The Sun.
London, England, 1870-04-29 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, APRIL 29, 1870.

SNAKE LIST.

EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE AT BOW-
STREET POLICE-COURT.

RAILWAYS-ORDINARY SHARES AND STOCKS

The greatest excitement was occasioned in Bow-
street this morning by it becoming known that the
police had taken into custody the men who for the
last twelve months, dressed as women, had visited
most Of theLoLdon theatres and created great excite-
ment by their conduct. The two men were superbly
dresSed, a hi Watteau, with bare arms and neck.
Park wore a costtiale of rose pink satin over a white
muslin skirt, ornamented with a profusion of lace,
golden Bair dressed in the most approved style, brace-
lets, necklace, eardrops, white kid gloves, and shoes.
Bolton wore a costume of emerald green satin,
trimmed with antique lace, over a white skirt ;
altogether the " make up" was extraordinary, and to
detect that they were anything but what they tepre-
sented themselves was impossible. The news of their
capture drew thousands of persons to the doors of
the police-court, and as the prisoners were taken
from the station-house to the Court, on the opposite
side, of the road, they had to encounter the most
discordant sounds made by the miscellaneous as-
semblage.

On being placed at the bar before Mr. Flowers
the two in female dresses gave their names as Ernest
Bolton. and Frederick W illiam Park ; their com-
panion, Itugh Aletandet Minden.

The following evidence was then given I
Superintendent Thomson, of the E division, said
—Last night, at 10 o'clock, I went to the Strand
Theatre, where I saw the three-prisoners in a private
box, Bolton and Park being in female attire. Bolton
was pointed out to me as supposed to be the Duchess
of Manchester.- -I noticed their conduct for a short
time, nodding and smiling to gentlemen in the stalls.
They left the theatre before the performance closed,
and were taken to Bow-street police-station in a
cab, accompanied by two cr three police-
officers. The prisoner Mundell at first refused to
give his name and address, but he eventually did so.
He s atcd that his residence was 158, Buckingham
Palace-m.ld: • He said that he was the son of a
barrister, and that a few evenings preceding he met
the two other prisoners in male attire at the Surrey
Theatre, that he believed they wer e girls in men's
clothes, made their acquaintance, and consented to
escort them to the theatre last evening. Bolton first
gave the name of Cecil Graham, and the address 2,
Burton-crescent, afterwards that he was the son of
Mr. Bolton, stockbroker, of 23, Sh erlan d -road, Maida-
hill. 1 asked him for an explanation of this con-
duct in appearing in the attire he then was, but he did
not give any. Park gave the name Frederick Wm.
Park, 13, Bruton-street, Berkeley-square, and that
he had recently come from 118, Princes-street,
Edinburgh.

Mr:Abrams—You stated that you saw the prisoners
trailing and nodding. Was it not at the performance
going on ?
Witness—l think it was at persons in the stalls.

➢Tr. Flowers: I presume you adiuit they are men?
Mr. Abrams—Oh, certainly.

Constable William Chamberlain said—Last night
I saw the two prisoners about twenty minutes past
eight come out of the house numbered 13, Wake-
field-street, Regent-square, wearing the satin dresses
they now appear in, with chignons on, and
with bare arms and neck. A gentleman c dltd a
cab, and the two prisoners, Park and Bolton, got
in. I got into another cab and followed them to the
Strand Theatre. They met the prisoner Mundell
and another gentleman in the box lobby. I saw the
four take their seats in the box, they remained there
some time when they came out of the box went to
the refreshment room, had some brandy, and then
the prisoner Park went to the ladies' room and
asked the attendant to pin up her dress as some of
the lace bad come undone. After that Park got
change at the bar, and gave the attendant some-
thing. I afterwards communicated with Superin-
tendent Thomson and Sergeant Kerley, and we
waited until they came out. The three prisoners
were secured, but another person, who was with
them, ran away. I have been to 13, Wakefield-
stret, and there I found the 28 photographs of the
prisoners, which I now produce.
Mr. Flowers—Haveyou examined the photographs,
and do you recognise the two prisoners both in male
and female attire amongst them ?
Witness—l have ; and there is also that of another
young gentleman who goes out with them. There was
also in Wakefield-street a great number of silk, satin,
muslin dresses, bonnets, hats, chignons, male attire,
coats and trousers, bracelets and eardrops. Both
Park and Bolton now wore bracelets, the former
having eardrops. I have seen the two prisoners
about the neighbourhood of Brunswick-square and
the Holborn Casino for the last twelve months
dressed as women, talking to gentlemen.
Mr. Abrams—You saw no other impropriety than
that you have stated?

Witness —No.
Mr. Abrams—Knowing that they were men, why
did you not take them into custody?
Witness—l was not quite certain about it.
Mr. Flowers—llow do you know now they are
women? (Laughter.)
Witness—Mundell last night told me they were
both men, and were very sorry for what they had
done.
Mundell said he first saw Park and Bolton at the
Surrey Theatre, and then they were dressed as men,
and they then had the appearance of being girls.
Mr. Flowers—Yes, I should say any one would be
deceived.
Sergeant Kerley- said he saw the prisoner Mundell
last night call the cab at the Strand Theatre. There
was a fourth man, but he ran away. I told them
I was a police officer, and I had reason to believe
they wero men in female attire. Itheu brought them
to the station-house. I got into the cab, and on
the way to the station, Park said, " Look here, old
fellow, it will do you no good to take us to the
station ;
and if yuu'll let us go, we'll give you any-
thing you want." Bolton said, "Any sum you can
have you require if you will let us go."
Mr. Abrams—Did they tell you what they had
been doing?
Witness—No.
Mr. Burnaby—Did you search them?
Witness—No.
Mr. Abrams—Did they not say they had been out
for a lark.
W itness —No.
Charles Walker, 12 E, Reserve, said—For the last
fortnight I have been on duty in the neighbourhood
of Wakefield-street, and I have seen the two pri-
soners go in and out of the house No. 13 at all hours
of the night repeatedly. They were always dressed
as women. They conducted themselves very well.
Yesterday morning they came out in men's attire.
The neighbours had complained of them.
Mr. Abrams—You saw no impropriety?
Witness—No, nothing. I thought they were
ladie's.

Alundell—When they were dressed in male's attire
did they not look more like women than men ?

Witness—Yes.
Mr. Flowers—lf be had said no I should have
differed from him.

Mr. Burnaby—Any other witness to-day ? -
Kerley—No,
Superintendent Thomson said the phot►ograpbs bad
been taken in different parts of the country.
Mr. Abrams—l hope, sir, as no felonious intention
is shown, you will not think it necessary to remand
the prisoners?

Mr. Flowers—The.onus is thrown on the prisoners
to show they had no unlawful purpose. I may as-
sume two very serious views of the matter —one that
the prisoners went about dressed as they now appear
for the purpose of inciting persons to commit an
offence which a short time ago was a capital one, or
with the object of getting men into rooms and then
extorting money from them. I shall admit Mundell
to bail in his own recognizances of £lOO, but the
other two I shall remand for a week, and I certainly
will not take bail for their appearance.
The court during the extraordinary examination
was crowded to excess.

THIRD EDITION.