The Sun.
London, England, 1869-08-23 00:00:00

STREET RUFFIANS.

A most extraordinary letter appears in the Dail
News, signed "H. II.," which will, perhaps, serve
as a caution to parents against entrusting their
children unadvised on errands into the streets.
The correspondent vouches for the following state-
ment :—" Between twelve and one on Tuesday last, I
was passing on business along the top of Leicester-square,
when I noticed a big, gentlemanly-dressed man, about
50 years of age, evidently following and dodging a very
pretty, neatly-dressed little girl, apparently about 9
years of age. Seeing the child run across the road,
almost at the risk of her life, in consequence of the vehicles,
and the fellow still following, overtaking, and accosting
her, I determined to follow behind, if possible, unob-
served, and watch him. My suspicions of his infamous
intentions were strengthened by the fact that he several
times took hold of her cape, and endeavoured to lead
her down some of the lowest slums of that locality.
Each time, also, that they passed a low coffee-shop he
brought her to a complete stop by taking hold of her cape,
and endeavouring to pull her in. He also tried to get her
into a low oyster-shop, a low sweetmeat-shop, and a fruit-
shop. At last I met with a policeman, whose number and
initial I have, to whom I pointed the man out, together
with my suspicions. Oh,' replied he, I can't inter-
fere ; he must know the child ; he looks a respectable
gentlemen, and he wouldn't walk alongside her and
take hold of her like that if he didn't know her ; any-
how, I can't interfere.' I replied, I believe differently,
for she has run away from him several times. Will you
watch his movements?' `Well,' replied he, we do
hear o' some strange things sometimes, and cases
of even little children being molested, certainly, but
I can't take any notice.' During this colloquy the
child, still with the fellow sticking close to her side, was
fast getting out of sight ; fearing I might lose them in
some of the neighbouring slums—for they were now near
towards the Seven-dials—l ran after them. On the way
I met another policeman, and told him, but with a similar
result. Having followed them backwards and forwards
several times through the streets, she at length got
into Greek-street, Soho, where I saw her run across
the road, and knock hard at a door, and the fellow
then quickly retraced his steps. As soon as I could,
without his perceiving me, I went to the house, where I
found the child in a very terrified and agitated state,
and in such a fainting condition that water had
to be given to her. With the permission of the people
in the house, I at once asked her whether she knew
the gentleman that had been following her about.
She replied, No, sir, I have come here to get away from
him. I live at Fulham, and he has been following me
about for more than an hour. He followed me all about
last week, and got into the omnibus after me. He keeps
nn asking me to go with him to his rooms, or to some
coffee-shop ; and he says if I will go with him he will
buy me a new dress, and give some money, and a
beautiful gold ring off his finger, and he will take
me to the All'anabra as well. I told him I
had come out on ail errand for my mother, and
could not go, and then he wanted me to come out to-night,
and meet him at half-past eight.' in answer to my further
inquiry, she told me she was 11 years of age. On hear-
ing her statement I requested the people to take care of
her while I followed the fellow, and try td find out
who he was. In a few minutes I got in sight of him
again, still loitering about. Here I saw him go up
to a respectable, lady-like looking girl, about 15,
who was looking in at a draper's window, and accost her.
What he said of course I do not know ; but she looked
at him very disdainfully, and walked sharply away.
He then walked on a little further, and accosted
another respectable-looking girl, apparently about
12 years of age, but she also refused his con-
versation, and went quickly away. lie went to
another street, and seeing a little girl, certainly not
more than 7, with her school-bag on her arm, and
standing looking at some photographs, he crossed over to
her, He stood close behind her for a minute or two, and
talked to her, and then took hold of her arm and tried to
lead her, but she broke from him and ran away. I lost
sight of her through people passing, but I think she ran
into a house a little higher. He followed up, and
while standing opposite the place where I think she
went in, evidently wondering which way she bad gone,
some women came and tossed over him some
dirty water. At this he became greatly annoyed, said it
was a disgraceful thing that a respectable man could not
walk along the streets without being insulted in that manner,
and that he would go for a policeman. I now caught
sight of a policeman at the bottom of the street just
coming up, so I hurried towards him, told him as quickly
as I could the circumstances, and asked him if he
would demand his name and address, as I would try and
take out a summons against him. I got, however, the
same reply ;he could not, he was afraid, demand it. On
arriving at the top of the street, the fellow—fur though
dressed like a gentleman, I cannot call him one—peremp-
torily required the policeman to obtain for him the name
of the women who threw the water over him. What
did they throw it over you for ?' inquired the police-
man. I don't know,' was the reply. ' Well,' rejoined
the policeman, ` this gentleman scenes to know what for;
he ssys he has been watching you for more than an hour,
and be says he has a charge to make against you, and he
requests me to ask for your name and address.' He, of
course, wanted to know what for, and, with very great re-
luctance, he eventually gave it on my giving mine, which,
of course, I did. He then said he held a very good position.
and would like to talk with me quietly about the matter.
I, however, refused any further conversation with him, as
I considered his proposals to little girls during the last two
hours perfectly disgraceful, and it was only because I did
not wish to expose him to any lynch law of the gathering
crowd that I did not tell him publicly more, but
I would certainly summon him if I could. I then re-
turned to Greek-street, Soho, and finding the little girl
still there, I got the woman to bring her with me to
Marlborough-street Police-court, where I endeavoured
to get from Mr. Knox a summons against him. He,
however, thought I had better see Messrs. Shaen and
Roscoe, the solicitors to the Society for the Protection of
Women and Children. We took the little girl there, and
saw the managing clerk, but he too was of opinion that
though there could not be the slightest moral doubt from
the child's statement as to the fellow's atrocious intentions,
yet nothing could be done because no crime had been per-
petrated."

