The Sun.
London, England, 1870-12-22 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICE.

CAUTION TO CAB-DRIVERS.—David Porter, cab-driver,
badge 12,969, was brought before Mr. Knox, at the Marl.
borough-street Police-court, charged with being drunk and
assaulting Police-constable Henry Payne, 1,616. The
constahle said that on the previous night he saw the pri-
soner in charge of a cab in South Audley-street. and
noticing that he was drunk] said he should take him into
custody. As soon as he said so the prisoner seized him
by the throat, very much hurting him with his knuckles,
and tried to strike him. He took hold of the prisoner,
when he laid down and tried to kick him. He got the
asssistance of a constable, and on the way to the station
the prisoner twice tripped him up and behaved in a very
violent manner. Mr. Knox remarked that the prisoner
was not a fit person to be entrusted with a cab, as he
saw by his license that he had been fined 20s. for drunken-
ness. The prisoner said he had been a teetotaller ever since
then till last night. Mr. Knox : A teetotaller ! You deserve
to have your license taken away altogether, and if I
was to do my duty strictly I should send you to prison
without a fine. You must pay 40s. or a month.
James Saunders, cab driver, badge 8488, was charged
with being drunk and incapable of driving his cab. The
prisoner was seen last night by Police-constable Burgess,
29E Reserve, to drive his cab, in which there was a fare,
against a lamp post, and on going up to the spot he found
the prisoner to be very drunk. The prisoner said the fare
had given him drink, and that he went against the post
by accident. Knox said, besides getting drunk the
prisoner had jeopardised the life of his fare, and would
have to pay 20s. or fourteen days.
FOND OF PORK.—James Dalrymple, agsd 16, was, at the
Thames police-court, charged with stealing 9ilbs of pork
from a shop in Cannon-street-road. The prisoner entered
the prosecutor's shop, seized the pork and rushed out of
the shop with it. Finding that he was being pursued
he threw the pork away to facilitate his pace, but was
eventually run down and captured. He pleaded guilty,
and Mr. Lushington sentenced him to four months' im-
prisonment and hard labour.
SERIOUS CHARGE AGAINST A DOCTOR.—At Bow-street,
Mr. John Hamilton, M,D., of 404, Oxford-street, was
charged with causing obscene medical tracts to be dis-
tributed to youths in the public street. Mr. Vaughan
fined the defendant 40s. and ordered him to pay the costs
of the summons, and £1 ls., the costs of Mr. Collette,
who prosecuted on behalf of the Society for the Suppres-
sion of Vice.
THE THEATRICAL PROFESSION.—An important deci-
sion was given at the Lambeth police-court, the question
raised being whether Mr. Carlo Gatti, proprietor of a
music-hall in the Westminster-bridge-road, had infringed
the Act of Parliament by permittinc, a stage play to be
enacted. The case was argued a short time since, when
it appeared that the piece complained of was entitled
" Enchantment." It was alleged that there was regular
set scenery, as at theatres generally, and songs, such
as "Up on a Monument,', &c. , were introduced, in
addition to which the ballet of the establishment per-
formed their appointed role. On the other hand, it was
argued that there was no plot in the performance.—Mr.
Chance, the presiding magistrate,. decided that the repre-
sentation came within the meaning of the Act of Parlia-
ment, although the plot was a sort of "hotch-potch" affair.
He then fined the defendant ss. for each of the three
nights upon which the illegal play was acted. Upon the
question of costs, it was urged that they were consider-
able, and his worship granted £2O. The amount was
immediately paid.

TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN RYDE, ISLE OF WIGHT.
—A meeting of the Ryde Literary and Scientific Institu-
tion, was held on Tuesday night, when it was agreed to
grant the use of one of their rooms for a School of Art,
which is about being commenced in the town in connection
with the Art Department, South Kensington. The school
will be in charge of a certificated teacher.

THE GALE ON THE NORTH EAST COAST.-
The gale continues on this coast, with very little abate-
ment, the sea running very high on the Tyne bar. The
barque Union, of Colchester, wrecked here last
night, has completely broken up. To-day three
large cranks used in the work of extending the
south pier have been carried away by the waves and
smashed, as also several diving belts and other machi-
nery to the value of over one thousand pounds.
jSeveral narrow escapes have occurred to a few vessels
which entered the harbour at great risk, some of them being
much damaged. Two or three seamen on board one of
the vessels were seriously injured by being thrown violently
against the bulwarks. The gale is accompanied by showers
of snow and hail.