The Sun.
London, England, 1866-09-03 00:00:00

SURREY

This Day.

(Before J. E. Johnson, Esq., and a full bench of Magistrates.)
The Sessions for the current month commenced this
morning.

INCREASE OF CRIME IN SURREY.
The Chairman, in delivering his charge to the Grand
Jury, said that he was sorry to state that the calendar con-
tained thenames of a large number of prisoners. He believed
there were no less than 60 names on the calendar already,
and when the cases in which the parties were out on bail,
or had been committed since the list had been made out,
the probability was that there would be 70 cases to be tried
during the present sessions. That amount was larger than
usual, but the nature of the offences was not of the
most aggravated description. There were 25 cases
of stealing from the person, two for stealing from dwelling
houses, two for embezzlement of sums not ex-
ceeding £5, and different cases of assaulting the police in!the
discharge of their duty, and other offences of the ordinary
character. There was one case of arson, and a question
arose as to whether that case could be tried by this court,
bat circumstances might arise in the course of the inquiry
which would bring it within the jurisdiction of the court.,
He repeated that the list of cases was very large, and con-
siderably exceeded that of the corresponding period of
last year, which was only forty-eight. How that in-
crease could have taken place, he was at a loss to
understand, considering the season of the year,
the large demand for labour and the high rate of wages,
and therefore there was an absence of the ordinary circum-
stances which led to the commission of theft. Of the num-
ber of. prisoners to be tried, 21 had been previously con-
victed. One had been sentenced twice to penal servitude,
and the term of the last sentence had expired only last
month, but he could not say whether the party had ob-
tained a ticket of leave. In several of the other
cases also the terms of the different sentences had
only recently expired. There was one, case in which he

wished to direct special attention. It came under the pro-
visions of an act of Parliament recently passed for the

purpose of securing sobriety amongst railway servants, and
which rendered any act of intoxication on their part while
in the discharge of their duty criminal. Considering the
importance of the duties which that class of servants had
to discharge, involving the safety of life and property, he
thought the Legislature had acted wisely in dealing with
the subject. He then dismissed the jury to their duties.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—This Day,

BOW-STREET.

MUSIC) EDUCATION.-Six youths dressed in the Italian
mountaineer costume, which has lately become so familiar
in the streets of London, and two of them provided with
bagpipes, in an extreme state of dilapidation, were brought
up in custody of Hewitt, the Mondicity officer, on a charge
of begging. They gave the names Carmite Parelli Nar-
dine Margiott'. Paolo Fel.; Lorets Coppoli, Pietro Mo-
selle, and Guiseppe Costellucis. The: ages varied from
12 to 18.

Hewitt stated that on Saturday afternoon he found the
prisoners, and three others, in Great Russell-street beg-
ging. They were not, as usual, with the bands of moun-
taineers seen in the streets, playing their bagpipes, singing
and dancing, following ladies and gentlemen with suppli-
cating gesteres, and holding out their hands for money.
Ho gave them in custody to a policeman. They had all
some coppers in their pockets, together about 2s.
Signor G. Luciano, the Secretary of the Italian Benevo-
lent Society, 20, Greyllle-street, Holborn, said he had
conversed with the boys since they were in custody, and
found they had only been in London four days, and this
was the first day they had been out. As might be imagined
from the strong likeness between them, they were all
nearly related. They we_•o brought from their homes by
a " padrone," to whom they had been apprenticed by their
parents to receive a "musical education" in England.
The padrone had brought them to Paris, where he now
remained, and had sent them on to London. Although
they were not very likely to learn much of music under
the padrone's tuition, there was no doubt they could earn,
by dancing and singing in the streets, as much money in
three months as would keep them for the rest of the year.
Of this, however, they would not have the benefit, at all
events during the time of apprenticeship, as they were
obliged to hand over all the money they received to the
padrone. He (Mr. Luciano) had explained to them that
they were not allowed to beg; and if the magistrate would 1
let them go for this once, the Society would send them
back to their padrone at Paris.

Upon this condition the prisoners were discharged.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

UNPROVOKED ASSAULT ON A YOUNG FEMALE.—Angus
XPLeod, a baker, residing at Brixton, was charged, before
Mr. Tyrwhitt, with the following unprovoked assault on
a young female named Elizabeth Somerville.

The complainant said that a little after ten o'clock last.
night she was walking along Coventry-street, when the
prisoner came up to her and without saying a word to her
gave her a severe blow on tho face. Ho then seized her
by the throat, and held her tightly till a constable came
up.

In answer to Mr. Tyrwhitt, the complainant said she
had taken no notice of the prisoner, who was an entire
stranger to her.

Police-constable Langham, 103 C, said that, while in
Covently-street last night, he heard a female calling
" Police," and on going up found the prisoner holding the
complainant by the throat so tightly that he had some diffi-
culty in making him release his hold. He then took the
prisoner, who was drunk, to the station.
The prisoner said he had no questions to ask. Igo knew
nothing about it.

Mr. Tyrwhitt told the prisoner that he was a fair speci-
men of a class of savages who haunted London. It was
an unprovoked attack on the complainant for nothing at
all. For picking pockets persons were committed for three
months, but what was picking pockets compared with a
brutal assault ? Nothing at all. He should commit the
prisoner for three months with hard labour.