., and dismissed the summons against
Green.

CHURCH RATE LITIGATION.—The appeal Smallbones
v. Sidney and Lunn, was resumed before the Judicial
Committee of the Privy Council. The appellant is a
parishioner of Whitchurch, Southampton and the respon-
dents the churchwardens of the parish. A sum of £2,000
was borrowed of the Public Loan Commissioners to repair
the church, and before the act to abolish church rates was
passed, a rate of 6d. in the pound was made, which Mr.
passed a rate of 6d. in the pound was made, which Mr.
imallbones resisted. The Arches Court ordered payment
with costs, hence the present appeal. The contention was,
whether, as the chancel was repaired, the repairing resting
with the impropriator of the tithes, as well as the body of
the church, the rate under the sth George IV. could be
enforced. After hearing counsel further on the subject,
their Lordship's reserved their judgment.
A WIFE'S NECESSARIES.—At the Bail Court the case of
" Vanstone v. White " was heard. This was an action to
recover money expended in necessaries for a wife. The
defendant denied his liability on the ground that he had
made his wife an ample allowance. Mr. Lanyon
appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. Huddleston,
Q.C., and Mr. Beasley for the defendant. The
plaintiff (wife's father) was a carpenter, residing
in Gray's Inn-road, and the defendant the proprietor of
the Rye House Tavern, Peckham-rye. The parties were
Married in 1850, and for thirteen years lived together,
keeping the Express beerhouse in Earl-street, Blackfriars.
He subsequently left her in lodging 6. In July, 1864, she
ascertained that her husband was keeping the Rye House
Tavern., and she went to him, but he declined to receive
her or give her anything; and, in consequence of his con-
duct, they had to go' before the - magistrate. He had
allowed her 10s. per week, but she complained that it was
insufficient —ln cross-examination she said she drank
when she thought she required it. She once broke open
the bedroom door with a poker, and had thrown red-hot
coals at defendant, lint not with the intention of injuring
him.—Lt was arraiNed ifei:diet should be entered for the
plaintiff for £lB, with a stay of proceedings, to allow the
defendant to move to set the verdict aside if terms were
not accepted.

A letter from Melbourne, date,' October 10, says
General Sir Trevor and Lady Chute have left Victoria
per the Hero for England. A large concourse of persons
—friends and others—assembled to see thud off, as the
General is highly and deservedly respected for his vigorous
discharge of his duties as Commander of the Forces in
this colony and in New Zealand. Sir Daniel Cooper pro-
ceeds to England by the present mail. He returns with
the goodwiebes of his fellow colonists at Sydney, who
feted him on Tuesday last, and made hi m aware of the
grateful sense they had of his services in dealing with the
wool brokers. He has pledged himself to continue to
champion colonial interests in England, and, seeing the
large stake he has here, the interests of New South Wales
Must h4ye sensible claims upon him.
Novog.—IIINATI4N7B 144. Whisk), Depot. Kinaban
and Co. have removed to their new and spacious premises,
No. 6a, Great Titchfiold-street, Oxford-street, leading
from Margaret-street, Regent-street, and Market-street,
Oxford-street. Kinahan's LL. Whisky.—Tkis famous
and most delicious old mellow spirit is the very cream of
Irish whiskies in quality unrivalled, perfectly pure,
and more wholesome than the finest cognac brandy.
Jan be obtained all over the kingdom, in the well-known
sealed and labelled bottles, or in bond for exportation at
the London Docics. Wholesale Agents to Messrs. Bass,
Guinness, and younger, anti Dealers in Foreign Winep
and Spirits,

THE WAR.

THE BATTLE BEFORE AMIENS.

