Star.
London, England, 1824-05-20 00:00:00

BOW-STREET.

A LIFT FOR Love.—John Egerton, owner and driver of the hack-
ney coach, No. 1106, appeared upon a summons to shew cause, it'
he could, why he should not be fined under the Ilackney-coach
Act, lot wilful mishi:haviour in the exercise of his profession.
The facts. as alleged against him, were these :—Medlicott, a pa-
trol belonging to this Office, was on duty in Gray's Inn-lane, on the
eight of Sunday se'nnight and he there saw the coach, No. 1106,
going towards Battle-bridge; the coachman was seated in the mid-
dle of the box, and on either side of hint was a damsel, oneof whom
was driving—and driving so furiously that they were " out of sight
almost in no time;" so that Medlicott had no opportunity of med-
dling with them at that time. But in about an hour after, it being
then after twelve o'clock at night, he saw the same coach coming
down Gray's Inn-lane, towards Holborn, at the same furious
rate as before, with nobody on the box but one of the aforesaid
damsels; and she was flogging away at the horses with all her might.
Medlicott now thought it high time to interfere ; and therefore he
rushed forward and seized the horses' heads; at the saute time
striking them over their noses with his staff to make them stop—
which was at once very cruel and unjust ; for it is a hundred to one
that the poor horses would willingly have stopped if the lady would
have let them. I loweiter, what with thumping them on the nose,
and what with checking upon their bridles, he contrived to stop
them—though not before his own head and shoulders had received
elivers dishonourable visitations of whipcord front the driving dam-
sel—or coachtroman, as be called her. Having thus brought th e
horses to a dead stand-still, be ordered the damsel to dismount;
which she did, though with a very ill grace, and many condemna-
tions both of his eyes and limbs. He then opened the coach door,
and Who should be inside but the ocher damsel and the coachman
fast asleep in each other's arms! "Halloo!" cried Medlicott," what's
the meaning of this, Master Coachee?" To which Coachee replied
—rubbing his eyes and rousing himself up as well as he could—" I '
say Poll ! drive on, and be t'ye! Touch 'em up under the
flank, and they'll goo like winking!' " I'll take care VW/ don't
touch 'em up anywhere," said Medlicott; " and if you don't come
out and take charge of them yourself, I'll take you to the watch.
house, and your coach and horses to the Green-yard!" This threat
brought Coachee wide awake; he got out, shook himself, mounted
the box, wished Medlicott at the devil, bade the damsels good night,
and toddled soberly on his way.
The Magistrate (:+1:. Mizottet 1.) told I\ ledlicott he had done
wrong in not putting his threat of the watch-house and the Green-
yard in execution ; act.: he then asked the defendant, John Egerton,
what be had to say i:. his defence ?
" Verily, your Worship," replied John Egerton, " I be'nt guilty.
Do I look like a man, at my years, to be running such rigs as them
ere? Howsomever, look hs,w I may, though it was my coach, I
wasn't out with it that ere night—being in bed and fast asleep at the
time, as my wife can come forward to testify ; and therefore as I
wasn't there—by a conwarity of reitsoning, it could'rit be me."
Medlicott would not take up:nt himself to identity the person of
the coachman, though he was positive as to the number of the
coach; therefore the Magistrate called upon John Egerton to give
up the name of the driver, since he denied being the driver hintaelf.
" iftut I tell?" said John Egerton.
" Indeed you must," replied his Worship, " or else I shall hold
you responsible."
, " Why, rhea," said. John, "it was my son, Jonathan ; and I
wish they had tookeq him to the watch-house—whereby my horses
would have been all the better for it—for my son Jonathan is but a
randotnish sort of a chap."

Under these eircumstani,es, Soho T.g.Tron was discharg..J,
summons issued against his son Jonathan.
Yesterday morning, Jonathan duly made his appearance, attends
by his mother, and the abovesinentioned evidence htvirg her:, real
over to him by the Clerk, his Worship aske4 him what he h,tl to
say to it?
" Why its all very good in point, that there," replied r-ndonai
Jonathan, very phlegmatically, " coz its true I did give them
lasses, what's mentioned, alf ft far /ow f hut as 14 drivin:; pr;„,
and all that err, I deny it, coz that the re lass whar was na the
can drive a coach as well as any other mon in London, be Lie
which he may."
Jonathan's mother then addressed the Ilelch in mitiga ism%
staring his Worship that Jonathan was as ernnt a lad as e. er
bread, atol she had never known •hi.ti inisgiven (query,
befoul the present time.
" Then, in that case,' said his Worship, " I 'hall only For Ir tt
forty shillings, instead of 31. as I might do; and I bore is „::i be
warning to him not to be misqieeti a secoad time.

Jonathan said he " could not pay no such inmv,
he must wrve it out in prison." :;t;) to prison he tv •
not been lucked up more than tun minutes bef.rt
back and paid the fine, tchteth.r with seven cst.,
then 3fiss-given .lonathan WAS set at liberty to give az‘..tlitt 't
for level"