The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-13 00:00:00

BOW-STREET.

Edward Morfew, a clerk in the service of a convey-
ancer in New-square, Lincoln's Inn, was charged with
repeatedly committing indecent assaults upon a youth
named William Waghorn, in the gallery of the Olympic
Theatre.

The prosecutor, who is employed at a printing-office,
stated that, on passing the theatre, he picked up an ad-
mission ticket for the gallery, which fell from some
person during a dispute in the street, and, having entered
the theatre, he found the prisoner sitting next to him.
Shortly after the offence was committed he left the
house, followed by witness, who could not see a con-
stable to give him in charge ; and, having told him of
his intention to give him into custody, the prisoner
called a cab, and desired the driver to take him to Lei-
cester-square, but witness ran after it, and when the
prisoner got out he gave him in charge to a constable.
The prisoner then said he would prefer a charge of a
similar nature against the complainant, and subsequently
he said it was for attempting, by threats, to extort
money from him.
The prisoner reminded the Court that no person con-
nected with the theatre was apprised of this circumstance,
because the witness wanted to extort money from him
by intimidating him in the public streets.
The prisoner was ordered to enter into bail, himself
in 1001., and two sureties in 50/. each, to answer the
charge at the Central Criminal Court. The required
sureties were in attendance, and the prisoner was dis-
charged.
William Northcott, shopman in the service of Mr.
Warner, antigropolos manufacturer, in Henrietta-street,
Covent-garden, was charged with embezzling several
sums of money received for and on account of his master.
The prisoner had charge of another establishment in
Bow-street, belonging to the prosecutor, and three gen-
tlemen's servants produced receipts for moneys paid to
him on account of his master, of which no entries ap-
peared in the books. A number of duplicates relating
to other property belonging to the prosecutor was found
in the prisoner's lodging.
Mr. TWYFORD was anxious to know the derivation of
the word by which the property was designated.
Mr. Warner said the word was derived from two
Greek words, and should properly be ugropolos, or pro-
tectors against mud and wet.
The Magistrate seemed as ignorant upon the subject
as before he asked the question, and ordered the prisoner
to be fully committed for trial.
MARYLEBONE.

