The Sun.
London, England, 1860-12-24 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE--Dec, 22.

MANSION-HOUSE.—As usual at this period,
there were a good many applicants for assistance ;
but although this is rendered with no niggardly or
parsimonious hand, the public may rest assured
that every care is taken to prevent imposition, and
that while professional impostors stand very little
chance of abusing the generosity of the public, no
real case of distress is neglected, and every gen-
tleman connected with the court appears to feel
sincere pleasure in relieving such cases in a kind
and liberal spirit.
Among the applicants for relief on Saturday was
a very well-dressed woman, apparently about 35
years old, who made a rather extraordinary state-
ment.

The applicarit, who was evidently a woman of
education, stated that she was the wife of
a brewer in a large way of business, but he
had left her, and had professed to make a settlement
upon her when he did so, but she had been un-
able to obtain any money under it, and when she
applied to the solicitors who had prepared the deed

upon the subject, they only laughed at her. She
had ascertained that her husband was living with
another woman, and she imagined that they were
cohabiting together, but she had since ascertained
that they were married at Chertsey Church.
The applicant here handed to the alderman a
marriage certiicate, and several letters which she
said were written by persons of high condition who
had been acquainted with her family, but she
earnestly requested that no names might be
mentioned.

She then went on to say that she had endeavoured
to institute proceedings against her husband for
bigamy, but one solicitor to whom she applied would
not undertake the case unless she paid down £5O,
and another required £3O, and as she was utterly
unable to pay either of these sums, she could not do
anything in the matter.
Mr. Goodman, the chief clerk,told the applicant
that she did not require the assistance of a solicitor
at all. The offence was felony, and if she applied to
any magistrate of the county of Surrey, and satis-
fied him that the charge was well founded by the
production of the certificates of the two marriages,
or otherwise, he would at once grant a warrant for
her husband's apprehension.
The applicant said she had learned that her hus-
band had settled £250 a year upon the person who
was living with him as his wife, in anticipation of
any legal proceedings being taken against him, and
she believed that he had also made arrangements,
the moment he became aware that any charge had
been prepared against him, to leave the country.
Alderman Rose told her the magistrate who
granted the warrant would take care to have it
executed before her husband could have an oppor-
tunity of getting away.
The applicant thanked the alderman for the in-
formation she had received, but said that the prin-
cipal object she now had in view was to ask for
some temporary assistance, as she really was in a
state of utter destitution.

Alderman Rose inquired how she had been ob-
taining a livelihood down to the present time.
She replied that since her husband had deAerted
her she had supported herself by giving Shak-
sperian readings in different parts of the country.
Alderman Rose, after putting some further ques-
tions to the applicant, directed that 10s. should be
given to her to enable her to proceed to Chertsey,
and make inquiries relating to her husband's
marriage.

WORSHIP-STREET.—Edward Alston, a news-
vendor and dealer in periodicnls, carrying on busi-
ness at 12, Finsbury-street, Chiswell"street, in the
parish of St. Leonard, Shoreditch, was summoned
before Mr. Knox for unlawfully exercising his
worldly labour, business, and work of ordinary call-
ing (the same not being a work of necessity or
charity), by selling, on the 9th day of December
instant, being a Sunday, to Alexander Henderson,
a book of songs, contrary to the statute.
Mr. Beard prosecuted ; and the defendant, who
could not appear, but was represented by his father,
had no legal adviser.