An eye-witness of the fight in which General Man-
teuffel defeated the French Army of the North, sends an
account of what he saw to the Echo du Nord. He says :
" On Saturday evening the right of our small army was
established at Boves and Dury, our left leaning on Villers
Bretonneux. Considerable masses of the enemy were in
front of us, but our positions were unfavourable, as we
were impeded by the river Somme. On the night of
Saturday to Sunday, the engineers of the left wing
were ordered to construct earthworks on front of
Villers for batteries to be established there. I accom-
panied Captain A—, who started for that 'purpose
with his men. The works were built at a short dis-
tance from a mill and a brickfield, which jf mention on
account of the share they afterwards had in the issue of
the affair. Our artillery was placed in position, and
opened fire at dawn. The enemy's guns had already been
thundering for some time. Our skirmishers at once de-
ployed, supported by a battalion of Marine infantry,
which during the whole day shewed great firmness and a
courage above all praise. Most of the skirmishers were
Mobiles. They behaved bravely, did not once creak out
of their line, advanced or withdrew according, as the
necessities of the fight demanded, just as would have been
done by experienced troops. The fight lasted thus till the
evening. At four p.m. the enemy was repulsed, and we
had gained ground. Our artillery, handled with the ut-
most bravery and skill, had caused considerable injury to
the ranks of the enemy, who, attacked on all sides by our
own projectiles, in spite of the numerical inferiority of
our batteries, had been compelled to withdraw. At
half-past four all fire bad ceased, the skirmishers had
re-formed, each preparing for departure, and congratu-
lating himself on an incontestable victory, which had
been obtained without much loss. We only waited for
orders from headquarters to go and find food and rest,
which we needed extremely. Suddenly an orderly
came up at full speed, and having exchanged a few
words with an artillery officer galloped on, whereupon the
artillery immediately left its positions. Not receiving any
orders, we determined to follow the artillery. Captain A.
and his men proceeded down the road, and I accompanied
them. A party of ten engineer pioneers was detached to
go and fetch the tools, which had been deposited in the
morning at the above-mentioned mill, some 300 paces from
the road, which mill had.been during the day used as a
refreshment place for our soldiers, who had only just
left it. We waited for a quarter of an hour. Nobody
was to be seen. The party of pioneers not returning,
Captain A., growing impatient, pushed on to the
house, At the same moment a wounded sergeant came
out of it, shouting—' Do not go on, it is full of enemies.'
He had hardly spoken, when a tremendous firing was
opened from the inside of the mill, of the bricklayer's
house, and from the adjacent villages. Captain A. mira
culously preserved, ordered a quick retreat, which was
effected under a shower of bullets. Darkness alone saved
us from complete destruction, We ran at the doublo to-
wards Villers-Bretonneux, which we reached sadly deci-
mated. At the extremity of the High-street of Villers
we saw a black motionless mass, above which a
white flag was waved. An incredible thing !
There again were Prussians in occupation of the
positions in the rear which we had just
left, and where our reserves ought to have been. Well
knowing what the Prussians were capable of, Captain A.
ordered us to enter a bye-street. It was high time to do
so, as we had hardly turned the corner when a volley
swept the street. At the extremity of the street we had
entered another black mass was seen approaching. They
were the Prussians again ! We made another move to the
left, and found another street obstructed. We were sur-
rounded. What were we to do ? Surrender ? Never. We
quickly agreed to try each of us to escape as best we could.
With Captain A.., a lieutenant, a seri eant, and one pioneer,
I entered a small house. We hid ourselves in a kind of
dark granary. An old woman came and ordered us to be
off. lam old and lonely,' she said. You will cause
me to be murdered. Be off, or I will denounce you.'
We were indignant. We heard the Prussians as they
passed and repassed along the street, howling,
firing in all directions, and breaking open the
doors. We preferred to stay where we were. We
had at least a chance of escape. The old woman did
not denounce us. After some hours of anxiety she
brought blouses and caps, for which we paid 40f., and,
protected by darkness, we left the house. We succeeded
in reaching Albert, in spite of dangers of all kinds. Here
we are now ready again to encounter the enemy. From
the foregoing we may conclude that we were outflanked,
and that the Prussians must have received considerable
reinforcements at the last moment. A wounded German
officer told us that the enemy's plan was to reach Lille
and Dunkirk, and to occupy the North, with a view to
check the operations of the 22nd Army Corps."