The Sun.
London, England, 1867-12-26 00:00:00

Mr. Ricketts here said that he should satisfac
torily prove that the prisoner was drunk, and ha
been so all the latter part of the day, and that he
should call witnesses who would confirm this state-
ment. He trusted that after hearing this evidence
Sir 'Thomas would discharge him.
A witness named Mack, working at the Impe-
rial Gas Works, deposed that he had been drinking
at various public•houses in the neighbourhood of
the gasworks, and that they all got pretty nearly
drunk. This was after four o'clock. When pri-
soner left him he thought he was drunk. Michael
Lowry and Mrs. West gave confirmatory evidence.
Mr. Poland said that it was wrong to suppose
that the Treasury had taken up this matter. They
really were only watching the case upon the infor-
mation of persons who thought it their duty to
come forward. Under all the circumstance; he
should hardly ask that the prisoner should be sent
to trial, but that he should be bound over.
Sir Thomas Henry said he thought that Mr.
Poland had taken the right course, and that no
jury would convict the prisoner, therefore he must
find two sureties in £lO each, and the imprisonment
ha had undergone he richly deserved for his
drunken habits.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—This Day.

MARLBOROUGH-STREE P.

ONSLAUGHT ON THE POLICE—A BEGGARS' MEET-
ING.—James Wilson and William Crompton, two
rough-looking fellows, were charged before Mr.
Knox with behaving in a disorderly manner,
Crompton being further charged with assaulting
Police-constable John Moore, 193 C.

Sergeant George Appleton, 26 C, said—About 9
o'clock last night my attention was called to the
British Stores beer-shop, in Gerrard-street, Soho,
by hearing a great noise. On looking in I saw
about fifty persons, nearly all of them known to
me as beggars, drunk, hallooing, and fighting ; and
as soon as I entered the house with a constable there
was a general onslaught on us, and pots were thrown
at us. Finding we could not cope with the persons
I sent for some of the inhabitants, and they assisted
me, and we got the persons out. Wilson then re-
fused to go away and I ordered him to be taken into
custody, and while Wilson was gone to the station,
Crompton returned with some of his companions and
set to shouting and hallooing.
Mr. Knox —Were both the prisoners concerned
in the onslaught on the police, and were they both
drunk ?

Sergeant Appleton —They were. •
John Moore, 193 C—At nine o'clock last night
I went with the sergeant to the British Stores, and
saw a number of drunk and disorderly persons.
On getting them into the street they set to
shouting, and hallooing, and would not go away.
After taking Wilson to the station, I returned and
took Crompton into custody, and on the way to the
station he set to kicking and plunging, and kicked
my legs from under me, and we had great difficulty
in getting him to the station, and he nearly tore the
nail off one of my fingers.
Mr. Edward Yeomans, an inhabitant of Gerrard-
street, said—Having been sent for by the sergeant,
I went to the British Stores, and there saw between
forty and fifty of the lowest persons in Lon-
don. I persuaded the persons to leave, and
as soon as they got outside they began quarrelling,
shouting at the tops of their voices. Wilson abused
me, saying that he had killed many a better man
than me, and Crompton said that he had paid for a
pint of beer, and he was -- if he would not break
every pane of glass in the place.

Mr. Knox—Has the attention of the authorities
been called to the house ?

Sergeant Appleton—lt has ; they had made the
place a meeting place yesterday, having got plenty
of money and got drunk.
Mr. Yeomans—l'm told that they beg all day
and leave the money they get with the landlady on
their leaving the house to get a bed in the casual
wards, and that they call for their money the fol-
lowing morning.

Mr. Knox fined each of the prisoners 40s. or a
month for their disorderly conduct, and committed
Crompton for a month without a fine for assaulting
the constable.

James Doyle, alias Bryan, one of the same class
as the other prisoners, was brought up for behaving
himself in a disorderly manner and breaking a pane
of glass of the value of 405., the property of Mr.
Bentley, of Wardour-street.
The prisoner went into Mr. Bentley's house, in-
sulted the customers because they would not give
him beer, and then on being put out of the house
deliberately smashed a pane of glass in the window.
Mr. Knox committed the prisoner for a month
without a fine.

A number of persons were brought before Mr.
Knox this morning, charged with being drunk and
incapable, and drunk and disorderly. Where
c,he charge was only for drunkenness the offenders
were discharged, and in the other cases Mr. Knox,
taking the festive season into consideration, im-
posed slight fines.