Mr. Beard said that the proceedings in question
were framed under the Act of 29th Charles 11., and
empowered a magistrate to inflict a penalty cer-
tainly not of great amount, the maximum being
only ss. for each offence ; and as it was assuredly
not a work of necessity or charity to sell a " Music-
hall Song-book" on the Sabbath-day, the defendant
was, on proof of his having done so, clearly liable.
It appeared that this process was obtained by the
complainant under the following peculiar circum-
stances :—About a fortnight since Henderson, who
is a photographic artist, occupying a portion of
premises in King William-street, City, and where
Mr. Magrath, a tradesman, resides, the present
defendant's father being foreman to the latter, was
summoned before the Lord Mayor for pursuing his
calling on the Sabbath-day and fined for so doing.
Something like an animus, therefore, in consequence
of this, seemed to actuate the photograpMst when
he effected the purchase of a song book at the shop
of defendant, and it was the source of a distinct
intimation by the magistrate that ho would not
countenance such a feeling.
Mr. Beard upon this observed that fines were
always imposed in the City courts under the sta-
tute in question; indeed, the magistrates there had
stated that they were bound to inflict the penalty.
Defendant at once admitted the sale of the song-
book, but protested that another should not be
bought out of his shop even by Prince Albert, if
that person required one.
Mr.Knox—lt is my intention to mark, by inflict-
ing the minimum penalty upon the defendant, the
opinion I have respecting such prosecutions. News-
papers are sold in shops throughout London on a
Sunday. and such an article as the present is kept
by many of those tradesmen. lam determined to
discourage all steps of the kind now before me, and
not allow this court to be made an arena for a
" Corsican Brothers" quarrel. The decisions in
the City courts will not influence me. With
respect to the amount of fine, I simply, having
consulted the statute, order the defendant to pay
ls., and say nothing about costs.
Mr. Beard—The prosecution, sir, is for the sake
of advancing public morality. I trust you will
not allow my client to be out of pocket by it,
which he must be by being deprived of his costs.
Perhaps your opinion is that the act in question
is one that should not be recognised.
Mr. Inox—l say nothing of that. It is not for
ine, a humble instrument of the law, to seek to
overrule the legislature. The decision in the case
has been given.
The matter then dropped.
William Morris, a youth, was charged before
Mr. Knox with assaulting his father, residing in
Winbourne-street, New North-road.

Complainant—l find it a most painful act to
appear against my own son, sir, but his conduct is
so very bad that it beoomes my duty. He has an
excellent situation in Cheapside, lives at home
with us, and in fact has all he can wish for, yet at
times he is unbearable.

Defendant—And you are always drunk.
Mr. Knox—What was your son's offence on the
occasion in question?
Complainant—He threw 'a table knife at me,
which struck my forehead and cut it. I went for
a police-constable and had him locked up, but he
was bailed out.

Defendant—l had not any knife ; you owed me
a shilling, and because I asked for it you seized me
by the hair and dragged me about. I tried to get
from you, and my ring., accidentally cut your head.
Brothers and sisters are turned out of doors by you,
and it is impossible to live in quiet.
N 524—1 saw the youth strike his mother several
times with a rolling pin. There was a most dis-
graceful disturbance.
Mr. Knox—Wizy do you live at home, lad ?
Defendant (bursting into tears)—l will leave the
house, sir, and go for a soldier.

Mr. Knox—lay, I don't say that you should do
that; you have a good situation; but understand
this, and never forget it—not any possible excuse
can exist for a son striking a parent. It is a lamenta-
ble state of things when scenes of this description
occur in a family. I am not altogether satisfied
with the complaint against you being entirely un-
provoked, under which fact you excitedly did some
injury to your father. Ido trust however not with
a knife.
Defendant—lndeed, indeed, no, sir.
Mr. Knox—l shall have you and your father
bound over to keep the peace for six months.

SOUTHWARK.—EIIen Keelor, a middle-aged
Irish woman, was brought up for further examina-
tion, charged with attempting to murder Hannah
Buckley, by striking her on her head with a fire-
shovel, whereby her life was in danger.
Mr. Edwin, for the complainant, said that his
client was in a very bad state from the injuries re-
ceived, and although she was just able to attend this
court, he did not think she was in a fit state to give
evidence. It appeared that the complainant was a
domestic servant, and on the evening of the sth
instant she was on a visit to her mother, a poor
hard working woman, living in Bell's place, Ber-
mondsey. While walking out with her sister they
were stopped by Mr. Layard's procession coming
from the Saint Helena Tavern, and, as they
were looking on, the prisoner, who had a
spite against her, struck her several times,
and then ran away. About half an hour
after that, as his client was going home past
the prisoner's house, she rushed out with the fire
shovel in her hands, and struck the complainant
several blows on the head. with it, nearly murder-
ing her. Her screams for
s
assistanceonon conveyed broughtthhem s
o pe. Ser-
geantto, a severalnd
il neighboursow an out,d aln9d
msh
was IN' a
finding the prisoner had barricaded herself in her
house, he was compelled to burst the door open to
take her into custody. The complainant was after-
wards taken to the hospital, where she remained
nearly a fortnight, and had now attended at great
risk to give evidence.
The magistrate said that it did not appear to hiss
that she was yet in a fit state ; in fact, he thought
she was considerably worse. He directed the offi-
cer to convey her to the hospital, and ascertain her
real state,

Sergeant Howland, 19 M, conveyed her to the
hospital, and in a short time returned to the court,
and informed his worship that the authorities had
detained her.
The prisoner was therefore further remanded.

