The Sun.
London, England, 1844-12-09 00:00:00

44.

and endeavouring to strike the inspector, he solemnly
avowed that he never touched it. The fact wa,, that
he was ilitreated in the most unmerciful manner by
the police at the station, and in trying to evade their
violence the window was broken. His arms were
pinioned behind, he was tightly secured by cords to
a stretcher, and the effect of the blows which they in-
flicted on his person with their truncheons was fully
apparent to the late Lord Mayor, when he was taken
before him. Both his eyes were black, and bruises
were on his thighs and chest, and on other parts of
his body. His complaints did not end there, for while
he was incarcerated in Bridewell the authorities de-
prived him of the use of pens, ink, and paper, whereby
he might have communicated with his friends, who
would have applied to one of her Majesty's judges for
a habeas corpus on his behalf, so as to ascertain by
what right he was incarcerated.
Mr. Inspector M'Lean was then sworn—He was
at the Garlick-hill station-house when the prisoner
was brought there for fraudulently obtaining a dinner.
RECORDER—What kind of a bar is it that divides
the office from the passage ? Inspector—lt is a
wooden one, and falls into a kind of groove, the other
end being fastened by a nail.
RECORDER—NOW, did you see the prisoner wrench
it off and try to strike you with it. Inspector—l
heard he did.

RECORDER—No, no, that won't do. Did you or
did you not ? Inspector—l did not, Sir; but I saw
but very little of him.
RECORDER—Then you were in no personal danger
of him ? Inspector—Not in the least.—(Much sur-
prise in Court.)
RECORDER—Who ordered him to be put on the
stretcher? Inspector—l do not know, Sir; I did not.
I understand that he was violent.

RECORDER—DO you not know that he was beaten
in an unmerciful manner when in a helpless state ?
Inspector—l did not see him struck.
RECORDER-But did he not show the Lord Mayor
some bruises P Inspector—l believe he did—in fact,
I am almost certain of it.

Prisoner—Will you allow me, my Lord, to ask the
Witness a question ?

RECORD-ER—Certainly.
Prisoner—When before the Lord Mayor, did you
state that I had wrenched the bar off, and endeavoured
to strike you P Inspector—No, I did not. . _

RECORDER—T suppose you were not conscious of
his making such an attack ? Inspector—No, Sir, I
was not.

RECORDER—Now call the next witness.

James Ballymore, police-constable 405, said he was
at the station-house when the prisoner was brought
in custody there.
RECORDER--Did you see him lift the bar? Con-
stable—l did, Sir.

RECORDER—What else ? Constable—Endeavoured
to hit at Mr. Joseph
.M‘Lean.

REcokDEa—Then he was close to him ? Con-
stable—Oh, yes, Sir; he only escaped the blow by
starting on one side.—(Much sen),Ati )ti on hearing
this falsehood.)
.Mr. Alderman CorELANo (nuat excitt.,l) hop!-,
for the sake of the public, that these two
stables will be immediately suspended, and I will
take care to bring the case under the notice of the
first Court of Aldermen. I never heard such gross
perjury during the whole of my magisterial duties.
The RECORDER—Gentlemen of the jury, owing to
the very great discrepancies in the evidence, you can-
not do less than acquit the prisoner. I shad feel it
my duty to make a proper r.presentation of the facts
to the proper quarter, so that a strict investigation
may take place respecting the conduct of the police,
for the safety of the public.
Mr. Alderman COPELAND—And I beg to tell the
accused that he shall have every facility the Court of
Aldermen 'can render him in prosecuting the parties
who had so grossly perjured themselves on that occa-
sion.—(Loud applause.)
The jury instantly acquitted the prisoner, to the
great satisfaction of one and all of the members of the
bar, as also a crowded court.
Mr. Morris .Tunes, landlord of the Old Parr's Head,
in Aldersgate-street, appealed against a conviction for
having knowingly suffered notoriously bad characters
and prostitutes to assemble in his house.
Mr. BODKIN, who appeared for the appellant, con-
tended in limine that unfortunate girls could not be
said to be notoriously bad characters, unless it were
shown they had been guilty of a riot, or some offence
which the Legislature had intended to guard against
by the statute. If merely their immorality was to
constitute them notoriously bad characters, any of the
male sex who committed seduction,:or were guilty of
fraudulent bankruptcy, would fall within the opera-
tion of the Act.

