The Sun.
London, England, 1844-09-02 00:00:00

SUNDAY TRAVELLING.

Mr. C. Phillips, churchwarden of Margaret Rooth-
ing, attended at Duntnow to prosecute an information
against Messrs. Price and North, the proprietors of
the Circus, for travelling through that parish with
their waggons and properties, on Sunday, the 18th
instant. Mr. James Price being present, his case
was taken first. The Rev. William Shepherd, the
rector, deposed, that on the morning in question, while
he was performing Divine service in Leaden Roothing
Church, his attention was attracted by a loud
rumbling noise, which continued for several minutes,
of vehicles passing along, and Enoticed, through
the window, a waggon, appearing to be loaded
with planks ; on his way home he found, at the
King William public-house, five different vehicles,
three having on them " Price and North, Riding-
masters, London ;" one " Thomas Barthrop, of Lon-
don; and one the name of a brickmaker, from North-
ampton • he took the names down and went into the
house, begging to be introduced to either Mr. Price
or Mr. North. Not finding any person to answer to
those names, he asked for the party who had charge
of the vehicles, and on his remonstrating with them,
one of them attempted to vindicate Sunday travelling,
by violent and blasphemous (though not abusive)
argument. The horses were feeding, and one ve-
hicle, apparently the carriage for the individuals, had
a great drum behind ; witness afterwards saw two of
the vehicles passing through Margaret Roothing, in
the evening, loaded with planks. Ryan, police-con-
stable 88, corroborated Mr. Shepherd's testimony,
and said he saw the vehicles, and desired
the persons to go away before the after•
noon service would commence. They did
not, because, as they afterwards said, they did not
wish to go into Chelmsford during the Sunday. The
conveyances had two horses abreast; one carried a
large drum, musical instruments, and several men ;
saw them again at four o'clock, and they went on.
By consent of the bench, Mr. Price only attended to
answer the charge, as Mr. North was then (two o'clock)
present in the pavilion at the commencement of the
amusement. Mr. Price pleaded that he could not deny
the charge of travelling on the Sunday ; they always
endeavoured to avoid it, but in this instance were
unable to do so ; he had hoped that by putting up at
a lone way side inn they should disturb no one ; at
the same time he objected to the information, their
vehicles being described as waggons, which he respect-
fully contended they were not. They paid duty, he
said, for the band carriage to the same amount as for
a gentleman's carriage. lie was not aware of any Act
of Parliament being in force to prevent their travel-
ling on Sundays, and had never heard of such a prose-
cution before.—The bench were of opinion that the
vehicles carrying the planks were fully within the
meaning of the Act laid in the information as waggons,
and they must convict. The Rev. Mr. Shepherd
said that this Was the first time he had brought a
matter of this kind before the bench, because he
had always succeeded in his object by persuasion,
and remonstrance, and had been enabled thus
to uphold the majesty of the law. That,
he begged to submit, was his only aim,
and therefore the most lenient fine the justices
thought proper to impose he hoped would suffice ; at
the same time, in order to show the accused he had
no vindictive feeling, he should make no charge for
his attendance and expenses incurred in Wilting there,

'
and he should withdraw the informat on against the
other defendant, Mr. North.—Mr. Prig 'e, on finding
i
that the magistrates were about to deft d, on a con-
viction, again urged that their trave fling vehicles
could not be described as waggons, wla en the bench
ordered the room to be cleared. On Mr. P. being
re-called, the chairman informed him t; h: tt they had,
after mature consideration, determined 1 ap on the con-
viction, and 20s. fine, including costs.- —Che/msford
Chronicle.

POLICE INTELLIGEN' 3E,
(SATURDAY.)
BOW-STREET.
The Hon William Ross Touchet was to- clay finally
brought up and committed to Newgate to await his
trial. Mr. Smith is going on as favourably. as can be
expected.
MARLBOROUGH-STREET.
Two men, names Frederick Ferrett ani 1 Robert
M'Culloch, were charged with being drum k, and a
gentleman resi ling in Marylebone-street w a s charged
with having indecently assaulted the defer a) dant Fer-
rett. Ferrett was first placed at the bar.
Police-constable Drane said, that about half-past
one o'clock that morning he saw all the tin, ee defend-
ants in the Haymarket. M'Culloch caller I to him,
and said, that a gentleman had attempted to take inde-
cent liberties with his friend Ferrett, an h' Ferrett
thereupon made the same accusation. Witty a 33 seeing
that Ferrett was quite drunk, and that MC' 11 lloch was
nearly drunk, refused to take the charge , but told
them all to go the station-house and make tie charge
there. They did so, and the charge was tak tz. against
the two first defendants for being drunk, and against
the other defendant for the indecent assault The
acting inspector who took the charge pro- a ed that
Ferrett was drunk, and he was therefore I fined five
shillings. Robert M'Culloch was next chart ;ed with
being in liquor.
Mr. MALTBY required an explanation of th u i term,
which was, that the defendant was not so In unk as
Ferrett.
Mr. MALTBY could not entertain the charge 1 n that
shape, and therefore dismissed it.
The third defendant was then placed at th e bar,
charged with indecently assaulting Ferrett. At 'ter a
very long investigation it appeared that there w. as no
foundation whatever for this charge.
Mr. Woolf, who appeared for the defendant, oft 'ered
to bring proof that the defendant was a person of the
highest respectability, but Mr. Maltby said there was
no occasion for any such evidence. It was altog(a then
an extremely improbable case, supported by most un-
satisfactory evidence. Both the defendants ma king
the charge had been drinking, and one of them .'was
quite drunk. 111Culloch knew nothing more than
what he had learned from Ferrett as to the assault, and
the state in which Ferrett was at the time rendereg 3 it
impossible to depend on the accuracy of his story; he
should therefore order the defendant to be dismissed
immediately.
Mr. Woolf said it was the intention of the defe• ad-
ant, against whom this most unfounded charge had
been brought, to prosecute the authors of it. No
man's character or honour was safe if such conduct
was overlooked.
Ferrett and M'Culloch were then ordered to enter
into their own sureties to meet any charge brough
against them.