A man named Aile, of Leeds, has met with hi;
death under very painful circumstances at Morecambe. Ha
strolled along the sands in that treacherous locality until
cut off by the in-coming tide, end then, although beckoned
to stand his ground until a boat could be sent to him, per-
sisted in endeavouricg to make for the shore. The channel
was deep, and the poor fellow went dcwn almost at once,
and never rose again. His body has since been recovered.

The outbreak of foot and month disease in Surrey
and other parts of England is all the more dangerous, as it
is not, it seems, to be wholly accounted for on the theory of
infection. At a meeting of the Manchester and Liverpool
Agricultural Society on Thursday, Mr. Egerton, of Talton,
stated that the complaint had broken out spontaneously in
his herd. There bad not been a single herd of strange cattle
near the place. The cattle herd at Tymo Park, too, had
been assailed iu the same way.

Leeds is to have a free public library. At a mcet-
Lg of the Council of that torough on Thursday, it was re-
solved to give effect to the de( of a public meeting of
the inhabitants held in March lest, by vppointing
c•Aumitteo to establish a public lil racy. There wen
some oppos:tion, and an amendment to the motiou was
t.'reatened; 1 ut was declared in:Willis-Me; end the Town
tTh•rk that if the CouLcil did not act in ercordance wi:h
ths! resolution of the inhabitants, any individual ratepayer
might put the Act in force.

The " over zealous" character of the police has been
illustrated at Rochdale. A "drunken countryman," in a
piece t eing acted at Pablo's Circus, was going through
his part, and causing the other actors to cry
out " Police!" To the surprise of the performers and
some of the audience two police-officers rushed into the ring,
declarirg they could not permit a drunken man to
interfere with the progress of the pet formance,
collared the unfortunate actor, and dragged him out
of the circus. Ate although Hickey loudly pro-
-I:stud he was not drunk, but acting the character,
they kept him until Bellowed by Mr. Pablo, who, amid pro-
tracted roars of laughter from the assembled crowd, es•
plained the plot of t 2 piece to the police. Iyho at length air
Lip their charge.