The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-11-20 00:00:00

POLICE IIVFELLIGE2VCE.

CHARGE BY A POLICEMAN CONFUTED.-011 Friday, Mr.
Wm. Gilt, a young gentleman appeared at the police-office to
answer a charge preferred against him by constable James
Wilson, No. 149. The officer stated that, on the evening of
Thursday, the Bth inst., about dusk, the defendant drove his
gig so furiously down Richmond-row, and into Christian-
street, that he nearly ran over several persons who were cross-
ing at the bottom of the last named street; that that the gig
previously passed over a part ofthe foot n alk,land that, thrall!,
he ran it against a lamp-post. He added, that defendant ap-
peared to be drunk, and could not drive; that he (the con-
stable) took hold of his horse's head, and stopped but on
a gentleman on horseback stating that he knew him, and
would take care of him and the horse, he suffered him to go,
first taking his address, iu order to summon him. Mr. Gill
through his professional adviser, denied the charge in tot°.,
He had that day been to Sefton, and he had neither driven
furiously, nor was he in the slightest degree intoxicated. Wit-
nesses for the defence were brought forward and sworn. Miss
Wilkinson, a young lady, stated that she was in thegig at the
time—that they had come out of Ruse-hill, and were proceed-
ing slowly—that some interruption to the passage across the
street took place, owing to a cart that was in the way, and
that the cause of the gig going against the lamp-post was the
act of the policeman himself, who violently seized the horse
by the head, and threw it out of its direct course. She added
that Mr. G. was perfectly sober. Mr. Jas. Gillow, the de-
fendant's cousin, who was of the party, and on horseback,
corroborated this evidence, as did Mr. Gill, senior, bis uncle,
as to the charge of intoxication. He saw hint soon after the
circumstance, when he was perfectly sober, and said there
was not a more abstemious young man in the town,. 'lwo
other gentleman spoke to the regular habits of the defendant,
and seeing hint on the same evening perfect') sober. Mr.
Hall said that the evidence went clearly to establish the in-
nocence of the party accused, and instantly dismissed the
charge. The over-zealous policeman will, we trust, be looked
after, as little confidence can be placed in a man who brings
forward a groundless charge.
OFFENCE UNDER A RAILWAYA ACT.—On Friday, a man
named O'Donnelly was brought to the police-office, charged
with having committed an offence under the act of incorpora-
tion of the Grand Junction Railway Company. Mr. Clay,
the solicitor for the company, read the clause of the act' rela-
live to passengers refusing to alight when they had reached
the place for which they were booked, and going on to a more
distant town without paying the additional fare, by which they
were liable to a fine of 40s. The prisoner was booked at
Stafford to go to Warington, for which the fare was lOs 6d.
On arriving at the latter town he refused to come out of the
carriage, and insisted upon coming through to Liverpool with-
out paying any additional fare, which would be 4s 6d, the
whole fare from Stafford to Liverpool being 15s. He was con-
quently taken into custody, and Mr. Clay now applied for
the enforcement of the penalty. Mr. Hail said that the con-
duct of the prisoner was mean and disgraceful; but he fohnd
on looking into the act that he had no jurisdiction in the case,
inasmuch as the county magistrates could alone administer
it. Mr. Clay accordingly left the court, and took the pri-
soner before Sir Thomas Braucker, by whom he was fined
40s. This was the first case that had been brought forward
under the Grand Junction railway act, and will, doubtless,
operate as a caution to unprincipled travellers.
Titnowmc VaßlOL.—Edward Soane, aged about fifty-
sieyears, was ulaced before Mr. Hall, on Saturday, having
been remanded since the third of October, under the charge

