The Sun.
London, England, 1870-06-04 00:00:00

TERRIBLE STORY.

A dreadful case was heard at the Dudley Police-court,
on Wednesday. Two men named Williams and Cox,
besides another not in custody, were charged with an out-
rage on Emma Turner. Emma Turner, the prosecutrix,
stated that she was the wife of John Turner a labourer,
but lived apart from him, at a cottage in the Castle Fields.
She had her daughter, a girl about four years old, with
her, and they alone occupied the cottage spoken of.
About one o'clock on the previous morning some men
rapped at her door, and asked to be supplied with
pop (ginger beer). She was in bed at the
time on the ground floor. There was no other house
within 100 yards. Upon being told that there was no pop
ready, one man called to her to open the door, but she re-
fused. They again demanded admittance, saying that
they would not hurt her, to which she replied that she
did not intend they should while she could help it. A
stone was then flung through the window and the
men went away. She got up out of bed, and partly
dressed herself, fearing the men might return. An
hour afterwards, as near as she could judge,
the prisoners and the other man again came
and demanded admittance. She positively refused this,
and tried to prevent their entrance by putting a chair
against the door. They continued to strike the door, and
said, " You may as well open the door ; if you don't we'll
burst it open;" and one of them picked up a stone and threw
it through the window. At that time witness was pressing
the chair against the door, and the men were shouting to
her to know where she was. The men began to
strip the window, and, actually tore away the supports.
Witness left the chair behind the door, and rushed to
the chimney, where she picked up an axe. She was again
asked to open the door, and upon her refusal they
pelted her with stones through the window. One of these
struck her on the side of the head, and caused a wound.
One of the men then put his head through the window,
and tried to force his way in. Witness rushed at him and
struck him on the head with the axe. He fell back on the
outside, and another man presented his head. She struck
again, but she thought without effect, for the pressing
against the chair behind the door and the loss of blood
from her head had so unnerved her that the axe fell from
her hand. Williams then got through the window. She
struck him last because he did not fall back. After he was
in the cottage Williams took hold of her and carried her
to the door. A large stone at the moment broke away
the lock and the other men came in. She was then
knocked down and dragged out of the house by the hair
of her head, into a field, by Williams and the man not in
custody. Suffice it to say that the crime in question was
committed. The prosecutrix gave her evidence clearly,
although suffering much from weakness. The case was
adjourned.

AN UNPLEASANT ADVENTURE.

Mr. Daniel Mathieu, 8.A., relates the following police
grievance in a letter to the Times :—" On Saturday, before
the Horse Guards, after the review was over, I was
among a crowd, when all of a sudden I felt myself
roughly apprehended by two men connected, no doubt,
with the police, and carried away, despite my
-resistance,
to the neighbouring police-station in King-street.
What was my guilt`? I had merely made a rather abrupt
movement of my right hand along my trouser., and
to these two infallible men that meant I had the
real intention of thrusting it into the pocket of a lady
who stood by me, but whom I had not yet noticed.
However, when we arrived at the police-station, one of
the detectives searched me, but to his great disappoint-
ment could only find a few reading-tickets from the British
Museum and a copybook in which I had written down some
notes on M. Villemain, whose necrologic and literary notice
I wrote for the International, and also a few others relating
to Miss Berry, of whom I had just read the `Diary and
Correspondence.' Now, when that searching was over, my
man seized with a firm hand the cuff of my coat, and took
me along many streets up to Bow-street Police Court,
where I was locked up, waiting to see the magistrate. It
was then about one o'clock, and some time later I was
told I could not on that day appear before the judge.
Perceiving now that I should have unhappily to pass
something like forty-eight hours before the sittings at
court reopened, I naturally asked to communicate
with my family, and inform them where I was ; but that
most just and elementary right was denied me, and, even
I asked in vain for a messenger to go and fetch me pro-
visions for the two days of my preventive detention. It
was only on Sunday, about one o'block, that my wife
came and brought me some food, for she had by this time
been informed of my case, and had received the
visit of two police-officers. At last, when Monday came,
and I was ushered into an ante-room of the
court, the very person who arrested me pre-
sented himself in my presence and said these textual
words Don't fear, Sir, all will be right. . . We
have good characters of you. . . That has been an un-
fortunate affair altogether." Is it necessary to say after
all this tragic comedy that the court discharged me, and
had not much to say in such a case, except to recommend
me for the future to avoid crowds, and for more security,
if possible, to keep at home on days of large gatherings !
Well, Sir, the advice may be good, as it was graciously
given, and I may profit by it : but the facts, nevertheless
are as I stated them, and they suggest of themselves, I
should think, their own reflections."