The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-27 00:00:00

THE CORONER AND THE POLICE.

On Saturday, at the Afarylebone Vestry, held in
the Court-house, lqarylebone-lane, Mr. Church-
warden Poland in the chair. _ _

Mr. GREEN WELL, the vestry-clerk, brought up a
report of a special committee appointed to consider
the threatened interference with the coroner's ju-
risdiction, as proposed by,a recent Royal Commis-
sion, whereby that office would be made entirely
subservient to that police. The report set forth :
" Your committee having taken into their consi-
deration the matters referred to them, have ascer-
tained that the commissioners appointed by the
coroners on the 11th of May, 1858, recommended
as follows :-Ist. That the Home Secretary be
empowered to lay down regulations for the hold-
ing of inquests, and to require the police to
sign the requisition to the coroner, by which
the proceedings of that officer would be set in
motion. 2d. That in future the coroners be
paid a salary, to be fixed by the justices in
quarter-sessions, subject to the approval of the
Home Secretary. With regard to the first of these
recommendations, your committee cannot concur in
its propriety, having in view that the coroner's
court is one of inquiry, and. not ncce:sarily of ac-
cusation ; that it originated from a desire to place
the system of civilised and social existence on a
firm basis, and that its effects have been to render
human life more sacred and secure in this than
perhaps iii any other nation in the world. The
proposition to confine the initiatory proceedings of
this important court to one class of her Majesty's
subjects, and that to a body of men partly armed,
seems to your committee to demand the strongest
protest, and they recommend the vestry to take
such measures, either by appeal to the Home Sec-
retary or by communication with the members for
the borough, as they may obviate this change,
which they consider would be fatal to the efficiency
and universality of the institution. Your com-
mittee consider that the second recommendation of
the commissioners, viz., to pay the coroner a fixed
salary, instead of fees as heretofore, deserves favour-
able consideration, inasmuch as it would terminate
the unsatisfactory feeling now existing between
some coroners and the justices, who it appears have
disallowed the fees of the coroners in certain cases.
" Your committee do not consider that the plan
proposed would result in too few inquests being
held, as the coroners would be amenable to the
Court of Queen's Bench on the one hand, and to
public opinion on the other. Your committee are
of opinion, therefore, that it would not be advisable
to alter the present mode of initiating the proceed-
ings of the coroner's court, which is now done by
the representation of two or more residents of the
locality where a sudden or violent death has oc-
curred, subject to the option of the coroner holding
the inquiry.
" Your committee have had, in the course of their
inquiry into the matter, referred to them some col-
lateral considerations brought under their notice,
the result of which they venture to suggest to the
vestry—first, as to the election of coroner. Your
committee, considering the appointment of the pre-
sident and judge of this important court is very
properly vested in the freeholders of the county,
and that no unnecessary delay or expense should
prevent the free choice of a suitable peuson, are of
, where a poll is demanded,
opinion that the duration
for 15 days is objectionable, and ought to be assimi-
lated to the practice at Parliamentary elections.
2d. As to the procedure before the court, your com-
mittee consider that in order to put an end to the
unseemly struggles which have frequently occurred
between the coroner and the Government authori-
ties in cases where criminality is involved, the per-
son suspected ought, when in custody of those au-
thorities, to be produceable at the coroner's court,
inasmuch as it may be considered not conducive to
a fair investigation that it should be conducted in
his absence."
Mr. HODGES, as chairman of the committee,
moved the adoption of the report, which was se-
conded by Mr. B, 11. SMART;

Mr. Taverner, Mr. Nicholay, Mr. Carr, and
others strongly supported it, and it was adopted
neon. con.

The vestry clerk was then directed to forward
a copy to the Herne Secretary, and the vestry ad-
journed.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE—Dec. 26.

