The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-02-27 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

• Goon ADVICE FOIL POLICE•OFFICERS.—A woman named
Alice Jackson, the keeper of a beer-house, had appeared on
Thursday to answer an information laid against her by an in-
spector and' policeman, for having had comPany•in her house at
an illegal hour. The magistrate, however, had entertained a
misgiving as to the. accuracy of the evidence, on one point,
tendered in support of the information by the officers, and the
consequence was, the Sentence was deferred until an inspection
of the-premises had been made by Mr. Commissioner Dowling.
The case came on again ou Friday, when Mr.- Dowling gave
the result of his examination, which proved that the declarations
of the defendant were correct, and that the inspector and police
officer had, either wilfully or through misconception, given in-
correct evidence. The inspector declared that he had mistaken
the tenour of Mr. Hall's questions; but the magistrate (know-
ing, we presume, as others well do, that his interrogatories are
generally as remarkable for distinctness as for point) seemed
disinclined to credit the declaration, as did also his brother ma-
gistrate. Mr. Hall then remarked, that he was very sorry -to
see officers persevere in giving their evidence in so loose a
manner. It, was a very painful thing to the magistrates, at all
times, to convict upon a case like the one then before them. be-
cause the lowest flue which they could inflict was 405., a very
serious sum to beer house keepers g'enerally, and for the non-
payment of which penalty they were very frequently sent to
prison. But if it were a painful thing to convict upon distinct
and indubitable evidence, what a sad thing it would have been
if they had inflicted that heavy penalty on a poor woman with
eight children, and on information which proved to be totally
wrong. Yet they must be guided by evidence; and if officers
would mislead them by false evidence, hoiv were such things to
be altogether avoided? The business of an officer was to lay
an information on what he-considered adequate grgundp, but
never, fur the purpose of obtaining a conviction, to stretch a
case against any one. What reason had they to do so? ,He
knew of none, except it was the wish of standing high as active
and vigilant officers, by being'able to point to the number of
convictions which they had obtained. But he himself should
think much better of an officer who had brought before him 2J
cases which had been dismissed, than it he had obtained a
hundred convictions by wrong evidence. No officer, they might
depend upon it, would raise himself in the estimation of the
magistrates by stretching a case against any individual; and
they ought to know that there was no disgrace attachable to
thetn, nor could-any injury result to them, on
.account of the
dismissal of a case which they might bring before the magistrates.
He felt eXtreinely glad that he had not,-'-on the evidence given
by the officers on the preceding day, proceeded to pass sentence
on-the poor woman; and he thanked Mr. Dowling.for having,
by his report, enabled him to come to the facts of the case.
Under the circumstances, he ordered the defendant to be ac-
quitted, and stated that they should consider whether or not the.
officers would be allowed to remain in the service.

. .
BRUTAL CoSnucT.—On Saturday, at the Police-office, the
second mate of the Ellen Brookes, named Starkie, was brought
before the magistrates on a charge of brutally kicking one of
the boys of .the vessel on the face, and nearly breaking his jaw.
The complainant, named William Carney, who appeared with
his head tied up. and his face dreadfully swollen, stated that on
Friday afternoon he was at work on board his ship, and did
not perform what he was desired to do to the satisfaction of the
second mate, when he knocked him down, and then kicked him
in the face. The prisoner denied that he had struck him, but
he had been aggravated to kick him. Mr. Parkinson' said, the
boy was in a dreadful state, when brought to Bridewell; he
thought his jaw was broken, and had him sent to a surgeon.
An officer stated, that he had taken the boy to the surgeon, who
said, the jaw was not broken, but it was a very dangerous
bruise, and great care must be taken of the boy, or lock-jaw
would ensue. Mr. Hall said, it was a most cowardly thing to
kick a man on the ground; it was not like an Englishman.
What countryman was he? The prisoner replied, that he was
an American. Mr. Hall said it was a most brutal thing ; the
prisoner was utterly regardless
.where he had kicked him. Mr.
Hall then addressed the captafn, who was in court, and said,
he must protect' the boy in future, or the prisoner would wreak
his vengeance upon him. The Captain, " Oh, not at all; that
man has been most partial to that boy. He must have been in-
solent." Mr. Hall, "Bless my soul! is he to kick a boy be-
cauie he is insolent ? But there is no evidence even of that. If
he was insolent, is that to justify him in abusing a boy in this
way. A young boy like that might be injured to the end of hiS
days by sueh treatment. It is a case in whieh the magistrates
think they ought to go to the full extent of the law. You must
pay £5, including costs, and, in default of payment, be commit-
ted for two months to the Borough gaol."