of having thrown a quantity of vitriol on the person of Char-
lotte Wright, whereby she was severely injured and her clothes
much damaged. The prosecutrix was taken to the Northern
Hospital, on the 2nd October last, and was not in a fit state
to appear and give her evidence till Saturday. Her face bore
marks of the injury inflicted, and Mr. George Arnott, one of
the surgeons of the hospital, stated, that some wounds on her
neck and breast were not healed. She showed the dress
which she had on at the time. Portions of the sleeves and
breast were entirely destroyed. She stated, that, about ten
o'clock , on Tuesday night, the 2d October, she was proceed-
ing along Whit echapel, when she was accosted by the prisoner
who requested her to go and take a walk with him. She refus-
ed. He then mentioned a small sum of money which he
would give her, if she would comply with his request. She
told him to be off. He immediately produced what she thought
was a wine glass, and threw the contents over her face, neck.
and breast. She experienced great pain, and screamed aloud
for assistance. Police officer No. 112 came up : she told him
what had happened, and he pursued the prisoner and took
him into custody. Mr. Arnott stated, that the prosecutrix
was brought to the hospital on the night of the 2d of October.
She was severely burned on the face, neck, and chest. The
liquid %um have been very strong, and it was an acid, as it
had changed the colour of the blue lining of her bonnet to
red. Prisoner :—" It was diluted oil of vitriol." Police officer

112 stated, that, when he apprehended the prisoner, he was
walking very fast. He asked him what he had thrown upon
the woman, and he said "Some ruin." He found uo glass
or any other vessel on the prisoner's person, nor could he find
any thing of the sort in the street. The priosner, in his de-
fence, said he was under the effects of temporary derange-
ment at the time. His skull had been fractured, and he had
had some drink. If he had been in his right senses, he should
not have done it, but drink took effect upon him. Ile was
committed for trial.
STREET ROBBERY. —Aaron Stock, a man dressed in
a leather apron, and who looked like a shoemaker, was
charged, on Saturday, before Mr. Hall, with having been
concerned in stealing a watch. The prosecutor, a gentle-
man of respectability, stated, that, between eleven and twelve
o'clock, on the night of the 12th of slay last, he was on his
way home, along Pembroke-place, when he was jostled by
several men and women, who surrounded him, big left him
almost instantly. He proceeded on his way, Mid, after
awhile, missed his watch, which he bad felt in his pocket a
short time before he encountered the persons above alluded
to. He met a nolice-officer in a few minutes, and they pro-
ceeded to the 'Station-house, in Rose-hill, where he gave a
description of his watch, and the next day bills wet e printed
and circulated in the usual manner, On Thursday last he
learned th tt his watch had been found, and was in possession
of police-officer Grisenthwaite. He saw it and claimed it.
The evidence against the prisoner was, that, on the I,lth of
May last, he had pledged the watch in his own name, at the
shop of Mr. Bighain, in Marybone. On the 14th of July
last, be called at the Eawnbroker's, and stated, that lie hail
lost the ticket. lie teas then suffered to make a declaration,
and shortly afterwards the watch was redeemed. Late in

the month of July, he 'called upon a man named Timothy
Crow, residing at '23, North-street, and requested him to buy
a watch which, he said, was in pledge at Bighaufs. He told
Mr. Crow, that he should have the watch for £l. 10s. and
that it was a decided bargain. He went and redeemed the
watch, and Crow bought it for the sum above named. lie
told the latter, that it cost him £llss. He also told Constable
Lloyd, that he had purchased it from a traveller, and he made
the same statement before the Magistrates. He was com-
mitted for trial.

ROBBERY.—Yesterday, at the Police-office, a voting
woman named Hannah Ryan, housemaid to Mr. Unwin,
publican, in Great Homer-street, was brought up at the bar
of the Police-office, charged with having robbed the bar-
maid of £7.—Jane Black, the bar-maid, stated, that at three
o'clock on Sunday afternoon she went into her own room to
dress, and placed a small bag containing seven sovereigns
and two half sovereigns on the wash-stand. She dressed and
went down stairs, having forgotten (the hag and money. In
about half an hour she missed the bag, and ran up stairs for
it, but it was gone. She went down into the kitchen, where
she found the prisoner, who was house servant, and asked
her if she had seen anything of the bag: said she had
not. She (witness) then informed the housekeeper,-and the
prisoner was again asked, and again denied it. A constable
was then sent for, and the prisoner was given into custody.
She had since seen the bag containing the money which she
had in it.—Constable Hodgson said he was called to take the
prisoner into custody, and examined her box but found
nothing. He delivered her over to Mrs. hissack, at the
Bridewell, to be searched, and the bag containing the money
was found upon her. The prisoner ban nothing to say in de-
fence. She was committed to take her trial.