MARYLEBONE.-IVilliam Ellons, a private in
the Coldstream Guards, was brought before Mr.
Broughton, charged with the following violent
assaults :

Mary Burns, 60, Ossulston-street, St. Pancras,
deposed that on the previous night she was passing
along the Marylebone-road, when the prisoner,
without saying a word, placed his arm round her
neck ; she called him a blackguard, and desired him
to go about his business, upon which he gave her
two blows on the face, and made off.
William Allen, who was walking a short dis-
tance behind Miss Burns, stated that he was met
by the prisoner, by whom he was struck a severe
blow on the mouth.
Maybank, 270 S, said that when he took the
prisoner into custody Allen was then bleeding ; and
at the station-house prisoner denied the assaults
sworn to. He was the worse for drink.
Mr. Broughton convicted him in two separate
penalties of 40s. ; in default of payment, a month's
imprisonment in each case.
Thomas Cahill, an ex-policeman, was charged
wish assaulting two constables of the D division.
The evidence went to state that on the previous
morning at two o'clock the prisoner was creating
a disturbance in the Harrow-road. He was desired
to go on quietly, but he refused to do so, and vio-
lently attacked Clarke, 160, and Kimber, 65.
The prisoner was fined in the first,case 305., or
six weeks, and for the other 20s. ; in default of
payment six weeks in the first case, and in the
other three weeks in the House of Correction.

CLERKENWELL.—John Griffiths, Frederick
Newland, and Matilda Newland, three persons well
known to the police, were charged before Mr.
Corrie under the following circumstances :
The prisoners were seen by Sergeant Evans, 22
G, an active plainclothes sergeant, in front of a
house near the City-road, talking together. The
sergeant, in company with Police-constable Short,
77 G, watched them for some time, and saw cne of
the prisoners try one of the street-doors, when they
were taken into custody, and at the station some
skeleton keys were found in their possession. The
prisoners gave a false address, but their residence
being found, it was searched, and in it was found a
work-box, a number of ,•writing and other articles,
the proceeds of a burglary which had been com-
mitted, and from which property had been taken of
the value of £3O. The prisoners have before been
in custody for robberies from the person, and have
been long known to the police as despei ate thieves.
When they were taken into custody the male pri-
soner, Newland, dropped a key which would open
the door of the house at which the robbery of £3O
had been committed.
Mr. Corrie sent the prisoner to the sessions for

trial. ---
LAMBETH.—Keturch Grobeckor, a merchant's
clerk, and a person of respectable appearance, ap-
peared before Mr. Elliott to answer a summons
charging him with deserting his wife and child,
and leaving them chargeable to the ratepayers of
the parish of Camberwell.
Mr. Sedgeley, the relieving officer of the parish
of Camberwell, said the wife and child of the pri-
soner were chargeable to the parish.
Mrs. Grobecker, a rather good-looking young
woman, said she had been turned out of her house
by her husband, wh• told her at the time she might
go and get her living in the streets, or in any other
way she thought proper; and she was ultimately
compelled to apply for relief to Camberwell parish.
In cross-examination by Mr. Charnock, who at-
tended for the defendant, the witness said she left
her husband in 1855, and that he subsequently al-
lowed her ss. a week.

Mr. Elliott—How long is it since ho discon-
tinued the allowance of ss. a week ?
Witness•—About six months ago.
Mr. Charnoelc—Had you been delivered of a
child in the month of December, 1857 ?
Wttness—Yes, on the 15th December.
c• Mr. Charnock—Then tell his worship who the
father of that child is.
Witness—Am I bound to do so ?
Mr. Charnock—Of course you are.
Witness—Then I refuse to say 'who is the father
of that child.

Mr. Charnock—Have you not since then had a
miscarriage in Bethnal-,green workhouse?
Mr. Elliott—lt is useless pursuing this case fur-
ther. The wife has admitted to the guilt of adul-
tery, and after that I cannot think of making an
order on the husband, and
The summons is, therefore, dismissed.

THANES.—Robert Forrest, a clerk in the em-
ploy of the London Dock Company, was brought
bofore Mr. Selfe, charged with assaulting Rachael
Moss, a
Jewess, and wife of Mr. Isaac Moss, the
landlord of the Sir Walter Raleigh public-house, in
-Whitechapcl.
It appeared from the evidence of the complainant,
which was given with great diffidence and modesty,
that on Saturday night she was in Charlotte-street,
Whitechapel, in company with another married
woman, when the prisoner accosted her, stooped
down, and laid hold of the top of her boots, at the
same time making a vulgar noise with his mouth.
She repulsed him, but he repeated the offence, and
alarmed her very much indeed. She pushed him
away, on which he struck her, and ran away. She
followed him to the opposite side of the street, and