SEIZURE OF WEIGHTS.—On Saturday, at the Police-office, a
man named Higgins, the keeper of a marine store, appeared
before the magistrates; to answer the charge of having posses-
sion of one of the Customs' *eights. The officer of Customs,
named White, stated, that he was passing the defendant's shop,
he saw a half cwt. exposed for sale at the door, with the broad
arrow upon it. He asked the defendant where he got it, and,
after some consideration, he told him he had bought it along
with a number of other weights. He (witness) then requested
him to give the weight up, hut he would not, so he called a -po-
liceman and told. him to take charge of it. The defendant stay
ed, that he had bought the weight, along with a. number of
others, from a person named Boardman, who was present. An
individual,. who gave his name as Henry Boardman, cabinet-
maker, here stepped forward, and stated, that he had bought
32 cwt. of old weights, from the inspector of weights and mea-
sures, on the proviso that he should get them adjusted, and that
this was one of them, The weights were sent in the inspector's
own cart to the adjusting office, and there adjusted; he after-
wards sold them to the defendant. Mr. Hall inquired what
right the inspector had to sell them ? The witness replied, that
they were seized by the inspector and forfeited by the Mayor.
Mr. Hall said, it was very extraordinary conduct; they must
Send for Mr. Atkinson, the inspector, and inquire into it. Mr.
Atkinson was sent for, but not being in, the case again came
on. Mr. Hall then said, if the defendant's only defence was,
that he bought the weight of a person who bought it of Atkin-
son, it was no defence at all, because Atkinson had no right to
interfere with the Queen's weights; and if he had, he ought to
break them up for old Metal, otherwise the mischief which he
was appointed to prevent would he continued. But the'proba-
bitity 'tva• if Atkinson was there to explain the matter—and he
must explain it at some other titre—that he had never seized
this weight, having the broad arrow upon it, at all, but that it
had been stolen. There was the broad arrow upon it, which
was a notice to the storekeeper not to buy. The witness, Board-
man, said, perhaps he could explain it. Ile heard the inspector
say, that he had seized the weight in Whitechapel. The in-
spector would not even trust to his-word that he. would get them
adjusted, hut sent his own cart with them for that purpose. He
pkid 3s. 6d. a cwt for them to Mr. Atkinson, who said he had
had the same money bid for them by an iron founder. Mr. Hall
said, he should very much like to see Atkinson i the very mo-
ment be saw that weight he ought to have imagined, that it bad
been stolen, for no person had any right with a weight of that
description. Boardman ought not to have bought the weight.
The witness said, that the weight having been forfeited by the
corporation, he did' not know that he was doing wrong. He
bought the weights to make money of them, and made a profit
of them of about 4d. each. Mr. Hall said, he had gone into the
case then as far as he could; he should not give an opinion till
. Monday at, ten o'clock, when 'Atkinson the inspector must be
there and state his explanation in public. •

LIVERPOOL MECHANICS' INSTITUTION.

LECTURES ON PHYSIOLOGY.

