The Sun.
London, England, 1857-09-26 00:00:00

THE BOLYWELL-STREET SEIZURES.

Yesterday being the day appointed for the hearing of
the summonses, at the Bow-street Police-court, against
the persons at whose houses the seizure of obscene books,
papers, engravings, &c., were mede on Tuesday la-t, Mr.
Bodkin again attended for the Crown, and the whole of
the property was produced by the police.
Superintendent Durkin said he had ( onmined the
whole of these productions, and found the greater por-
tion of them to be obscene. A few did not appear to be
positively obscene, and some were in sealed packets, but
with inscriptions leading to the inference that the con-
tents were obscene.
The first summons called was one against Wm. Smith,
of 52, Holywell-street, who did not appear, bet was re-
presented by counsel, who proposed to consent to the
destruction of the articles.
Mr. Bodkin observed that as it was possible that pro-
ceedings might be instituted against the defendant, and
that some portions of the books, &c., might ba required
as evidence against him, no doubt he would be glad to
have the evidence destroyed. 0 the part of the Crown
he (Mr. Bodkin) could not consent to that, but proposed
the adjournment of the case till the Crown should decide
whether further proceedings should be taken, and al-0
that the magistrate should have time to perform the pain-
ful but inevitable task of exmining theAe things.
Mr. Jardine was afraid he should be compelled to do
so, and as that would not be possible in the course of the
sitting, he thought the adjournment was the only course.
The defendant's counsel observed that there were two
pictures in miniature cases among the articles seized.
He understood that the gold mountings were worth 20,.
and upwards, and he considered it was a question
whether condemning the picture the magistrate was to
condemn the gold in which it is mounted.
Mr. Bodkin: When the things are being destroyed
the police will deface the indecent pictures, and return
the cases and mountings to the defendant.
After some further conversation, the case was ad-

journed.
In the next case, that of Charles Paul, 2, Holy well-
street, the defendant's solic't Tsai 1 : I have to ask your
worship, with Mr. Bodkins consent, to adjlurn the
case to the same date, and in the meantime to consider
whether the article; come under the act.
Mr. Bodkin—Why, that is the vtry imrpose of the
adjournment.
The Solicitor—l mean to say that that will be wy
objection. I shall not contend that they are nut
obscene.
The case was accordingly adj
The case of Mary Wilson, of 40, Wych-street, who
did not appear to the surnm,m4, was also adjourned.
In the case of James Thornhill, of 33, Holy well-street,
Mr. Mitchell stated that there were a much smaller
number of books, and those chiefly consisted of a book
called "Aristotle's Masterpiece," in respect to which it
might be questioned whether it was obscene. There
were, however, some prints of undoubtedly obscene

character.
The same council appeared in this case, and said Oat
the books, &c., seized were not for sale, being part of
the stock left by a previous tenant. In this case, and
that of Smith, he undertook that no books of the kind
sh,uld be soli, and invited the surveillancs of the police.
The two remaining cases, those of Mary Elliott, 14,
Holywell-street, and Iteves, 40, Wych-street, were
adjourned to the same date.