The Sun.
London, England, 1861-01-31 00:00:00

A DELICATE INVESTIGATION.

Samuel Copping, formerly a detective sergeant
belonging to the P division of police, and Adam
Saunders, a pensioned constable from the L divi-
sion, attended before Mr. Elliott, at the Lambeth
Police Court yesterday, to answer two summonses
each, the one charging an assault, and the other
wilful and malicious damage—in fact attributing
to them an outrage of a most unusual character.
Mr. Hutchinson, an attorney, appeared on behalf
of the complainants to support the charge; and
Mr. Sleigh, instructed by some gentleman whose
name did not transpire, attended for the defendants.
Mr. Hutchinson said he should charge the defen-
dants jointly with assault and battery, and after
proving the charge, which was one of an outrageous
character, it would be his duty to call on his wor-
ship to send the case to the sessions, that it might
be dealt with as it deserved. The learned gentle-
man then called Mr. Charles Percival, a young
man, into the witness-box. When sworn, he said
he occupied apartments at the house, No. 1, Thorn-
bury-place, Walworth, and knew both the defen-
dants by sight, but nothing more. On Thursday
morning last, at about seven o'clock, while partly
dressed, he heard a loud knocking at his bed-room
door, and asked who was there, but received no
answer. He heard one of the defendants, he be-
lieved Copping—say, " Let it go," and both ap-
peared to be forcing the door. The door was forced,
and he then saw both the defendants, each with a
large stick. They did not say what they wanted,
but were about to force their way into the room
when a desperate struggle took place between them.
Saunders was in front, and Copping was pushing
him from behind, and while he (witness) was
engaged in preventing Saunders from forcing his
way in Copping poked his stick into his eye, but
fortunately did not injure him much. Copping
also kicked him on the legs, and both he and
Saunders succeeded in getting into the room. On
doing so they commenced pulling down the bed
and tearing down the curtains, and then went
away.

Mr. Hutchinson—Now, during the whole of the
time they were there, did the defendants, or either
of them, tell you what they came there for ?
Witness—They did not. I asked them if they
wanted to arrest me ? and they said they did not
want to injure me, but still they did not tell me
what they wanted.
__

Mr. Hutchinson—Have you suffered from your
resistance to the violence of the defendants?

Witness—Yes, I am injured inside by the struggle,
and have been attended by a medical gentleman.
Mr. Sleigh—Now, Mr, Percival, you say you
have no notion whatever of the cause of the visit of
the defendants ?
Mr. Percival—l do.
Mr. Sleigh—And you will swear that up to the
present moment you are ignorant of the fact ?
Mr. Percival—They did not say what they came
there for, and I do not know it.
Mr. Sleigh-1)o you know a Mr. and Mrs. Clark ?
Mr. Percival—Yes, and I have known Mrs. Clark
for 15 years—long before her marriage.
Mr. Sleigh—And you were in the habit of being
a good deal at the house of Mr. Clark, I believe ?
Mr. Percival—Yes.
Mr. Sleigh—And you are aware that Mrs. Clark
is separated from her husband.
Mr. Percival—Yes, I am.

Mr. Sleigh—Had not Mrs. Clark been in the
habit of visiting you at your lodging in West-
iqinare ?
Mr. Percival—Certainly not.
Mr. Sleigh—That you will swear ?
Mr. Percival—Yes.
Mr. Sleigh—Were you living alone in your pre-
sent lodgings ?
Mr. Percival—Yes.

Mr. Sleigh—Do you mean to swear, sir, that
there was not a lady in the room with you on the
Thursday morning when the defendants called P
Mr. Percival—There was no lady in my room,
Mr. Sleigh—Pray, does Mrs. Clark reside there ?
Mr. Percival—Yes, she is living in the same
house, but in a separate apartment from mine. Mrs.
Clark did not go there to lodge with me, and I do
not know how long it was after my taking the
apartment that she came there.
Mr. Sleigh—Are you an unmarried man ?
Percival—No; I am married, but separated from
my wife.

Sleigh—And you, a married man, and sepa-
rated from your wife, and Mrs. Clark, a married
woman, and separated from her husband, live in
the same house. Now, I wish to ask you, on your
oath, whether Mrs, Clark was not found by the
defendants concealed in a cupboard in your bed-
room ?

Mr. Percival—That cupboard had a door which
led from my bedroom to the apartment occupied
by Mrs. Clark. (Laughter.)
Mr. Sleigh—And that door fixed in the cupboard
was opened at pleasure by.either Mrs. Clack or
yourself, and would admit the one into the bed-
room of the other, and vice versa?
Mr. Pe.reivol—Well, I suppose so. (Renewed
laughter.)
The witness, after being subjected to a further
searching cross-examination, was asked some ques-
tions by Mr. Hutchinson, with the view of show-
ing that ill-treatment had been the cause of Mrs.
Clark leaving her husband, but Mr. Sleigh objected
to it.
Mr. Hogwood, the landlord of the house, was
called, and corroborated ii, part of the tvqirnopy
of the last witness. He also complained of the
scrim injury done to his property by the violence
.