Mr. Alderman WxLsois said the question was,
whether they were bad or good prostitutes—if there
were any good ; and he should wish to hear the facts
of the case.

Two constables of the City police then stated that,
on the Bth of October, between one and two o'clock,
they saw four prostitutes leave the appellant's house,
and hearing a noise within, they entered, and found
-twelve men and seven prostitutes drinking.
Alderman WILSON asked if they were notoriously
bad characters, and the police answered in the affirma
tive. One of them, Jenny Jones, had been several
times in custody.
Mr. BODKIN deprecated the Alderman putting such
a leading question after the discussion that had taken
place in the hearing of the police.
Aldeman WILSON—I cannot help Mr. Bodkin be-
ing sore upon the point, but I will have the truth out
for the guidance of the Court.
Mr. BODKIN—I, am not sore at all, and will not
place my experience against the Alderman's as to
who are and who are not good prostitutes.
Alderman Wu.soN—You will not stop me.
Mr. BODKIN—I do not wish, but as an advocate I
am bound to say that I attach no weight to answers
so obtained from the police by their superiors.
Alderman WILSON—I have been a magistrate as
long as you have been a barrister, and will not be
lectured as to the form in which I shall put my
questions.
Mr. BODKIN—You are presumed to have no know-
ledge of law. I am not desirous of lecturing you,
and shall address myself to the organ of the Court. I
shall not undertake the task of reforming your
practice.
Alderman WILSON (hastily)—You cannot reform
me.—(Laughter.)
The RECORDER—I remember taking an objection
once to a question of Lord Tenterden's, which was a
bold step, but the objection was allowed.
Mr. BODKIN—Yes, Lord Tenterden had the good
sense to see the force of it, which is not the case here.
After some further conversation, the conviction was
affirmed.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
(SATURDAY.)
MANSION-HOUSE.

A sailor, named John Cox, who had been the day
before paid off upon his return from a voyage to
Canada, and a young woman, who said her name
was Mary Reading, were brought before the Lord
Mayor, the female charged with having run away
with a shawl from the shop of a linendraper, and (as
the police-sheet stated) having left the sailor drunk
behind ber, either to pay for, or remain in pledge for
the article.

The complainant stated that on Friday night the
sailor and the lady, who appeared to be, and de-
scribed herself as a servant girl, resident in the
prolific neighbourhood of Petticoat-lane, walked into
the shop—Mr. Cox being evidently " lumpy"—and
looked out a shawl. As the witness did not know
whether the sailor might not be shamming, in order
to afford an opportunity of doing something on the
double, care was taken to watch the pair narrowly.
They left the shop without making any purchase, but
soon returned. It then appeared that the sailor was
really " far gone," but the woman had all her wits
about her ; and after again examining the shawl, she
snatched it up, and cut away out of the shop r- fast
as she could, leaving her comrade responsible. A
policeman, however, who probably had intimation of
what might take place, checked her career in a very
policeman-like manner, and deprived her of what she
called " the present that was made her."

The policeman stated that she was in a great hurry
in passing along upon quitting the prosecutor's shop.
The LORD MAYOR—WeII, Miss Reading, what
have you to say to this P—The female prisoner stated
that she was well acquainted with the sailor, and that
he took her to the shop to treat her to a shawl. Well,
she pitched upon one, for which the linendraper asked
18s., and the sailor took out a sovereign to pay for it,
thereupon the linendraper said they must not go away
without taking a drop of something short. As she was
a teetotaller, she refused to break the wholesome rule
by which her condur t had been long regulated ; but
the sailor, who was sot a teetotaller, felt inclined to
accept the invitation. Seeing that things were in so
unpromising a condition, she thought the best thing
she could do was to take the shawl home, after which
she intended to return to take care of Jack, when sud-
denly her plan was frustrated by the officer.
The LORD MAYOR—And what have you to say,
Mr. Cox ? The Sailor—Say, your Lordihip. I know
nothing at all about it. It's all a dream tc)
The station-house inspector said the sailor hkd
about him two sovereigns and some silver.
The LORD MAYOR—Was the woman drunk ?
Officer—Rather so. _ _ _

The Female Prisoner—Never ? I take nothing
stronger than spruce.
The Loan MAYoa—I must know something more
about you, Miss Reading, before I let you go. The
sailor may depart, and the complainant may have his
shawl.