The Sun.
London, England, 1867-11-01 00:00:00

Mr. Thomas Stevens, brother of the previous wi

ness, said that as soon as the female gave a signal
one of the prispners came across the street and said

to his (witness's) brother, " Who arc you?" and
then gave a whistle, and the other prisoner then
came across. Both prisoners then assaulted him
and his brother, but it being a dark spot he could
not speak positively as to which of the two assaulted

him, but after one had assaulted him he Mt him and
went to his brother, and the two prisoners assaulted
his brother. One of the females got the stick from
his brother and gave it to ono of the prisoners, who
struck him wish it. A cabman seeing the pri.ioner
striking him with a stick Lint him his whip to de-

fend himself with, and he dii so till the constable
came up. He was posi ive the two prisoners were

he men who assaulted them.

Police-constable James Billett, 223 C, said that
he was on duty in Regent-street, and a few minutes
before one he saw the two prisoners and two females
pass him and then separate, and Cornwell went
across the road to Chapel-place, and then called
out "Bill" as loud as he could, and Harris ran
across the road, and ho (Billett) then heard cries of
" Police" and " Murder," and the two females ran
across the road just before him, and on going into
the court he saw Cornwell and the first witness on
the ground together. lie took Cornwell into cue-
stody, and on getting into King-street Harris was
recognised by the last witness as one of the two who
had assaulted him, and he was also taken into
custody.

In answer to Mr. Knox, the constable said that
both prisoners appeared to have been engaged in a
recent struggle, as there was mud on their clothes.

Harris said that be was pushed against by one of
the complainants and knocked down without any
provocation, and all he did was in self-defence. He
did not consider that it was likely that two small
fellows like him and Cornwell would attack two
such men as the complainants.
Cornwell said he was sorry for what had occurred,
but he only took his own part. He was a brick-
layer, but not in work of late.
_ _

Mr. Knox said that he was far from thinking the
assault a common one. He would like to know
whether the prisoners were known.
Inspector Bowles banded Mr. Knox a book, and
from it it appeared that Harris had been convicted
of larceny, and sentenced to four years' penal ser-
vitude, and that he was in possession of a ticket of
leave.

Harris said that he had been endeavouring to live
honestly ever since he had been at large, and he
hoped the magistrate would give him a chance.
Mr. Knox said he was not going to do anything
at present. There was nothing one would not do
to help him (Harris) in his unfortunate position, but
with such a character as he had got he ought to
know that ho should not be walking the streets at
such an hour. The case had a very serious
look about it, as nothing was more common, as was
well-known at that office, than for women to stop
men, and if the men resisted the demands for
getting in connection with the females to, walk up
and attack and rob the men. He should order
strict inquiries to be made respecting the course of

life Harris had been pursuing since he had received
his ticket, and also respectingCornwell,and he would
inform the prisoners that not only would they receive
punishment for their offence, but Harris would go
back to Portland and serve the rest of his time.
The prisoners would be remanded.
Mr. Isaacson, laceman, of Regent-street, and
whose house is situated at the corner of Chapel-
court, stepped forward, and said that he had to com-
plain of the insufficiency of police protection
at night in Regent-street, such outrages as
the one he bad heard detailed being of frequent
nightly occurrence in Chapel-court. On the present
occasion all the persons in his house, principally
females, were woke up by screams of " Murder !" in
the court. Being a householder and a large rate-
payer, ho considered that something ought to be
done to stop the nuisance.

Mr. Knox said that Mr. Isaacsm's complaint
should be attended to.

AIR OF TIIE HOUSE OF COMIONS.—TII(I large
attendance of members last session made it necessary to
send more air than usual through the house. Upwa ds of
2,500,000 cubic feet were supplied per hour. It was ori-
ginally designed to supply air from a groat height—viz.
from the clock tower, but it was not found by experience,
that the air was so pure as the air from below, and it is
now drawn from the two courts of the House, the star-
Court and the Commons-court. Complaints were made
that a smell of tar, or a smell from something going on by
the side of the river, was drawn into the house. The ave-
rage temperature maintained in the house is 62 deg. In
hot weather the air cannot be kept down to that, but the
greater heat is then counteracted by increasing the velo-
city of the air.