On Wednesday evening Dr. Epps delivered the seventh of
his lectures to an overflowing audience.
The fleshy portions of man are technically called muscles,
and upon these muscles depends our power. if we take a round
of beef or a leg of mutton, we find that upon cutting across the
flesh, it appears to divide itself into several distinct portions at
different places. Now these are the different muscles of Which
the flesh is composed.' The whole flesh of our body has .been
separated, by the skill of the anatomist, into 450 distinct mus-
cles, each of which has a distinct duty to perform. These mus-
cles are compoied of smaller muscles, and the smaller muscles
are main composed of fibrous threads. Like hempen tables
they thus are enabled to bear the severest strains: The mus-
cles are abundantly supplied with blood-Vessels and nerves.
There cannot be the smallest doubt that nerves are distribtited
.through the muscles, because the power of feeling, which we
have in the muscles, is dependent upon the nerves which come
down from the back bone. Every muscle is endoWed with irri-
tability—that is a power of contractino. whenever any stimulant
is applied to it. Those muscles which are hollow seem to have
the greatest power of contractibility. The heart, for instance,
is a large muscle, and is the intestinal canal which moves when
we are asleep or awake, nidependently of our will, and thus.
keeps us alive. Every muscle has the power of contraction or
relaxation. Wherever a muscle is called into action it passes
into the state of contraction, when it is not used it is.in a state.
of relaxation or rest. The muscular system must be in a healthy
state, or we cannot perform the-duties we have to -perform in
this world. Those, perhaps, who practise gymnastic exer- I
cises, possess healthy muscles. Most persons have observed
that the flesh of domesticated animals is white, whereas that of
game is dark. The breasts of domestic fowls are likewise known
to be the whitest parts of them, whereas in game every part of
the body is equally dark. This arises from the continual ex-
ercise which wild animals give• to their muscles. Domestic.
fowls, for instance, do not move their wings; • wild fowls do,
and thereby briog the muscles of the and breast into con-
tinual play, and wherever there is a free play of the muscles the
circulation of the blood proceeds more freely. This whiteness
of the breaSt of the fowl is, therefore a disease, and instead of
wholesome food is decidedly the contrary. Domestic fowls,
taken as an average, are not such good food as a snrloin of beef.
Game is good food, because the wild annual exercises all his
wuscles, and thereby promotes the'circulation of the blood ;
it is tie best food we can eat, and if we have dear frietids who
are sick, we canntit, do a kinder thing than:to send them game,
for it is the best thing the stomach will digest. There is a
common notion that chicken broth and chicken are good for
sick persons.—The broth is excellent, but the chicken is objec-
tionable, and the sick person who eats it is sure to he thrown
back a fortnight by dyspepsia: A good old fowl is of much
easier digestion than a chicken. We should endeavour to give
our muscles proper exercise, in order to keep them in a healthy
condition. When anatomists speak of the origin or insertion
of the muscle, they speak of its commencement, where it re,
ceies its power, and of its termination, where that power is
applied. The centre is called the belly of the muscle, because
it is the thickest in that part. When the muscle contracts there
is a swelling in the centre as may readily be seen by raising
the lower portion of the.arm. When a man loses the power
of contracting his muscles he is said to he palsied, and spas-
modic when he contracts them against his will. Doctors now
understand the nature of these complaints, and are thereby
enabled to•cure the spasms and palsy. The poor little know,
when they behold with envy the rich riding in their carriages,
the miseries which they enduie, and the medicine they have to
take'in consequence of not using their muscles, or they would
not only bear their own lot without repining, but actually pity
those who purchased indolence at so great a satrifice of happi-
ness. On the other hand it must be added that too great an
exercise of one set of the muscles is injurious to the human•
constitution, and produces distortion-and deformity; to this,
children. in the factories are, unfortunately, too much subject,
and the alleviation of themiserieid this too much neglected
branch of society ought to form a portion of the labours of the
philanthropic mill over this kingdom. The physical.education df
children is exceedingly defective, in consequence of which, it
is exceedingly difficult to find in our fashionabli boarding..
schools, a young. lady who is not in some degree deformed.
;' We men are not deformed, we are nobly sliaped creatures."
When we walk, we lift up the hip by means of muscles, and
throw our leg Out by means of other muscles, Every time we
do this the muscles covering the" front of the body are brought
into a state of contraction. These mustles'press upon the,in-
testines,e which they thus continually turn over, so as to bring
some portion of them into contact with the chyle. If persons
'would only iise the organs with which the Creator has.endowed
them, they would have no need for medicine at all. The vet y
pressure produced in the act of walking has a favourable ten-
dency in well ing and rolling the intestines about. Ladies have
perpetually,inilammations of the stomach; they go to a doctor;
unit if perchance they meet with an honest one—for such do
exist,.alt hough they ale rare' eves, he says-to them, Iheyi.mhst
take walking exercise.: Walking causes a perspiration all over
the bodyin couseqwore of the blood flowing freely through the
'various blood vessels Mille system: • WiCenever the feet bßeome
rills' you pray _Le, so re some4hinglis. Kong.
.140114.0 a.earTiage,
is a very 'Sad exc it i'se; acid therefore we should never take i