The Sun.
London, England, 1868-07-01 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JULY 1, 1868.

Businese
lone.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

THAMES.

POLICE 11VTELLIGENCE.-THIS DAY.

A DETERMINED WOULD-BE SUICIDE.—Hed.wig
Hoffman, a young woman, was charged before Mr.
Tyrwhitt with attempting to commit suicide.
Police-constable Wilson, 407 A, said that seeing
a crowd of persons standing near the Serpentine he
went up to ascertain the cause, when he found that
the prisoner, who was standing against the railings,
and whose clothes were saturated with water, had
thrown herself into the Serpentine. He asked
her why she bad thrown herself
.into the
water, and she replied, "To commit suicide."
Ile took her to the receiving-house, and afterwards
to the workhouse, when she was supplied with fresh
clothing, and then to the station-house ; and while
on the way there she said that if she got off that
time she would go to the Thames and destroy her-
self. He had made inquiries respecting the pri-
soner, and ascertained that she hal been in the
asylum at Ifay ward Heath for nine months, and
then discharged. .

Mr. Tyrwhitt remanded the prisoner, that the
state of her mind might be ascertained.

CRUELTY TO A DONKEY.—James Holmes, of Gill-
street, Limehouse, appeared before Mr. Benson to
answer a charge of cruelty to a donkey.
The charge was preferred by Joseph Dobie, an
officer of the Royal Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals, and in support of his case he
called Mary Ann Stevens, of Moor's-cottages, Bow-
common, who was coming along Devon's-road,
Bromley, on the 10th of July, at six in the evening,
with a fast-trotting and valuable donkey, when the
defendant, who was armed with a thick and heavy
board, struck the donkey a tremendous blow
across its back, which made the poor
animal fall almost on its knees. lie then made a
second blow at the donkey with the board, which
the witness Stevens warded off with a sickle. The
donkey was disabled for a week—it went off its
feed and ate nothing for six days, and was very pe-
culiarly affected. _ _

Mr. James Broad, veterinary surgeon, on behalf
of the Royal Society, said that the heavy blow in-
flicted on the donkey caused temporary paralysis to
set in.

Dobie said the defendant struck the donkey, and
endeavoured to make it valueless because the owner
of it refused to sell it to him.

Mr. Benson said the defendant had been guilty
of great cruelty, and find him 10s. and 4s. costs,
which he paid.

WILD SPORTS OF THE EAST.—Thomas Ward, a
tall powerful fellow, was brought before Mr. Ben-
son, charged 'with violently assaulting James Hall,
115 11.

The prisoner had been severely beaten by the
policeman, who admitted that he had used his trun-
cheon freely, and if he had not, he should have
been killed. Ile found the prisoner drunk and in-
capable in Upper East Smithfield, and raised him
from the ground, on which the prisoner knocked
him down, got on the top of him, and bit him.
He described the biting, and said he was
much injured. The prisoner also kickei him. He
then used his truncheon. He was in great pain from
the bite.

The evidence of Hall was confirmed by Police-
sergeant Tranter, No. 4 11, who was present, and
assisted in picking up the prisoner.

Mr. Benson said he never heard before of any-
thing so malicious and diabolical as the conduct of
the prisoner, and sentenced him to six weeks' im-
prisonment and hard labour.
Ann ➢Tahomet, William Preston, and Emily
Wallis were brought before Mr. Benson charged
with being drunk and disorderly. and assaulting
John Tucker, a police-constable.
The complainant said that Mahomet was a woman
of infamous character, and married to a Tuscan.
Last night Mahomet was using very bad language
in Shadwell, and was very noisy. He took her into
custody. On the way to the station-house the
other prisoners met him, and said " Where are you
taking her to?" He requested them to stand aside
and not interfere with him. Preston then drew a
knife and said, "I'll rip you open," and was ad-
vancing towards him apparently for that purpose,
when Wallis took• the knife away. With some
help he got all the prisoners to the station.
John Jarrett, of 3, Crown-street, Limehouse,
saw Preston with the knife. He threw him down,
and took it from him. He was afraid he intended
to stab the policeman. The prisoners were all very
noisy and violent.

Mr. B,mson said there was much disorder and
violence among the infamous characters in the dis-
trict. He sentenced the woman to seven days' im-
prisonment and hard labour, and Preston to one
month's imprisonment and bard labour.