On Friday a very well-dressed man, about 35 years of age,
who at the station-house said his name was James Thompson,
but refused, on account of his connexions, to give his ad-
dress, was placed at the bar before Mr. Long, charged with
having conducted himself in the following most extraordi-
nary manner towards the wife of Mr. William Gutteridge, a
highly-respectable gentleman residing at No. 28, Upper
Montagu-street, Montagu-square :
The lady was not present, but her husband, who wit-
nessed the shameful behaviour of the prisoner, and who was
therefore enabled to give all the required particulars, was
sworn.
He stated, that upon several occasions within the last
week or ten days the prisoner had called at his residence,
which was to be let furnished, and that he represented him-
self to be Sir Arthur Shield. He spoke particularly. as to his
wish to have stabling for his horses and carriages ad-
jacent to the house, and, after a little conversation, he was
requested to call again, which he did, and he then grossly in-
sulted his (complainant's) wife.
Mr. LoNG—Is your wife present? Complainant—She is
not, Sir ; but I think that my evidence will be sufficient with-
out her, as I saw all that took place with regard to the offence
for which the prisoner is brought here.
Mr. LONG (to complainant, who seemed very much ex-
cited)—Be more calm, and state slowly all that you know of
the matter.
Complainant—The prisoner had been at the house at
twelve o'clock yesterday at noon, but nothing was then defi-
nitively agreed upon ; and at six o'clock in the evening he
paid another visit, when he fell passionately in love, all at
once, with my wife.
Mr. Lose—Were you present at the time you speak of, or
do you not state merely what your wife or some one else may
have told you? Complainant-1 had just been admitted into
my house, Sir, after being out nearly the whole of the day,
and while I was on the first landing I heard the prisoner,
who was in the drawing-room with my wife, say to her, " To
tell you the truth, I am very much in love with you ; and,
will 20 guineas a week be of any service to your house ?"
My wife immediately said, "What do you mean, Sir; I don't
understand you ?" And at the same moment he exposed to
her his person.
Mr. LONG—In what situation were you placed, so that you
could observe this? Complainant—l could see all that oc-
curred through the opening which there was between the
back part of the door and the wood work to which the hinges
were attached. The door was partly open at the time.
Mr. LONG—Having seen what you have mentioned, what
did you do ? Complainant—Hearing my wife scream out at
the time of the infamous behaviour taking place, and having
seen what I have described, I instantly rushed into the
apartment, at the entrance to which my wife flew into my
arms; I collared the prisoner, whom I shook and designated
as a rascal and a villain, when he screamed out " murder"
as loudly as he was able. A police-constable came to the
house in the course of a few minutes, and he (prisoner) was
taken into custody.
Complainant produced a book of a grossly indecent nature,
which the prisoner had thrown from him prior to his being
given in charge, and it was also shown that. he had torn up
several cards and pieces of paper on which were written the
addresses and names of various lodging-house keepers, with
their terms of rental, &c. He was searched at the station-
house, and in his possession were found a number of gold
rings.
The prisoner was further questioned as to his name and
place of abode, but he positively refused to give them, saying
that the disclosure thereof might seriously affect his interests.
He admitted having conducted himself improperly and indis-
creetly, but denied that he had acted so infamously as had
been described.
Mr. LONG regretted that, as no assault Bad been proved,
he could not punish the prisoner, inasmuch as the offence al-
leged against him had not been committed in a street or pub-
lic place, and he must, therefore, be discharged; an indict-
ment might, however, be preferred against him.
He was subsequently charged on a warrant with having
threatened to do injury to Mrs. Walters, 4, Southwick-street,
Paddington, with whom it was proved he lodged, and that
his name was James Whiting.
He was held to bail to keep the peace.
WORSHIP-STREET.
On Friday a stylishly dressed man, named Thomas Wright
Esterbee, was charged before Mr. Bingham with the following
outrage upon Mrs. Caroline Hancock, a respectable married
woman residing in Shaftesbury-street, New North-road.
The complainant, a delicate- looking woman, and evidently
in an ill state of health, stated, that while proteeding through
the New North-road on the preceding evening between 9
and 10 o'clock, on her way home, she saw the prisoner, who
was a few paces in advance of her, seize hold of a modest-
leoking woman, and attempt to take improper liberties with
her. The woman repulsed him indignantly, and succeeded
in getting away from him, and the witness, fearful that he
might serve her in a similar manner, left the pavement and
went into the carriage way to avoid him ; but the prisoner,
who saw her do so, instantly sprang after her, and began
pulling her about in a very offensive manner. She pushed
him from her and tried to escape, when the prisoner raised
his fist and struck her in the face ; she indignantly gave him
a slight box on the ear, upon which the prisoner repeated his
blow, and, seizing hold of both her arms, shook her violently.
She succeeded in extricating herself from his grasp, and
hurried down her own street, but was quickly followed by
the prisoner, who again seized her by the arms and con-
tinued holding and striking her, until an elderly gentleman,
who had been a witness to a part of the outrage, came up to
her assistance, and rescued her from the prisoner's hands.
Mr. H. Lara, the old gentleman just referred to, said he
was coming up Shaftesbury-street, when he . saw the com-
plainant struggling energetically with the prisoner, who had
a tight hold of both her arms, and occasionally let go of one
of them to strike her repeated blows on the chest. He went
up and remonstrated with him upon his unmanly conduct,
but the prisoner refused to relinquish his hold of her, and
the witness was obliged to forcibly drag him away from the
complainant, on doing which, the latter, who was greatly
terrified and exhausted, instantly fell to the ground. The
prisoner then took to his heels and ran down the road, but a
person who now came up, and who had seen the latter part
of the transaction, pursued him and gave him into custody.
The prisoner, in defence, said he had been drinking with
some friends and had become inebriated, and that he really
had not the slightestrecollection of acting in the manner that
was imputed to him ; if he had, he was very sorry for it,
but he thought that the assault must have been accidentally
committed.
Mr. BrieGiinm inquired what station in life the prisoner
occupied ? The prisoner said, he was an officer in the service
of the London Dock Company.
Mr. BINGHAM said, if a person in a humble station in life
were brought before him for this offence, he should have
ample powers, in proportion to that person's means, to inflict
upon him an adequate punishment ; but he regretted to say
that the Legislature had not invested magistrates with suffi-
cient powers to deal with offenders in the station the prisoner
occupied. He, therefore, felt it his duty to call on the pri-
. soner to find bail to answer the charge at the sessions, to
which he should send it, as any fine he could inflict would be
wholly inadequate to the merits.
The prisoner was about to be removed, when the com-
plainant stepped forward and begged the Magistrate to spare
her the pain and annoyance of appearance again in a public
Court, and urged him to deal summarily with the case.
Mr. BINGHAM, after some hesitation, said, that in conside-
ration of the delicate state of the prosecutrix's health, he
should, though with great reluctance, accede to her applica-
tion ; he should therefore sentence the prisoner to pay the
highest penalty it was in his power to inflict, namely, 5/., and
in default of payment he must undergo 21 days' imprison-
ment and hard labour in the House of Correction.
The fine was immediately paid, and the prisoner dis
charged.