LAMBETH.—Mrs. Mary Ann Douglas, a well-
dressed female of about 28 years of age, was charged
before the Hon. G. C. Norton with attempting an
act of suicide by cutting her throat, and also
intending to destroy her child.
From the evidence adduced it appeared that aboutA

four years ago the prisoner and her husband took
apartments at 54, Duke-street, Westminster-road:
and from the testimony of the landlady it appeared
that the husband had been in the habit of treating
her with great neglect, and had frequently told her
thab the best thing she could do ss•as to cut her
r
throat, On Friday afternoon her hvsband ca
home in a cab, packed up his clothes, an was going
away, when the prisoner followed hint into the
street, and begged of him to return•to tt;e house
and remain at home, but he refused to do sO, Ana
after knocking her down tw iee he drove a ,way,
After he was gone the prisoner appeared to be in
very dejected state, and between five and six o'cl oak
the landlady heard a loud shriek and a heavy fall
on the floor. She ran upstairs and found the pri-
soner lying on her back on the floor, the blood
streaming from a wound in her throat, and $
table knife in her right hand.
In reply to the charge the poor woman stated
that her husband and herself were natives of Man-
chester, and had kept a beer-house in that city for
some time; but her husband haying formed a con-
nexion with a young woman there, not more than
15 or 16 years of age, the business was neglected
and they ultimately sold off and merle to London,
intending to set up here in a similar business.
Instead of making any exertion to do this, however,e
her husband was spending his time with the s
hasim,,
young woman, who had come to town aftc
and left prisoner in a perfectly neglected state. On
the preceding afternoon her husband came home
after a lengthen d absence. She followed him to
the cab, and asked him to return and stop at home;
but he refused to do so, and knocked her down
with his clenched fist, and while on the ground
kicked her repeatedly. So brutal was his usage
that she could not get up, and, while so disabled,
her husband jumped into the cab and drove oe.
In conclusion, the poor woman said that she was s 0
injured in body and distressed in mind that she
sc,.rcely knew what sh• did, but if allowed to go
home she would not attempt a further injury.
Mr. Norton directed that her information, ill
writing. should be taken and sworn to; and thig
having been done, he ordered a warrant to be made
out for the apprehension of the husband, and told
the policeman in the case to take the prisoner hock
to the workhouse.

HAMMERSMITH.—EIizabeth Holloway,
respectable-looking woman, who appeared woo
and ill, was placed in the dock be fore Mr. Darnell
charged with concealing the birth of her male child.
Police-constable Lawrence, No. 134, T division,
said that on Tuesday, the 27th ult., he was on dutf
in Warwick-gardens, Kensington, when he WO
called to the house of Mr. Pierpoint, a gentlemao
residing at N 0.16, in the Gardens, and he told
hire
that one of his servants had given birth to a child,
He went with Mr. Pierpoint to the dustbin, where
he found the dead body of a male child tied up in
a cloth. He conveyed the body to Kensington
Workhouse, and he apprehended the. prisoner that
morning. When he told her the charge she mad°
no answer.
Mr. H. L. Williams, a surgeon, of .Levnard-plscet
Kensington, stated that soon after 12 o'clock on the
night of the 26th ult. he was called to No. 16, and
he was shown up stairs to the prisoner, who, 139
understood, had been in bed for nearly two dills'
He put some questions to her, and then taxed bet
with having given birth to a child, but she deniei
it. He however found that she had been delivered of
a child. He continued to attend her until she was
removed to the workhouse. He subsequently raga'
a post-mortem examination of the body of the child:
There were no marks of Tiolence, and he found
that the child had not hTeathed.
Mr. Day-man said he sheuld remand the prisoneth
until Thursday for the attendance of the porter ab
the workhouse, to prove the receipt of the bog
from the constable.